The Black Dragon (tentative title)

[the_wolfs_howl]

Author's Note: Really sorry about how long this section took, you guys. Manga (FMA and Monster, mostly) and Harry Potter has taken over my brain for the past week or so, forbidding me to think about anything else. But finally Shard's gusty sighs and Shynael's angry roars got to me, and I wrote the next section. I, at least, can see the effects of Harry Potter on this section; if you've read the seventh book, you might be able to pinpoint it. Anyway, hope you like this!

Shynael had been right about dragons healing much faster than humans. Only a week after the knight had thrust his sword right through Shynael's wing, it had healed and the dragon was flying again as though nothing had happened. The day after Shard's visit with the priest, Shynael turned to him and announced, "I want you to come with me today."

"Come?" Shard asked in confusion.

"You know." Shynael jabbed his nose up at the sky.

"You mean...you want me to ride you while you're flying?"

Shynael nodded and said with a snort, "And don't tell me that I'll become a pack horse again."

"And I won't...weigh you down or anything?" Looking up apprehensively at the cloudless blue sky overhead, Shard realized he was only making excuses.

"You're as light as a feather," Shynael assured him, and bent down to let Shard onto his back.

Reluctantly, Shard did as his friend wished and clambered back into the hollow where he had sat before. He barely had time to grasp Shynael's neck with his arms and knees before the great dragon reared up, beating his wings with a whooshing sound, and leapt into the air. Shard felt as though he had left his stomach on the ground, but halfway through Shynael's ascent it seemed to catch back up with him. His ears throbbed and popped and prickled and he had to squint in the cold air rushing against his face, but partway up these discomforts seemed to fade away as well. A soaring feeling filled his chest as Shynael levelled out, a new and wonderful exhilaration that made his entire body feel alive.

Shard looked over Shynael's shoulder at the ground far, far below them. The trees were the size of tufts of grass, and the farmland stretching out to the horizon looked like a patchwork quilt of gold and brown, with threads of silver and green where the trees hugged the banks of streams. The town he had visited the day before was nothing more than several dark specks on the ground, the church a white spot in the center.

Before he could take in any more, Shynael shot forward in a sudden burst of speed, beating his wings faster. The whizz-whoosh, whizz-whoosh of his leathery wings was all that Shard could hear, louder even than the wind roaring in his ears. The air was as cold as a winter breeze up here, but Shynael's scales were warm. Shard sat in the hollow of the dragon's neck, feeling the wind soaring past him, around his ears, through his hair, catching in his clothes and buffetting his eyelashes, and with every passing moment the joy mounted ever higher inside him. He felt as though he had never truly been alive before this day, before Shynael had taken him up into the sky. He could feel the power and grace of the dragons all around him as Shynael twisted through the air, beat his wings, and shifted his tail like the rudder of a great airborne ship.

Without any warning, Shynael tucked his wings in and pointed his nose down towards the ground. Shard clung on for dear life as they plummeted downwards faster than an arrow from the string. The ground rushed up to meet them, closer and closer, and Shard was sure they were going to crash in a mess of blood, bones, and scales. At the last moment, Shynael snapped out his wings, the wind caught at them, and he soared up again as fast as he had fallen. As they rose through the air like magic, Shard laughed till his sides hurt. Shynael trilled his pleasure as well, and their voices mingled in the air, frightening away a flock of geese they passed.

Neither of them wanted to return to earth, so they remained in the sky all day. Shynael caught and ate several birds throughout the day for energy, but Shard didn't feel hungry in the slightest. It was much too exciting to soar through the air, free as a bird. He had always wondered what it must be like to fly, and had watched birds in the sky longingly many times. He had never dreamed that one day he would actually be able to experience it.

Finally, Shynael had to admit that night was falling, and soon it would be too dark to be sure of a safe landing spot. He caught a pheasant for Shard and landed with it clutched gingerly in his mouth. Shard reluctantly slid off the dragon's back, feeling stiff and sore all over but very happy. Shynael moved off into the night to hunt for his own dinner, muttering to himself, "I could eat ten horses."

Shard laughed and went about preparing his food. He realized, as he cooked the meat over the fire, how much he had enjoyed himself that day. He felt confused, and a little guilty; it was as though he had forgotten about the knights.... Don't be stupid, he told himself. I didn't forget about them. They were always there, in the back of my mind. All the same, he lost no time in taking out his ivory cross to pray for their souls.

Shynael came up just as he crossed himself, and dropped two deer, four rabbits, and a wild boar with a loud thump onto the ground beside the fire. Shard gaped at the mound of animal carcasses. "Are you eating all that?!" he asked in shock.

"No, I got it for decoration," Shynael said sarcastically. "Flying around all day really works up an appetite, you know. And...well, you were a bit heavier than I thought you'd be," he admitted, before quickly starting on a deer.

Shard sighed and shook his head, pulling his own pheasant towards him. "Just wait. I bet you get a stomach ache tonight."

"Sure, whatever," Shynael said thickly around the hindquarters of his second deer.

Shard realized, as he watched Shynael ripping the flesh off the deer's bones, how disgusting such a sight would surely seem to an outsider. Shard, however, was well used to the way Shynael devoured raw animals nearly whole, like some overgrown wolf. He also realized, as he turned back to his own meal, that he had picked up one or two of Shynael's eating habits. He had started tearing meat off the bones with his teeth the same way his friend did, his tongue searching out every small crevice in the bone for any last scrap of meat he might have overlooked. With a rueful smile, Shard decided he probably wouldn't have much need of table manners ever again, and continued tearing the meat off the bones.

[the_wolfs_howl]

The next morning, Shard yawned groggily as he made his way to the river he had heard clattering noisily along its stony banks all night long. He hadn't slept very well; his arms and legs were stiff and uncomfortable, and disturbing dreams had chased him about all night. He couldn't remember these dreams very clearly anymore, but he thought they had something to do with strange dragons towering above him.

Shard bent over the river and splashed his face with the icy cold water. Shivering and shaking the water out of his eyes, he felt much more awake and continued with his morning ablutions. A thin morning mist hung over the ground, and as Shard looked around he realized that the ground was quite rocky, the hills much steeper than before. Looking over his shoulder towards their little campsite, he noticed the mountains for the first time. Great chunks of stone and earth jutted upwards out of the ground like broad, searching fingers. Shard caught his breath: they were on the very foothills of the Headland Mountains. He had only ever heard tales of these lands, and the people who dwelt on the stony heights.

The people of the North were said to live in small villages on the mountainsides, raising goats and other creatures only found in the mountains. Shard had heard that they built small shrines and temples dedicated to the many spirits and gods they believed in. Other than that, however, he had no idea what these mountains were like. He wondered if it would be any easier, or harder, to avoid detection on these rugged slopes than it had been on the plains. He wondered if he and Shynael would be able to save any lives; they had had no human contact since the fiasco with the knights, and Shard had begun to see the difficulty in completing his penance.

Sighing at the inevitability of it all, Shard turned back to the stream and got to his feet. As he did, he noticed large holes in his leggings where the cloth had rubbed through on Shynael's diamond-hard scales. Clicking his tongue in irritation, he felt the fraying edges of the cloth with his fingers, realizing he would have to mend these holes.

Shard blinked, then looked closer. Through the hole, he saw something dark and shiny on the inside of his thigh. He drew in his breath – was that blood? – and hastily pulled off his leggings. What he saw made him scream in fright, nearly falling over backwards. Shynael was at his side in a flash, teeth bared and talons ready to slice through whatever was threatening his friend's safety. When Shynael saw neither man nor beast besides the two of them, he calmed down and said, "Why'd you-?" Then he cut himself off, for he had just noticed what Shard was staring at with such horror and revulsion.

Scales. Shard was afraid to touch them to make sure, but that was certainly what they looked like. Small, round, black spots in clumps dotting the insides of both thighs, right down to his knees. He finally summed up the courage to reach out and touch one with his finger; it felt smooth, oily even, like obsidian. Suddenly Shard noticed similar holes in his shirt sleeves, and pulled off his shirt as quickly as if it had been full of leeches. There were more scales along the insides of his arms, like some twisted form of leprosy.

With a muffled moan, Shard sank to his knees. He looked up imploringly at Shynael, silently begging him to explain, to say that his mother had told him how to get rid of such scales, but the dragon was silent with shock. "I...I didn't know...." Shynael whispered. His eyes slid up from the scales on Shard's arms to Shard's face, and his voice strengthened. "I mean, I knew that we had a connection, but I didn't know you'd get...." His voice trickled down to a whisper once more. "My mother never told me anything like this would happen."

Shynael was silent for so long after saying this that Shard began to worry. "What are you thinking?" he asked tentatively, trying to read the expression in the great yellow eyes.

At this, Shynael flashed him a small grin. "I'm thinking you should put your clothes back on," he said, and trilled with amusement as Shard jumped, realizing he was stark naked. "You humans are strange," he added as he watched Shard struggle quickly back into his clothes. "Why you'd want to wear those extra skins, I have no idea. Is it just because you're so ugly under-"

"Shynael," Shard interrupted, starting to feel desperate. "I don't want to be a dragon! I don't want to have scales, or dragonrage, or...or...."

Shynael's grin widened. "Why not?" His voice quivered on the brink of a trill. "It's got to be better than being a-"

"No!" Shard grasped Shynael's jaws, holding them closed so he couldn't finish his sentence. "I'm a human! These scales, and all the rest of it...they're not me! I want to be me, Shynael! I want to be me!"

The dragon looked uncomfortable at Shard's desperate pleas. "Well...there's not much we can do right now, right? I mean...it's not like I know how to get rid of the scales, right? Come on, let's...let's go eat breakfast, okay?"

Shard backed away, feeling a sudden wave of anger rising up inside him. "Do you even care?" he demanded, clenching his fists at his sides. "Do you even realize what you're doing?"

"What?" Shynael looked confused, and somehow this made Shard even angrier. "What am I doing?"

"Everything is your fault, Shynael!" Shard shouted, his voice rising with each word. "Right from the beginning, all you've ever done is change my life, change who I am! You took away my home, you took away everything I ever cared about! And as if that wasn't enough, you took away my name, and every last bit of who I thought I was! Aren't you content with that? Isn't it enough that you've made me an exile for life, without giving me scales too? Haven't you ruined my life enough already?!" Shard's voice tore at his throat; he was too angry and too busy venting all these thoughts he had kept locked away for so long to notice or care that everything had an odd red tinge to it now. "I hate you! I hate you!"

"What?" Shynael backed up a little, his voice shocked and hurt. He looked small and frightened, as he had not for months.

But Shard paid little attention to Shynael; he was too busy listening to the voice in the back of his head. A thousand whispers flitted through his mind, whispers of attacking the dragon, of leaving him forever, and they all molded into one strong, overpowering voice. It was a voice he had heard before, and a small, pitiful part of himself felt dread, for this was the voice that he had to obey. Kill.

Shard rushed forward, blood pounding in his ears and propelling him forward. He paid no attention to Shynael's eyes widening, nor his quavering, "Shard...?" Drawing back his hand, he made it into a fist and thrust it forward. It seemed to make an abnormally loud thump when it collided with the black scales on Shynael's shoulder.

Shynael let out a little whimper of pain and whispered, "Shard...."

As if that was the magic word, Shard was suddenly himself again, in control of his body and his emotions. Dread crashed over him as he stared at the fist still resting against the black scales. After gazing at it in horror for a few seconds, he stumbled backwards and looked into Shynael's face.

Shard knew the hurt, betrayed look in Shynael's eyes; he had seen it once before. That incident had been so long ago, back when Shynael had only been a few days old, and the dragon hunters had come upon them. The same look pierced Shard's heart like a knife, and the enormity of what he had just done made him want to howl with misery. Instead, he only mouthed wordlessly and was forced to watch, utterly helpless, as Shynael gave him one last pained look, turned around, and flew off.

[Esoteric]

Here's a shocking turn! Wow, poor Shard. And Shynael too...fragile as a child.

Shynael nodded and said with a snort, "And don't tell me that I'll become a pack horse again."

For some reason, this sounded awkward to me. "And don't tell me I'll look like a packhorse again." --or something to that effect might sound better.

"No, I got it for decoration,"

Hehe. Considering that Shynael isn't human and has never lived in a house, such a joke surprised me. I like the concept of it, but the execution needs some work... (Decorate what? --They're in the middle of the woods.) He could say it as more a jab to humans, if you like... "No, I'm going to stuff them and hang them on a wall like you humans do!"

As far the progression of the conversation at the river, I really like the dialogue...it flows very naturally. I am anxious, very anxious to find out what happens next!

[the_wolfs_howl]

As always, thank you for your comments, Eso! Those were really good ideas. I'm glad you like the progression of the story. The stuff about the scales is an idea I've had for a long time, ever since I first started developing the idea for this story. ("Okay, dragon rider story. Connection between dragon and human? Um...scales!") As a contrast, I got the idea for Shard shouting and Shynael leaving only the day before I wrote this last section, as I was sitting in the subway. There's a part in the seventh Harry Potter book where Harry has a sharp disagreement with his best friend, and I think that kind of fueled this disagreement too.
I'll try to get the next bit up soon, 'cause I feel sorry for Shynael T_T

[kryptech]

I liked the flying part. I've always thought that would be so incredibly awesome...

I can't say I say that I saw the scales bit coming. I can understand how Shard would be so creeped out! And the development of Shard and Shanael's argument at the river was sad, but well done.

[the_wolfs_howl]

Thanks! I'll try to get the next section written and posted today or tomorrow. We'll see!

[~darkelfgirl~]

Whoo! I thought I missed a lot.

Wow--can't believe Shard did that to Shynael. I wonder if that voice in his head is part of his emerging dragon nature? Or someone evil? Hmm...

-_- I haven't read the 7th Harry Potter yet....so I don't know what resembled it (hehe with that library waiting list I'll probably get it next year...I think I'll buy it after all)...

The emotion and descriptions are great ^^
Poor Shynael.
Keep up the good work!

[the_wolfs_howl]

Wow, this is more fun than I thought, keeping you all in the dark as to the nature of the voice

The part of Deathly Hallows that this resembles is somewhere around halfway through the book. You'll probably know it when you see it.

Thanks for reading, ~darkelfgirl~! It's always encouraging to see the same people coming back for each section ^_^

[the_wolfs_howl]

Author's Note: With Shard sulking the corner and Shynael snapping irritably at my heels, I thought I'd better update this pretty quick. This section is also partly influenced by the seventh Harry Potter book. My mood music for this part was carefully picked: Broken by Seether (feat. Amy Lee), My Immortal by Evanescence, and Breathe No More by Evanescence. These three songs all convey a deep feeling of loneliness, which was what I needed for this part. I hope you like it.

For a long time, Shard could only stand still, staring at the receding black spot against the sky that was Shynael. He stood there for nearly an hour, unable to believe what had just happened. Shynael, his only friend...the dearest companion he had ever had...was gone, most likely never to return. Shard's legs ached from standing still for so long, and he sat down on the hard ground, not taking his eyes from the sky. He'll come back, he thought numbly. He has to come back.

So Shard waited for the dragon to reappear, for a tiny speck to slowly grow larger and larger until his reptilian friend returned. He'll come back, he told himself over and over. He wouldn't just leave me here like this. Shard sat in numb expectation for perhaps another hour before the truth hit him as hard as Shynael had once done: He's gone. For good. And it's all my fault.

"No!" Shard yelled to the air, leaping to his feet and pacing about angrily. "It's not me, it's not me! That voice! It was the voice that did it! The voice killed the knights! The voice made him go away! Where are you?" he yelled to the chill, mute air. "Where's the voice? Come on, speak to me!" Now he was shouting to his chest. "Tell me who you are! What do you want with me?!"

But the voice, for once, was completely silent. It made no reply to Shard's demands, and Shard was left feeling more alone than before. "No, Shard," he told himself, sitting back down in defeat, "it wasn't the voice. It was you." He had resented Shynael all this time, ever since the first appearance of the black egg. He had admitted it to himself more readily towards the beginning of their friendship, but it had remained with him all this time. He had always held those angry thoughts somewhere deep in his heart: that Shynael had taken away his home, had even changed who he was. Hadn't he always hated Shynael, somewhere deep down inside, in some dark corner he tried to deny?

"I don't blame him," he whispered, dropping his face into his hands. Even as the words left his mouth, he knew they were a lie. Of course he blamed him, he had always blamed him. It was Shynael's fault that he had been forced to leave the village. Shynael had given him the name Shard, and it was because of their strange connection that Shard was becoming more draconic by the day.

But no, it wasn't Shynael's fault. Had Shynael asked to be hatched in that place, at that very hour? Had he stayed at Shard's side just to torture him, make him an exile, and turn him into something half-human? Shynael hadn't even known about the scales. "You're so stupid, Shard," he muttered to himself. "Why'd you have to go and say those things?"

But he had said them, and no amount of remorse would take them back. There was no point in going out to look for Shynael; by now he could be halfway to the end of the world. Shard didn't know what to do with himself. The two of them had never really had a destination; they had merely been wandering and trying to stay alive. There was nothing to stop Shard from doing the same, alone. Nothing, that is, except the emptiness around the campsite where Shard looked and expected to see a huge, black beast curled up, yellow eyes watching him fondly. It seemed to Shard that if he set foot outside this campsite, it would mean accepting that Shynael was not coming back, and he was not willing to do that. Not yet.

So Shard remained in the clearing next to his pack and the remains of last night's fire. He had little appetite, but he cooked the last rabbit that Shynael had been unable to swallow the night before, just for something to do. It seemed years ago that he had sat next to Shynael, laughing and enjoying a meal together. For some reason, the rabbit tasted almost bitter in his mouth, so he didn't eat very much.

Shard set about mending the holes in his clothes, and at every stitch he thought of the pained look in Shynael's eyes. Once he had finished, he pushed up the sleeve of his shirt and looked down at the shiny black scales running along his arm. He touched one gingerly with his other hand, and a shudder passed through him as he thought of how they felt just like Shynael's. Shard ran his fingers along the smooth, round spots just as he always rubbed Shynael's nose, where the scales were the smoothest.

And suddenly, for no reason that Shard could understand, he found himself sobbing, hunching over his arm so that his tears fell thick and fast onto the black scales. His sobs stumbled over each other, clambering to burst out of his mouth, one followed so quickly by another that he could hardly draw breath. Shard felt as though his heart would rip in two with the triple weight of guilt, regret, and loneliness. As he slumped all the way over so that he was lying face-down in the dirt, his thoughts stretched out to Shynael, flying over some deserted moor and trumpeting out the anguish in his own heart. But surely that was only his imagination.

Gradually, Shard's sobs weakened and his tears trickled away. His nose was running and his eyes stung from the salt in his tears. He closed his eyes to stop the stinging, and before he knew it he was asleep.

[the_wolfs_howl]

Shard woke much later in the day; the shadows were long and the light a tired shade of gold. He rolled over onto his back and looked up glumly at the pink-tinged sky. Nothing had improved while he slept; if anything, it was worse now. If Shynael had ever intended to return, surely he would have by now. Shard couldn't decide if the feeling in his heart was a weight or an emptiness, and contemplated this as he watched a front of stormclouds approaching his line of vision. He didn't move, didn't even flinch, when thunder rumbled above him and lightning flashed in the dark folds of the clouds. He didn't care when the rain started to fall, and simply lay there in the dirt. Drops of rain lashed across his face and hands, and he wished they would cut through his skin like tiny knives. He wanted his blood to run in a thousand red rivers into the mud he lay in. Why couldn't his life end? What was the use in continuing this pathetic existence, if he had to live out his days alone?

"Shynael," Shard whispered, closing his eyes as the rain fell harder onto his skin. He wished the dragon would return, though there was little hope of that. "Shynael," he said. If only he could see Shynael again, tell him he was sorry, then maybe.... "Shynael," he said, louder this time. But no, even if Shynael came back, what good would that do? He would never stay, not after what Shard had said to him. "Shynael," he called to pattering rain all about him. Shynael would never forgive him. It was just that simple. And he would never come back. "Shynael," he called more loudly. He didn't care if all his reason was telling him Shynael wouldn't come back. It didn't matter that, were he in Shynael's place, he would never want to see his friend again. His heart ached, ached for Shynael, and he couldn't stand the pain anymore. "Shynael!" Shard screamed to the heavens. "Shynael, I just want you back! Please! Shynael!"

The dragon he saw racing through the rain towards him was just an illusion, his eyes playing tricks on him. The roar he thought he heard was nothing but the thunder in his ears, he knew. The answering leap in his chest from another heart that longed to be next to him was only his own wishful thinking. He closed his eyes; he just wanted to slip away.... Maybe he would catch pneumonia and die here on this mountain slope....

"Shard!"

Shard's eyes snapped open at the familiar roar. Surely, it was only his- But no. It really was.... "Shynael," he murmured, his voice lost in a new blast of thunder. Shynael's gloriously familiar face hung over his own, just as if nothing had happened and they had been playing one of Shynael's games.

And suddenly it clicked in his mind: Shynael was back! Shard shot to a sitting position, ignoring the mud sucking at his hair and back. Shynael jerked backwards, and Shard looked up into those great yellow eyes to see a horribly cautious expression in them. To think that Shynael would be so frightened of his friend....

"Shynael," Shard murmured, staggering to his feet, which felt stiff and awkward after being still for so long.

But before he could say anything, Shynael said hastily, "I just wanted to see you again, okay? J-Just once! I'll leave, and then I'll never come back again, I swear on my mother's blood!"

"Please don't," Shard said softly.

Shynael blinked in surprise. "You...You don't want me to leave?"

Shard shook his head. "Shynael, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said those things. I was angry, and...they just popped out. It was wrong of me to blame you for all that's happened; none of that was your fault."

"But it was!" Shynael wailed, his head drooping down almost to the ground. "It's all my fault. If we weren't connected, you wouldn't have scales, or dragonrage, or any of that. I'm so sorry, Shard, I didn't mean to...to...." He looked dangerously close to tears.

"No, Shynael." A great surge of affection welled up inside Shard's chest, and he stepped closer, reaching out to touch Shynael on the nose. "You have nothing to be sorry for, and I have everything to be sorry for. I won't ask you to forgive me, but I...just want you to know that...Shynael, I don't hate you."

"I know," Shynael said in a trembling voice. And suddenly he began to cry, sobs a thousand times louder and more powerful than Shard's. "Don't-" he sobbed, nudging Shard hard in the chest "let-" With each word, he pushed Shard harder, making him stagger backwards, "me – do – that – ever – again!" With one final thrust, he pushed Shard onto the ground, holding him there with his nose.

Shard put both hands on that smooth nose. "I won't. I promise." And then he smiled, because he saw in Shynael's eyes an unspoken forgiveness, an unconditional acceptance of who he was, scales, dragonrage, and all. Perhaps he had received more than uncomfortable scales with this connection they shared. Shard hugged Shynael's huge head, and the dragon began to purr.

[~darkelfgirl~]

Updates yay!
You too? Listening to Evanescence also inspires some of my emotional parts of my stories, hehe.

I like the emotion in this part and how you described the storm and Shard being so sad that he didn't care about it.

Oh--there's this one part:

Shard shot to a sitting position, ignoring the mud sucking at his hair and back.

"Mud sucking" makes the mud seems like it's alive and leechy, hehe.

Overall, kudos!

[kryptech]

Yes, music sure can get one into the right mood for writing certain material. Anyway, good to see that the two are teamed up again.

[quote="the_wolfs_howl"]"I know," Shynael said in a trembling voice. And suddenly he began to cry, sobs a thousand times louder and more powerful than Shard's. "Don't-" he sobbed, nudging Shard hard in the chest "let-" With each word, he pushed Shard harder, making him stagger backwards, "me –]
Maybe it is just me but I didn't catch what Shynael was referring to when he said "Don't-let-me–do–that–ever–again!"

[the_wolfs_howl]

~darkelfgirl~ - Thanks! Somewhere around the third time through the song Breathe No More, I suddenly just felt so alone, so cold inside. I guess the mood music worked, eh?

kryptech - Thanks for pointing that out. Shynael meant, "Don't let me leave you like that ever again!" *scurries off to make note for second draft*

[Esoteric]

Ack...I read this shortly after it was posted, but then...*starts wandering off absent-mindedly* Oops, sorry, almost did it again! (It's been a heck of a weekend and I'm so hot right now, I almost can't think.)

Maybe it is just me but I didn't catch what Shynael was referring to when he said "Don't-let-me–do–that–ever–again!"

Yes I was going to say something about that too. I was thinking...uh, what did Shynael do?
The way Shard spends the day waiting in uncertainty is great. And the reunion is great too, especially with Shynael's fearful...'just one last time' mentality.
My only gripe is...it's all resolved a little too fast. The argument which caused this separation was at the very core of their relationship, a very deep and powerful rift which created a lot of emotion... I confess, I should have liked to see Shard wander around alone for a bit and have the desperation really sink in, have him really start experiencing a life without Shynael (even with his guilt, one day felt a little quick for him to start contemplating suicide.) You know me, I like to watch 'em suffer longer --just like me in this abominable heat wave, Mwhahaha! *cough* Err, sorry, I think I'll go stick my head in the freezer now...

[the_wolfs_howl]

*fans Eso-sensei* I was wondering myself, after I put it up, whether I shouldn't have made them be apart just a little longer. Like, several days. Hmm...will do so in the next draft! Though I can just hear Shard groaning over my shoulder, "Aren't you torturing us enough?!" ^^'

....... << >> *sidles over to the manga shelf*

*Shynael snarls*

*goes meekly back to the computer*

[the_wolfs_howl]

Author's Note: Yay, the next section! I'm starting to get into the part of the story where I'm not exactly sure what needs to happen when (the middles of stories are always like this for me), but I'm confident that the actual writing of it will solidify things for me. One paragraph of this section was inspired by the way I felt after staying indoors for three solid months without setting one toe outside, while recovering from surgery. I literally thought I was going to go crazy (and that's saying something, because I'm an excessive homebody). Great mood music for this story: The Dragon's Breath by David Arkenstone

Shard let out another impatient sigh as he struck the two stones together. The sparks fell on the damp wood he had gathered, and sputtered out before they caught the wood on fire. "Looks like a cold breakfast today," he muttered to himself, shivering in the early morning mist that hung about the foothills of the mountains.

"I can help!" Shynael said eagerly, moving forwards. Since his return the night before, the dragon had been eager to help Shard in any way he could, as if to make up for their temporary rift. His wing had been the canopy that kept the rain off Shard, his body heat what kept Shard warm through the cold night.

"I don't think you can help this time," Shard said. He was thankful for all Shynael had done for him, but.... "You can't breathe fire yet, remember?"
Shynael's expression was stubborn. "I should be able to now; I'm old enough! My mother told me the fire comes at four months after hatching."

Shard shrugged, seeing there would be no arguing with him, and backed away a few paces to watch. Shynael had often tried to produce fire, but he had never succeeded, and Shard couldn't see why this time should be any different. As always, the dragon took a deep breath and made odd gulping noises, followed by clicks and snaps that failed to ignite his breath. After five fruitless clicks, Shard stepped forward. "It's all right, Shynael. I can eat it cold."

He reached out to pat Shynael's neck, but just as he did, searing flames shot out of Shynael's open mouth, engulfing the firewood and singeing the ground all around it. Shard leapt back, gaping at Shynael. The dragon turned to look at him with a half-scared, half-excited expression. "I did it, Shard!" he whispered.

Shard grinned, choosing not to point out that Shynael's flames had also turned his breakfast into a charred black lump.

As Shard clambered up onto Shynael's back an hour later, he said, "It really has been only four months, hasn't it? It feels like forever."

Shynael showed all of his many gleaming teeth. "For me, it has been forever."

Shard laughed, leaning into Shynael's neck and wrapping his arms around it. He waited for Shynael to take off, but for the first time the dragon seemed reluctant to do so. "Shynael?"

Shynael's head drooped low. "Are you sure you want to keep doing this, Shard? I mean...it was only after I took you flying that those scales of yours appeared."

Shard hesitated. To say he didn't care about the scales anymore would be a lie; he was very concerned about the dramatic changes his body was going through. Yet...somehow, after experiencing a taste of life without Shynael, Shard had discovered that all other problems paled in comparison. What did it matter if he did turn into something half-dragon, half-human? As long as he had Shynael for company, he could take on the world. He told Shynael none of these things, however, contenting himself with a mere, "I like flying."

Shynael craned his neck around to look at him, and the great yellow eyes bored into Shard's. They stared into each other's eyes for a long moment, until finally Shynael said softly, "Thanks."

Shard wasn't completely sure what he meant by that, but held on as the dragon's wings unfurled and pushed them up into the sky. This time, Shard experienced none of the discomforts of his first ascent, yet as the two of them drew farther and farther away from the ground, a sick feeling slowly grew stronger in Shard's stomach. It wasn't a nauseous feeling; more like a hollow cavity that threatened to suck all of his intestines into it. A horrible wrongness overwhelmed him as Shynael began to fly northward, over the great mountains. At the same time, a mental itch irritated him, like a fly buzzing around in the back of his brain, keeping just out of reach of his swatting hand. He felt feverish inside, but not outside; he could tell his body was perfectly healthy, but everything inside him felt like the descriptions he had heard of the Plague. "Shynael...." he groaned weakly, not sure if the dragon would be able to hear him over the wind whistling around them.

When Shynael turned his head to look back, Shard saw a horrible torment swirling in his eyes. "Something's...not right," Shynael managed to gasp out, his voice carrying back to Shard on the wind. "We have to go south!" With a little snarl, he flipped around and flew with all his might in the opposite direction they had been going.

And Shard felt it too: an irresistible tug somewhere in his chest, as though someone had sunk a fishing hook in his heart and was steadily reeling them both in. The longer they travelled southward, the better Shard felt inside. The sick feeling lifted from him, and he could breathe easily again, but there was still the sensation of someone tugging him to the south.

Shynael continued flying south the rest of that day, leaving the mountains behind. When they landed again that night, Shard asked him, "You felt it too, didn't you?"

Shynael shuddered. "It felt like someone was reaching inside me and pulling me back by my heart."

Shard nodded his agreement. "What do you think it is?"

"I don't remember my mother mentioning it. But...." He glanced furtively at Shard, then quickly looked away again. "South...is dragon country, right? Do you think it has something to do with that?"

Shard considered this with a frown. No human in living memory had ever ventured into dragon country. There was a mutually-accepted, albeit unspoken, boundary separating the two countries. For a dragon to cross onto human territory, or a human to enter the land of the dragons, meant instant death. But...was he truly a human anymore? Was Shynael truly a dragon? Shard hugged his knees up against his chest, and whispered, "I guess we'll just have to find out."

[~darkelfgirl~]

XD I loved that part when Shynael burns the food and he cutely replies "I did it Shard!" He reminds me of a little kid, hehe.

Hmm...mysterious. I wonder if it is really the area that's pulling them towards it?

Interesting (I say that word a lot ^^')

(P.S. I got Deathly Hallows today ^^ Can't wait to start it!)

[the_wolfs_howl]

Yeah, Shynael's a lot like a kid. Well, technically, he is a kid. Only four months old, isn't he?

I'm glad you liked it. All mysterious things shall be revealed in time.... *woo creepy sound effects* << >>

Oh, and you'll love Deathly Hallows It's an awesome book, the best by far of the whole series. Look out especially for Chapter 34. The writing in that chapter is simply amazing.

[Esoteric]

Hmm, hmm, hmm, a new development, and a surprising one at that. You're very good a surprising me, do you know that? Of course, I sometimes wonder if the secret to your success lies in the fact that you don't know what's going to happen next either!

"I don't remember my mother mentioning it. But...." He glanced furtively at Shard, then quickly looked away again. "South...is dragon country, right? Do you think it has something to do with that?"

Shard considered this with a frown. No human in living memory had ever ventured into dragon country. There was a mutually-accepted, albeit unspoken, boundary separating the two countries. For a dragon to cross onto human territory, or a human to enter the land of the dragons, meant instant death. But...was he truly a human anymore? Was Shynael truly a dragon? Shard hugged his knees up against his chest, and whispered, "I guess we'll just have to find out."

There's dragon territory and human territory? Wow, this is important information to be coming so late in the story. Doubtless I assume it's because you're developing the story as you go along and that's understandable. But it means you'll have to go back and address a few things...like why Shynael's mother dared venture into human territory. Also, the dragon hunters seeking dragon's for apothecary profit now seem a little strange. It's a sudden change from a 'dragons are reclusive monsters but they are encountered from time to time' situation to...I dunno, The Village. XD Yeah, okay maybe not quite. It's fine if you want to create this separation of territories, but I'm just saying you should go back and set it up a bit earlier because it feels very, sudden.
Or maybe I'm reading too much into this 'territory' thing? If I'm misunderstanding this, tell me.

[the_wolfs_howl]

Of course, I sometimes wonder if the secret to your success lies in the fact that you don't know what's going to happen next either!

XP Yeah, that probably has something to do with it.

There's dragon territory and human territory? Wow, this is important information to be coming so late in the story. Doubtless I assume it's because you're developing the story as you go along and that's understandable. But it means you'll have to go back and address a few things...like why Shynael's mother dared venture into human territory. Also, the dragon hunters seeking dragon's for apothecary profit now seem a little strange. It's a sudden change from a 'dragons are reclusive monsters but they are encountered from time to time' situation to...I dunno, The Village. XD Yeah, okay maybe not quite. It's fine if you want to create this separation of territories, but I'm just saying you should go back and set it up a bit earlier because it feels very, sudden.
Or maybe I'm reading too much into this 'territory' thing? If I'm misunderstanding this, tell me.

No, you understand this very well. It is mainly coming in this late because I came up with that idea after the first several bits, and it only really solidified as I was writing it. I agree with you that now the dragon hunters need some reworking I'll address that in the second draft.
I guess the main point of the territory thing is that dragons and humans have been basically at war with each other for years, and don't hesitate to kill each other if a chance arises. It's not like they've drawn up a treaty or set up barbed wire to mark out their territories; there are some "heroic" humans who go to slay dragons, and occasional forays of adventure-seeking dragons who burn crops and steal cattle, but for the most part dragons keep to the south and humans to the north.
And now I have to find a way to say that in the story....
Oh, and as for why Shynael's mother was in human territory...you'll find that out later

[the_wolfs_howl]

Author's Note: I really hope you all like the new developments in this section - and maybe it'll be a surprise? I realize where I ended it will probably leave you with a dozen questions, but it was already pretty long, so I thought I'd better cut it there. Enjoy!

For three more days, Shard and Shynael flew across the country it had taken four months to cross on foot, feeling the tug on their hearts grow stronger every day. When Shard looked over Shynael's side at the land stretching out like a blanket beneath him, he felt as though all their work was being undone. He couldn't help thinking, from time to time, Whatever this is, it had better be good.

The farther south they travelled, the more times Shard would look down at the ground thousands of feet below them. Somewhere down there, he knew, was the little black speck that was his village. Somewhere, in a place so remote it might as well have been the moon, the people he had grown up with were going about their daily lives, unaware that their fellow villager was streaking across the sky on a dragon. Shard thought more and more about his village with each passing hour; it took over his mind as weeds took over an untended garden. The feeling of homesickness, which had never really left him since he had started on this journey, swamped him. He wanted to see Father Mark's dear face again. He wanted to sleep on his own cot again, narrow and uncomfortable though it might be. He even missed the stench of Ellie's pigs. His longing to be home grew so strong that he could almost sense the other being that lived inside him, the being that woke in a dragonrage, growling threateningly and reminding him of the need to continue southward. Don't worry, he told it silently. You and I both know I can't return to the village.

And then came the day that they crossed the Serpent River, the unofficial boundary to dragon country. Shard was almost surprised that the land looked just the same on the far side of the river. Rolling hills, covered in browning grass, continued on for many miles. The only difference Shard noted was the absence of the little dark spots that marked towns and villages. Shard's stomach recoiled on itself as he scanned the ground and sky for another dragon, but it seemed they were alone. He wondered what would happen when they encountered another dragon, for they were sure to before too long. I wonder if they'd only kill me, or if they'd kill Shynael as well for being a 'traitor' or something.

A dark smudge on the horizon grew larger as they approached it, and Shard finally realized it was a forest. But such a forest he had never seen before! It stretched as far as the eye could see to the left and the right, and there seemed no end to it straight ahead, either. As they drew close enough to see individual trees, Shard saw that all the branches were clustered at the top of the trees, leaving an enormous amount of straight, smooth trunk. Shard's gasp was lost in Shynael's slipstream when they drew even closer. They were so tall! Taller than ten churches stacked on top of each other! As tall as small mountains! And so thick, like one enormous bush. As they left the edge of the forest behind, it felt as though they were flying over a vast green sea.

Shard was so busy gaping at the trees that he almost didn't notice how the tug on his heart evaporated. Shynael jerked with surprise, hovering to a stop, as he felt it too, and they both looked simultaneously towards a thicket of trees that rose above the canopy. Somehow, they knew that was where they had been drawn to all this time. Shard's mouth was dry as Shynael craned his neck to share a look. Shard nodded, and Shynael moved toward the thicket.

An earsplitting shriek echoed all around them, and Shynael rolled right over in the air. Shard clung desperately to Shynael's neck as he righted himself again. Then Shard felt as though he had swallowed his tongue.

Hovering directly before them, its wings batting heavily up and down, was a large dragon, its blue scales shimmering in the afternoon sun.

It shrieked again, and this time Shard could distinguish the words: "Stay off my territory!" Its voice was higher-pitched than Shynael's, and a thousand times sharper; Shard could feel his eardrums sting with the explosion of sound. Then Shard took a closer look at the blue dragon's eyes, and saw how they were alight with fire. Dragonrage.

To Shard's horror, Shynael responded with a booming cry, "I will fly where I please!" Shard could tell from Shynael's voice and the frequency of the whizz-whoosh of his wings that he, too, had gone into dragonrage. Before Shard could yell at Shynael to get ahold of himself, Shynael shot forward with a roar.

The blue dragon easily dodged the attack, soaring off to the side and diving towards Shynael's rump. Shynael twisted out of the way and turned to face the blue dragon with a sharp turn. Before Shard realized what was happening, Shynael's neck twisted out of his grip and he was buffetted backwards by the wind from Shynael's wings. "Shynael!" Shard screamed as he felt himself fall down towards the trees, but he knew the dragons were too busy fighting to hear.

[the_wolfs_howl]

Shard only had enough time to think, I'm going to die, before his fall was halted with a sickening jerk. The wind knocked out of him, it was all he could do to not slip off the slippery red scales he found himself clinging to. Then a hand – a human hand – grasped his arm and heaved him into a safer position astride the great red dragon. Shard found himself clinging to the waist of a man sitting in the hollow at the base of the red dragon's neck. The man was clad from head to foot in glistening red armor that blended in with the dragon's scales. He wore a helmet with the visor down, so Shard couldn't see his face.

The red dragon turned so Shard and the armored man could see the battle between Shynael and the blue dragon. They twisted around each other, their movements so fast it was only a blur.

"That fool Advent!" the man spat through his visor. "Isn't it obvious that- But no. Of course not. He was like that to the others; why should he be different this time?" Suddenly he turned to look at Shard. "You! Call off your dragon, or it'll be killed! It's no match for Andreil."

Shard wasn't sure what good it would do to call to Shynael when the dragon was so engrossed in his fight, but he called the dragon's name all the same, begging him with his heart to stop as well. Shynael pulled away from the blue dragon, looking over at Shard on the red dragon's back. The blue dragon took advantage of this momentary distraction and slashed at Shynael's neck with its talons. Shynael roared in pain and turned to retaliate, but the red dragon bellowed wordlessly at them, bringing both dragons to an abrupt stop. The red dragon moved close enough to the blue dragon for the armored man to shout, "What do you think you're doing, Advent?! These are the ones!"

"And how was I supposed to know that?" came another voice from behind the blue dragon's neck. Shard realized there was another man sitting there, armored in the same fashion with blue armor that blended in with his dragon's scales.

The man with red armor began to reply, but then Shynael soared up next to the red dragon and snarled, "Give him back. Give me Shard!"

The red-armored man held up a placating hand. "Wait a moment...Shynael, was it? Your wound needs seeing to. We should land-"

Shynael thrust his large face right up next to the man and growled, "Shut up. Come on, Shard."

"Shynael...." Shard protested, looking at the nasty wound on Shynael's neck. Dark blood flowed freely from it, running off his smooth scales and raining on the treetops below.

The red dragon nudged Shynael's head away with one wing and said to him, "See some sense, young one. We are your friends, not your enemies."

"I'll decide that for myself!" Shynael snapped. "If you were friends, you'd let me have Shard again!"

"Very well," the red-armored man said, talking over his dragon's protest. "Shynael here won't give us peace otherwise, Linegai."

The red dragon snorted and muttered something that sounded like 'youthful hatchling,' but made no other protest when the red-armored man helped Shard clamber precariously over onto Shynael's back.

Shard climbed into the hollow behind Shynael's neck and wrapped his arms about it as usual. He was more than a little surprised at his friend's behavior; he had never seen Shynael so fierce and angry before. But then he felt Shynael trembling beneath him, and he realized that the dragon was frightened and confused. After all, these were the first two dragons he had ever seen in his life, and they had threatened him and seemed to threaten Shard. Shard understood this in the space of a second, before the other dragons had time to do more than start to turn towards the tallest tree of the thicket. "It's all right, Shynael," he whispered, rubbing the blood-stained scales comfortingly. "I think we can trust them."

Shynael whimpered so softly only Shard would have been able to hear it, and followed the others to the tree. The three dragons circled the tree, spiralling downwards. The blue dragon disappeared in the foliage, and then the red dragon dipped down as well. Shynael lowered himself cautiously through the large branches, which blew back under the force of his wings. Before either of them was ready for a landing, Shynael's talons clicked against something solid and they collapsed somewhat ungracefully onto what appeared to be a stone floor.

Shard looked around them with awe. The branches formed a dappled gold and green roof overhead, and a huge bowl made of some brownish-grey stone sat in the center of the branches. The three dragons had landed directly in the center of the bowl, next to several long wooden tables with many chairs set up around them. Lifting his eyes to the sides of the bowl, Shard could see many openings in a line, like gigantic knotholes the size of cave mouths.

Seeing that the armored men had dismounted, Shard slid off Shynael's back as well, but remained close to the black dragon, for Shynael was still trembling slightly. As Shard hesitated uncertainly, the blue-armored man pulled off his helmet. He had a young face, only several years older than Shard, with the large, light-blue eyes and white-blond hair of the northern mountain folk. He looked at Shard and Shynael with obvious distaste, which was mirrored in his dragon's eyes.

Now that he had time to notice, Shard saw that the blue dragon was proportionally smaller and stockier than Shynael, though it still was much larger. At the same time, the red dragon was much longer and more slender, almost like a winged snake. Shynael looked very small next to them, though he towered over Shard's head.

Shard looked over at the man with red armor, who also tugged off his helmet. Then Shard drew in his breath, for this was no man at all.

Waist-length locks of black hair spilled out of the helmet, and the armored woman shook them out as she laid her helmet on a nearby table. Then she turned to face Shard, and he felt as though he had been slapped in the face. He had never seen anyone so beautiful in his life: long, black eyelashes; the narrow, pointed eyes of the West; full lips nearly as red as her armor; high cheekbones in a princess-like face.

And Shard suddenly realized what a mess he was. Hair uncombed and wild, muddy hands and face, his clothes torn once more from Shynael's hard scales. He almost didn't notice what she was saying to him; the voice that had seemed perfectly normal behind the visor now was as beautiful as the sunlight that dappled the floor.

"Take this ointment," she said, holding out a bowl that she had picked up from the table. "Rub it into your dragon's wound three times a day until it closes; then dragon blood will do the rest."

Shard tried to thank her, but his lips seemed stuck together, so he took the bowl wordlessly.

"Advent," the woman said, turning to the man with blue armor. "Show them to their quarters."

Advent muttered something in a language Shard could not understand, and walked resolutely away from them, his dragon following at his heels. The woman sighed a long-suffering sigh and said, "He's always like that." She beckoned to him with a tilt of her head. "Come. I'll show you where you are to stay."

Shard followed her, watching the way her hair swished from side to side, as if hypnotized. Shard came reluctantly behind them. The woman was silent until they climbed up the gently sloping side of the bowl to one of the knotholes, and turned at the opening. "This room will be large enough for you two at present," she said. "When your friend," she nodded at Shynael, "has grown more, we shall have to move you, but I believe this will do for now. You will find everything you need," she said, waving a careless hand behind her. "Wash up, and come back to the meeting table in one hour." She turned as if to go, then seemed to remember something and turned back briefly. "A bath might be wise," she added, then left.

Shard watched her go, a smile playing at his lips. Somehow, the only thing that bothered him right now was that he didn't know her name.

[~darkelfgirl~]

Hehe, I'm in a rush so I can't get to read it right now....just telling you so you won't think I don't wanna read it or anything ^^

[Esoteric]

Ooo, Lothlorien of the Dragons... ^^

Not much to pick apart grammer-wise this time.

Then she turned to face Shard, and he felt as though he had been slapped in the face.

There's one face too many in this sentence.

He had never seen anyone so beautiful in his life: long, black eyelashes; the narrow, pointed eyes of the West; full lips nearly as red as her armor; high cheekbones in a princess-like face.

I hope she gets a pimple! XD XD (Sorry, I just had to throw that in after our last conversation)

Bowls within bowls...they're sitting in one and then she hands Shard one. When I skimmed the first time through, it confused me a little. Granted, most people don't speed read like I do, but perhaps if you change the description of one of the bowl's to something else (i.e. chalice, concave dome etc.) It might remove any possibility of confusion.

I don't have much else to say right now...feeling kinda brain-dead at the moment. But if I think of anything else I'll add it later.

[the_wolfs_howl]

XD Yeah, I was wondering what you'd think when you read about how beautiful she is. Don't worry, there's a point to it! Oh, and I was thinking: Maybe I could somehow say that while Shard thinks she's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen, she wouldn't necessarily be amazingly beautiful to everyone else. Does that make sense? You know, when you get a little...twitter-pated or whatever, you think someone's just gorgeous, but if you asked someone, they'd say something like, "Beautiful? Yeah, I guess she's kinda pretty." Do you know of some way I could write that, either in this section or in parts to come?

Anyway, thanks for reading, and thanks for your suggestions. I'll see how soon I can get to the next section!

[kryptech]

I've always loved aerial battles with dragons! The new forest location sounds grand and beautiful. I guess in dragon country there isn't a large logging industry to cut down all the old forests.

Oh, and I was thinking: Maybe I could somehow say that while Shard thinks she's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen, she wouldn't necessarily be amazingly beautiful to everyone else. Does that make sense?

It does make sense. I've seen this before. People's views on beauty aren't always the same and also Shard hasn't seen people much in the last while so that might effect his perceptions too.

[the_wolfs_howl]

^_^ Don't worry, there's more aerial dragon battles where that came from.

How do you think I should write the whole thing about Shard being the only one who thinks she's amazingly beautiful? I mean, should he ask someone, "Isn't she beautiful?" and all that, or.... Well, what do you think?

[Esoteric]

How do you think I should write the whole thing about Shard being the only one who thinks she's amazingly beautiful? I mean, should he ask someone, "Isn't she beautiful?" and all that, or.... Well, what do you think?

Well getting another human's opinion could be a little difficult, since there aren't many people around (her and the other guy who won't talk to him). You could, however, have him bounce the idea off Shynael, who of course, being a young dragon would not only lack an eye for human beauty, but be completely uninterested. You could probably get some funny dialogue about it between them. (Has Shynael even encountered a human female before? He might even be thinking she's a very strange looking man right now for all we know!)

[~darkelfgirl~]

Hehe, I half-expected to see elves in the forest (you know, with the treehouses and stuff).

Ooh, Advent's an interesting character. Seems like a bishie to me ^^ *elfy giggle*

XD Oh yeh, now Shard realizes how messy he is when he sees the woman. Guys.

Great update ^__^.

[the_wolfs_howl]

Well getting another human's opinion could be a little difficult, since there aren't many people around (her and the other guy who won't talk to him). You could, however, have him bounce the idea off Shynael, who of course, being a young dragon would not only lack an eye for human beauty, but be completely uninterested. You could probably get some funny dialogue about it between them. (Has Shynael even encountered a human female before? He might even be thinking she's a very strange looking man right now for all we know!)

That's a good idea! I'll definitely use that!

Hehe, I half-expected to see elves in the forest (you know, with the treehouses and stuff).

Ooh, Advent's an interesting character. Seems like a bishie to me ^^ *elfy giggle*

XD Oh yeh, now Shard realizes how messy he is when he sees the woman. Guys.

Great update ^__^.

I thought I'd provide a change from the usual "dragons roosting in mountain caves" thing like in Eragon and Dragonriders of Pern, and go with a forest instead.

Advent = bishie We'll see if that holds....

Next time: Answers Are Given!