Ponos He/Him Mate of Huria and Lisae'Idace Scarlet Serpenta Familiar The coat of a scarlet serpenta's vibrant namesake is only red for a two week duration each year. When this change occurs the serpenta is dangerous and unpredictable. (Colored by NeroGravity.) 1300 Seafarer Merchant Ponos was hatched and raised in the Earth Flight, but always dreamed of being a sailor. He spent many evenings wandering along the rocky cliffs that made up the shoreline of Dragonhome, trying to spot any ships passing by. He longed to be on all of them, sailing to lands unknown. When he was barely fourteen years old, he left his home and joined the crew of a small trade ship. After years of hard work aboard the ship, the old captain chose Ponos as his successor.

Now, Ponos is preparing for his first voyage as captain of the Iridescence, set to depart from the Windswept Plateau and head for the Southern Icefields. Before they can leave, however, they must wait for a lone passenger to board...


Children

With Huria:

Sunshine

Watermelon

With Lisae'Idace:

Grapejuice

Trida

Siren

Witchcraft

---

____Ponos paced up and down the deck of his ship, his tail twitching in anticipation. The warm morning sunlight shone down on him, but it did little to ease his anxiousness. This was his first time captaining a ship all by himself, and he was nervous. He checked on his crew, making sure that they were all in their positions, and everything was set up and ready for their departure.

____The small Fae was eager to leave, the sooner the better. It was going to be a three-day voyage. There were predictions of a large storm forming over the southern ocean soon, and he didn't want to get caught in it. Unfortunately, he had to wait on a passenger to arrive: the daughter of the former captain, whom Ponos had promised to take with him on the voyage, back to her home in the Southern Icefields. Much to his frustration, she was taking her sweet time.

____As Ponos paced along the length of the ship, he heard a commotion rise up from the dock below. He rushed over to the railing to see what was happening. He saw a blue Nocturne with yellow wings arguing with one of his deckhands. Yep, that was her: Neikea, the former captain's daughter, being her usual, agreeable self. Ponos noticed that Neikea was accompanied by two Ridgebacks whom he didn't recognize. He hurried down to the dock to see what was going on.

____"Everything all right down here?" Ponos asked as he approached her.

____"No, everything is not all right," Neikea snapped. "Your inept deckhand is telling me that my fiancé and his sister can't come aboard."

____"What?" Ponos said, feeling a headache coming on. Neikea had been without a mate a few days ago, but then again, getting one this quickly seemed on-brand for her. Ponos looked at the two Ridgebacks, sizing them up. The male, Neikea's mate, had black scales, a turquoise underbelly, and purple wings. His sister had purple scales, a light blue underbelly, and blue wings. Ponos shook his head.

____"I'm sorry, Neikea, but there's no quarters on this ship suited for dragons of their size," Ponos said, trying to be diplomatic. "We've only just enough room for the cargo, the crew, and yourself. Besides, Ridgebacks aren't exactly known for being comfortable around water."

____"Oh please, that's just an old stereotype," Neikea huffed. "I'm sure there will be plenty of room on the ship for them. My father would've let me bring them," she added.

____Ponos took a deep breath, trying to maintain his composure. He didn't like Neikea's selfish attitude.

____"I… understand your reasons, ma'am… but the safety of everyone on board is my concern. Can you tell me more about these two? Their names?"

____The male Ridgeback spoke up.

____"Um, darling," he said to Neikea. "Maybe the captain is right-"

____"Nonsense, Godron!" She said, cutting him off. "You're getting on this ship with me! I promised you, after all…" Neikea's voice trailed off as she smirked at Ponos.

____Ponos was getting frustrated. He didn't like being talked down to, and he didn't like being taunted. Ponos had made a promise, true, but he was starting to doubt whether Neikea was worth the trouble. As he continued arguing with Neikea, he noticed a female Spiral and a male Centaur approaching him. He groaned internally; how many other people would he have to deal with before setting sail?

____"Um, excuse me?" The Spiral said, interrupting their "conversation." Ponos, Neikea, and the two Ridgebacks turned to look at her. She shrunk back under their gaze, and cleared her throat. "We're looking for the captain of this ship."

____"Isn't everyone," Ponos mumbled, frustrated. There seemed to be more salt in his voice than the air. "That'd be me. Name's Ponos. Who's asking?"

____The Spiral and the Centaur exchanged a glance, hesitant to reveal too much. "We were hoping to join your crew," the Spiral said, keeping her tone casual.

____"Really?" Ponos said, eyeing them up and down. His focus locked onto the Centaur. "Never heard of a seafaring Centaur before."

____"Then it pleases me to be the first," the Centaur said, meeting the stare.

____"Right…" Ponos considered the odd pair. He glanced at Neikea and the two Ridgebacks. "Well, we are in need of a few extra hands… sure, why not. I will need your names, though."

____"Villruth," the Centaur replied. "And this is Huria."

____"Alright then, Villruth and Huria. Get yourselves on board. We'll set sail as soon as I can finish with these three."

____"Yes sir!" Huria said eagerly. The pair made their way up the ramp onto the deck of the ship, the Spiral looking very excited.

____As Huria and Villruth went up the ramp, Ponos thought he heard them say something, but his attention was quickly drawn back to Neikea.

____"Oh, so you can let two ragtag strangers on board at a moment's notice, but you bar my personal guests?" Neikea fumed.

____"Again, space issues: those two are much smaller than a single Ridgeback, let alone two," Ponos retorted.

____"Space, shmace," Neikea said dismissively. "Look, these two will be fine, I'm sure of it."

____"You seem very confident for having just met them." Ponos said pointedly.

____"Well, I admit I don't know much about this one-" Neikea paused, gesturing to the female Ridgeback "-but I have studied this one extensively," she said with a coy smile, referring to Godron. Her new mate blushed lightly.

____Ponos shook his head, put off by her choice of words. He rubbed his temples, his headache growing stronger.

____"Listen, Ponos, I've got a guaranteed connection. I'm not getting on that ship without my compatriots, and if I'm not in the Icefields in three days' time, it'll be your fault, not mine." Neikea said condescendingly.

____Ponos decided it wasn't worth arguing anymore.

____"You know what? Fine," he relented. "They can come aboard. But if anything happens to them or my crew during the voyage, it's on you. Understood?"

____Neikea smiled sweetly. "Of course, captain." With her head held high, Neikea strode past Ponos, and the two Ridgebacks followed her up the ramp. The ship creaked as Neikea's two unexpected passengers boarded, and it visibly sank a few feet.

____"Yep. Great. Wonderful. Fantastic. No way this will cause problems." Ponos mumbled to himself as he followed them up the ramp.


____It took them a while to figure out how to fit the two Ridgebacks on the ship. They were too big to go below deck, so they'd have to remain on top. The two large dragons were instructed to lie down on either side of the masts, as flat as they could. This kept their weight evenly distributed, but it did little to reduce the space they took up. Both of them were around fifteen meters long, half of the full length of the ship. The crew members had to either run around them, or fly over them, to move about. To say the crew were unhappy with this would be an understatement, but nothing else could be done for it.

____Godron, the male Ridgeback, lay down facing the front of the ship. Neikea, keen on spending time with her new mate, set up her space around his head. Uninterested in being privy to the young couple's quality time, Godron's sister had opted to lie the other way around, facing the bridge. Ponos felt that he could sympathize.

____After a bit more fussing, they were finally on their way. The Iridescence sailed southward, the wind filling its sails as it cut through the water. Ponos stood at the helm of the ship, and let out a heavy sigh of relief. He was glad to finally be out at sea, with the salty sea air filling his nostrils and the chaos of the docks behind him. He barked out a few simple orders to the crew, trying to find the joy in the moment. Here he was, at long last, captaining his own ship - he couldn't help but feel a bit proud.

____Eventually, his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of soft footsteps approaching from behind.

____"Excuse me, Captain?" A small voice said to him. Ponos turned around to find the Spiral from earlier, looking a bit sheepish. Despite her quiet tone, she stood a good bit taller than him. Ponos was only a meter in height, and he guessed that the Spiral must be around triple that. "I just wanted to thank you for letting me and Villruth join your crew. It means a lot to us."

____Ponos squinted, trying to remember the dragon's name. "Oh, right. You're...?"

____"Huria, sir," she replied, a hint of nervousness in her voice. "You seemed stressed when we arrived, so I hope we didn't cause you any trouble."

____Ponos's shoulders slumped, and he shook his head. "No, don't worry about that, lass. Not your fault. I've just had a few extra… challenges today. So long as you and Villruth pull your weight around here, we'll get along just dandy."

____Huria perked up, the worry washing away from her face. "Yes sir! We'll do our best!" She chirped.

____"Now, if you don't mind my saying," Ponos continued, "a Spiral and a Centaur make for an odd pair. What brought you two to my ship?"

____Huria looked away for a moment, unsure of what to say. "My parents were… they died when I was young. Villruth was a friend of theirs, and became my adoptive father. We've been living on our own ever since… when I heard that your ship was in need of some extra crew members, it seemed like a good chance for a change."

____"Well, I… I'm very sorry, Huria," Ponos said sympathetically. "I shouldn't have asked so boldly."

____"No no, it's fine," she said, smiling down at him. "You couldn't have known."

____"I feel that I should be apologizing," another voice said from the deck. Ponos and Huria looked forward to the female Ridgeback. "I'm very grateful that you let me and my brother aboard, captain," she said to Ponos. "But Neikea's behavior was uncalled for. I can imagine her being a challenge for anyone."

____Ponos waved his hand. "Bah, I've dealt with Neikea plenty of times before. It doesn't get easier, but you get used to it. Besides, you're not to blame for her attitude, uh, miss…?"

____"Lisae'Idace," the female Ridgeback replied. "But if that's a mouthful, you can call me Lisa."

____"Pleasure to greet you, Lisa," Ponos said. "More pleasant than meeting Neikea, that's for sure."

____The three dragons shared a laugh.

____"So how about it, Lisa? Feeling sea sick at all?" Ponos asked.

____"Aha, um, no, not yet," Lisa said, glancing out at the open ocean. "You weren't wrong earlier. Us Ridgebacks are averse to water, but my brother and I need to make this trip one way or another…"

____"What's the matter? Not on the run from something, are you?" Huria piped up.

____Lisae'Idace chuckled, a bit nervously. "Now that is asking boldly," she said.

____Ponos laughed, and Huria blushed.

____As the day passed, the three chatted off and on, becoming more familiar with each other. Night fell, and the crew went below deck to turn in, while the two Ridgebacks slept in place up above. Ponos felt restless in his cot. The added weight of the two large passengers meant that the Iridescence couldn't sail at full speed, and their progress that day was less than he'd hoped. Combined with the fact that they'd started sailing behind schedule, Ponos had to accept they weren't going to reach the Icefields on time. And that wasn't even to mention the impending storm…


____By noon the next day, a light rain had already started. Ponos stood at the helm once again, shouting orders to the crew. He wanted them as ready as they could be for the storm. The Iridescence was a sturdy ship, but Ponos knew that even she had her limits. Whatever could be done to prepare, they had to do it.

____"Um, do you think we'll be alright, Ponos?" Lisa called from the deck, her eyes darting about as she watched the crew scurry around her.

____"It's my hope, Miss Lisa," Ponos replied, checking his compass.

____The rain only gained strength as the hours dragged on. By the evening, they couldn't even see the sun anymore - not because it had set, but because of the dark clouds that loomed overhead. Lightning and thunder cracked in the distance as the Iridescence sailed onwards.

____"No sleep tonight, lads!" Ponos shouted to the crew. "This storm will go on until sunrise, at least! We'll need every able hand on deck!"

____Ponos held fast to the helm, fighting hard to steady the ship against the wind and the waves. As the storm raged on and the sky grew darker, Ponos felt his confidence wearing thin. He'd been nervous before they'd left the port, but this was becoming worse than he'd ever imagined. The crew worked tirelessly to keep the ship afloat, but it was clear that they were losing their strength. Ponos couldn't help but feel frustrated; he wasn't even sure if they were heading in the right direction anymore.

____Suddenly, there was a loud crack! as a bright light flashed before his eyes. The ship lurched to one side. Ponos held fast to the helm to steady himself, and he could hear shouts of panic coming from the crew. He quickly scanned the ship, trying to assess the damage through the darkness and the rain. It didn't take him long - the main mast had been struck by lightning and had snapped in half. A few flames danced around the break, but were quickly put out by the strong rain. The mast was now falling down, towards the deck. The crew members were all screaming and shouting, running away from it.

____"Clear the deck!" Ponos shouted at the top of his lungs. "Clear the deck!"

____Bits of the mast came falling down all over. Villruth, Huria, and the rest of the crew all made for the hatch to get below deck. Ponos watched their mad dash as he held on to the wheel. He felt a lump form in his throat as he realized something: the two Ridgebacks had nowhere to go.

____"You Ridgebacks! Abandon ship! Fly off! Come back when it's fallen!" He shouted. He wasn't sure it was a good idea, but he couldn't think of anything else.

____At that moment, Ponos saw one of the large dragons rise up. It was Lisae'Idace; in a blind panic, she twisted around, reached upwards, and grabbed hold of the mast. The ship rocked uncomfortably in response to her motion. She struggled on the slippery deck, trying to hold the mast upright.

____Most of the crew lost their footing as the ship rocked. Huria fell to the deck with a thud, just before the hatch. Villruth stopped to help her up. Both Spiral and Centaur looked up at the Ridgeback, her giant form casting shadows in the lightning.

____"Come on, Huria, she won't hold that forever," Villruth said, trying to get Huria below deck.

____"No, she won't…" Huria said, her eyes fixed on Lisae'Idace. "...but I can help her," she added. She stood up, readying herself for flight.

____"Oh no, no chance, kid," Villruth said, grabbing her shoulders. "That war won't have any winners."

____"I can't just leave her alone!" Huria shouted back at him. She pushed his arms away, and leapt into the air. Up and up she flew towards Lisae'Idace.

____"Huria, no!" Villruth said, watching as she escaped his grasp. His hooves slid around on the slippery deck, but there was no way he was going below now.

____Lisae'Idace was holding on to the lower half of the mast with her forelegs, and she had wrapped her neck around the upper half. She gritted her teeth as she struggled to keep it upright. Huria reached the mast in no time, and wrapped herself around it, right below where it had broken. "Keep pushing!" She shouted at Lisae'Idace through the wind and rain. "Get it upright, and I can fix it!"

____Ponos watched as Huria flew up to help Lisae'Idace. He stared for a moment, then began shouting to the crew.

____"All you lot! Hop to it! Get up there and help them!" He called out. "That's an order!"

____The crew members who hadn't gotten below deck yet turned to look up at the Ridgeback and the Spiral. They stared hesitantly, unsure of whether that was an order they should follow. But then, one dragon took flight, rising up to the mast above. Then another. And then another! Soon, the crew were all leaping into the air, grabbing hold of the mast wherever they could, trying to help steady it. Ponos held tight to the helm, trying to keep the ship from tossing them all about. He watched in awe as they all banded together, his confidence coming back to him.

____"That's it, lads!" He shouted to them. "Good on! All pull together!"

____Once the mast was as straight as the crew could manage, Huria held her forepaws to either side of the crack. She focused hard, her eyes and hands glowing green. She poured her magic energy into the wooden mast. Slowly, the crack began to heal, her magic making the wood regenerate.

____She was halfway done when a huge wave crashed into the side of the ship. Ponos lost his footing, and was knocked away from the helm. The wheel spun wildly as the ship was thrown about by the waves. The mast shook violently, and Huria lost her grip.

____Ponos's heart pounded as his claws dug into the wooden floor of the bridge. He pulled himself along towards the wheel. Its spinning slowed momentarily, as it began to turn the other way around. That was his chance: he jumped forward and grabbed hold of it, stopping its rotation. He brought it back under control, and breathed a sigh of relief. That was one problem down; the rest was up to the crew.

____Huria yelped as she slid down the mast, the rough wood grinding against her scales. She let out an audible grunt when her fall came to a sudden stop after only a few seconds. Lisae'Idace had deftly moved her left forepaw to catch Huria, and pushed her back up to the break in the mast.

____"Thank you," Huria said quietly, too out of breath to shout her thanks. Lisae'Idace nodded slowly, grunting in reply.

____Ponos looked onwards. The silhouettes of the crew cast shadows against the sails in the flashes of lightning. He waited anxiously, holding tight to the helm. The minutes ticked by as the wind and rain belted down on them. His eyes became fixated on Lisae'Idace, her large form still held fast to the mast.

____"That's it!" He heard a voice shout through the ferocious storm. "It's fixed! It's fixed!"

____"Alright you dogs! The mast is secured! Back to your stations!" Ponos cried out to his crew. For a moment, the feeling of the torrential downfall against his scales faded away, the triumphant beating of his heart overtaking his senses. The tiny forms of the crew members descended through the air, rushing back to their places. Ponos watched as Lisae'Idace released the mast, and slumped down onto the deck. No doubt the effort had left her exhausted. Ponos spotted a Spiral still clinging to the mast, and guessed who it was.

____"Huria! Tend to Lisa's wounds!" He called out. Huria looked up, shouted something in reply, and scurried down the mast to aid the worn out Ridgeback.

____For the next few hours, Ponos and the crew battled the wild squall. His confidence did not wane again; the storm was fierce, but he knew now that it was beatable. He cheered the crew on from the helm of the ship. As morning approached, the rain began to lessen, and Ponos grew more hopeful.

____At last, their efforts were rewarded by the sight of the morning sun, breaking through the cloud cover. Its light poured down on the ship. Ponos covered his eyes, smiling excitedly. The rain lessened to a light sprinkle as the clouds slowly burned away.

____The crew members all cheered in unison, singing together in their moment of victory as the storm finally passed. Ponos couldn't help but feel a sense of pride as he looked around at his crew. He stepped down from the helm, and walked along the deck to congratulate them.

____"Good work, everyone!" he said, his voice ringing out over the deck. "You should know that ne'er was there a doubt in my mind!"

____The crew laughed, and many of them began dancing about. Ponos walked through, shaking their hands and clapping them on their backs. He took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the past few hours lifting off his shoulders.

____"We'll have to find our heading again, but we should be able to reach the Icefields by nightfall," he said, his voice carrying over the cheering. "For now, we rest and make repairs."

____Some of the crew continued dancing and celebrating. Others went below deck to rest, and others still set to mending the ship. All felt their morale boosted by their success.

____Ponos eventually stopped to check on Huria and Lisa. Huria was still tending to Lisae'Idace's injuries. Villruth was sitting with them, rubbing Huria's shoulders.

____"You were incredible, Huria," Villruth said proudly. "I shouldn't have doubted you."

____"Maybe next time you won't," Huria replied, winking at him.

____The Centaur laughed, and then noticed Ponos.

____"Captain," he nodded. "Have you come to congratulate the heroes of the hour?"

____"Indeed I have," Ponos replied. He stepped over, and crouched down next to Huria. "How is she?" he asked, looking over Lisae'Idace.

____"She's alright, but..." Huria replied, sighing heavily. "She's covered in cuts and wounds. None more than skin-deep, but enough that they'll leave some nasty scars. The wind must've been whipping the rigging into her while she was holding up the mast."

____Ponos nodded. "At least it's not serious. Do what you can," he said to Huria. He then turned his attention to Lisae'Idace. "I'm in your debt, ma'am," he said. "You and Huria. You both gave a valiant effort. You saved the mast - saved the ship. How're you holding up?"

____Lisae'Idace winced as Huria tended to her wounds. She slid her head around along the deck, bringing it closer to the two smaller dragons. "I'm glad we're safe, but - ouch! - you ever gotten salt water in a paper cut?" She asked. "That's how I'm feeling all over."

____"I can imagine," Ponos replied, chucking. He patted Huria's shoulder and Lisae'Idace's snout. "You both did amazing things today. I'll always remember that. I'll have to find some way to thank you properly once we make port."

____"Eh, just doing my duty, cap'n," Huria replied, mimicking an old sea-dog voice.

____Ponos laughed, and left the pair to rest. He returned to the helm, and as he looked over his crew, he felt a sense of camaraderie with them that he hadn't known before. They had all worked together to overcome a difficult situation, and they were all stronger for it.


____It didn't take long for them to figure out their heading again, and once the repairs had been made, they were on their way. Much to their thanks, the rest of the day passed without incident. As night fell, the dragon in the crow's nest called out, pointing to a landmass cresting the horizon. At last, they had reached the Icefields. As the ship sailed towards the harbor, Ponos couldn't help but let his thoughts drift to the two dragons who saved his ship, Huria and Lisae'Idace. The Fae dragon felt his heart swell as he thought of them. Their meeting was such a chance encounter, yet if they hadn't met, he and his ship would probably be at the bottom of the ocean.

____As the ship pulled into port, the crew quickly got to work unloading cargo and making further repairs. Ponos oversaw their efforts, checking over the cargo as they carried it out. Soon enough, Neikea came down the ramp, carefully followed by Godron.

____"That was a... wild ride, captain," Neikea said to Ponos. Her tone was a bit sheepish. "Not exactly the smooth sailing that I was expecting... but… well..." Her voice trailed off.

____"You kept us above water," Godron spoke for her. "You got us here in one piece. We owe you our thanks."

____"Yes. Yes, Indeed," Neikea said, nodding in agreement. Ponos was glad to see that Neikea's haughty attitude had been humbled by the experience. He wondered if it would last.

____"Eh, call it water under the hull," Ponos quipped. "You should really thank your sister, Godron. She kept the mast up after it broke. Without her, we'd still be stuck out at sea."

____"Yep, and he didn't help at all," Lisae'Idace cut in, teasing her brother. She stood at the top of the ramp, with Huria and Villruth next to her. She slowly descended the ramp and stopped beside Godron.

____"Well, I thought it would make things worse if both of us were upright like that!" Godron chuckled. "I was helping maintain a low center of gravity, of course."

____"Yeah, yeah," Lisae'Idace said, rolling her eyes. Still, she leaned her head over and wrapped her neck around Godron's. "I'm glad your safe," she added.

____"Ditto," Godron replied, returning the neck-hug.

____"Don't tell me you've already forgotten about Huria," Villruth said, walking down along with the Spiral.

____"Oh, certainly not!" Lisae'Idace said, turning to look down at them. "I couldn't have done it without her," she said, smiling at Huria. "Your regeneration magic is impressive."

____"Aww, it's nothing, really," Huria replied, blushing a bit.


____Ponos decided to let his crew rest a few days following their arrival at the Icefields, to allow them to fully recover from the ordeal of the storm. Huria and Villruth stuck close by Ponos those few days, which Ponos was happy about. Lisae'Idace stayed at a nearby inn with Godron and Neikea. During the day, though, she felt herself drawn back to the port, eager to spend her time with Ponos and Huria.

____One evening, Huria, Lisae'Idace, Ponos, and Villruth were all resting on the deck of the ship. It was the first night of aurora borealis, and they had all settled in to watch the enchanting display together. Ponos, Huria, and Villruth were all snuggled up in front of Lisae'Idace, in between her forelegs.

____After they'd been sitting there for a while, Villruth noticed that Huria began to lean away from him some. He was confused at first, and glanced towards her. He noticed that she was leaning over against Ponos, wrapping her long neck around his own. Villruth smiled knowingly. He stood up and stretched his arms above his head.

____"Alright, this old hoss is gonna turn in for the night," he said. "You all keep watching the light show."

____Huria sat up a bit, and looked over at him.

____"Aww, really Vill?" She asked, putting on a small pout.

____"Yes, really, Huria," he said, patting her cheek. "I'm not as young as you all. Need my sleep. Besides, this ain't the only night for all this," he added, waving his hand across the starry sky.

____"Mmm, alright," Huria conceded. "G'night, Vill," she added.

____"G'night, sweetie," Villruth smiled. He winked at Ponos, who gave him a confused look in return. Villruth chuckled, and quietly stepped away, heading below deck. The three dragons were now alone on the deck.

____They continued watching the aurora borealis for a little longer. Huria eventually wrapped her neck around Ponos's again, and both of them leaned back against Lisae'Idace's broad chest. Her steady breathing peacefully rocked the smaller two dragons back and forth. The waves gently lapped the hull as the ship rose and fell.

____To Ponos's surprise, he suddenly felt Huria plant her lips on his cheek. He turned to look at her, a bit lost for words.

____"Uhhh… Huria?" He said.

____"Hmm?" Huria replied, looking back at him.

____"What was that?"

____"What was what?"

____"You, uhh… you kissed me, I think…" Ponos ventured.

____Huria stared for a moment, and then, her large eyes went wide, and her cheeks flushed red.

____"I- I- I… I'm… I didn't- I mean…" she stammered, unwrapping her neck from Ponos. "I'm sorry! I don't know what came over me, I just… the lights, and the waves, and the… everything…"

____Ponos covered his mouth, laughing a little.

____"Easy, easy! Calm down, Huria," he said, placing his hand on her shoulder. "If that didn't mean anything, no worries. If it did, though… I have to admit, the feelings might be mutual…"

____Huria perked up.

____"You… you mean it?" She asked.

____"If you did," Ponos said, smiling at her.

____"Then, uh, yeah… I think… I think I did," Huria said, smiling back.

____The two then heard a soft snort from above. They looked up at Lisae'Idace, who was looking to her side.

____"You alright, Lisa?" Huria asked. "Are your wounds feeling sore again?"

____"No, no, not that," Lisae'Idace hastily replied. "Just, well…" her voice trailed off. She lowered her head down, encircling the smaller pair with her long neck. "I don't think you're alone in those… uh… feelings," she whispered sheepishly. It was hard to tell on such a big dragon, but she seemed flushed.

____The Fae and the Spiral looked at each other with raised eyebrows, then turned back to the Ridgeback.

____"So, which one…?" Ponos asked, pointing back and forth between himself and Huria.

____Lisae'Idace looked away briefly, trying to find her voice.

____"If I'm being honest…" she said quietly, "...both."

____Ponos and Huria looked at each other again, as if trying to read each other's thoughts. Lisae'Idace felt her breath hitch in her throat. Then, the two smaller dragons smiled, nodded, and looked back at her.

____"I think…" Ponos began.

____"We feel the same," Huria finished.

____Lisae'Idace felt her heart leap into her throat. She blinked quickly, unsure if she'd heard them right.

____"You… really?" She said, exasperated. Truthfully, she hadn't expected their response to be that positive.

____"Well, it'll take some work, but… yeah," Huria smiled. She leaned back and patted Lisae'Idace's chest. She paused, and let her hand rest on the Ridgeback. She suddenly let out a laugh. "Jeez, nervous are you, Lisa?" She asked.

____Curiously, Ponos placed his own hand on Lisae'Idace's chest. Her heart was racing, pounding hard behind her leathery skin. There was no denying the bright blush on Lisae'Idace's face.

____"Yeesh, Lisa! If you feel that strongly, then I don't think there's any avoiding it," Ponos chuckled.

____"Your teasing isn't making it better!" Lisae'Idace whined, shutting her eyes tight.

____"Sorry, sorry!" Huria laughed, trying to calm herself down. "Like I said, it'll take some work to figure this out, but… I think I'd like being with you two," she said.

____"Here, here," Ponos agreed.

____Lisae'Idace opened her eyes, and looked at the two smaller dragons. A warm smile spread across her face, and she wrapped her neck tighter, embracing them as best as she could. In this new position, she could only make the left side of her head face them.

____"I… thank you," she said, her large white eye looking at the smaller two dragons. "This feels… right."

____The Fae and the Spiral leaned against her head, hugging her as best as they could. The odd trio of dragons remained that way for some time, taking pleasure in the sweetness of the moment. Eventually, Huria spoke up.

____"You know, when Villruth left earlier, I think he'd figured you and I liked each other," she said, referring to Ponos and herself. "But I doubt he'd guessed your interest as well, Lisa," she added.

____Lisae'Idace chuckled. "We'll have a surprise for him in the morning, won't we?"

____The trio laughed. Then Ponos spoke.

____"I'm glad the feelings are all mutual here, but like you said Huria, this'll take a lot of work. Firstly, we need to make sure there aren't any secrets between us. We don't need to open up about everything now, but we need to start building that trust," he explained.

____"Agreed," Huria nodded. "I guess for me, the main thing is my parents' death… you both already know the basics, and I feel pretty trusting of you both already, so… I think I'll just share the big thing. They didn't just… die. It wasn't a sickness or something." She paused, feeling some tears well up in her eyes. "They… they were murdered…"

____"Oh, that's awful, Huria!" Lisa said. "I'm so sorry! Do you… do you know who it was?"

____"Not really," Huria said quietly. "Villruth doesn't like talking about it. He was there when they died, but every time I've asked him about it, he just starts crying…" She explained. "He did tell me once, though, that the dragon responsible was an Imperial. A warlock too, if you'd believe it," she finished.

____Lisa's eyes went wide, and her face pale. A lump suddenly formed in her throat, and she swallowed hard to clear it. "Uh… actually… yeah, I think I would…"


____"So, yeah, that's the situation. Any questions?" Huria asked.

____It was morning. The trio had remained on the deck through the night, discussing the pasts of Huria and Lisae'Idace. Lisae'Idace's mother was an Imperial warlock who lived in Dragonhome, and Huria's parents were killed by such a dragon. Even the most skeptical mind had to admit that it couldn't be a coincidence.

____Huria, Ponos, and Lisae'Idace were now sitting on the deck of the ship, with Villruth before them. Huria had just finished explaining everything to him: the new relationship among the three dragons, and the unlikely connection between herself and the Ridgeback. Villruth sat in silence for a moment. He slowly turned his eyes upwards to Lisae'Idace. He stared at her with a piercing gaze.

____"I knew you were bad news."

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1. My ideal voice for Ponos is Robin Atkin Downes, who played Brynjolf in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Medic in Team Fortress 2.