#razor sharp talons and fangs to match

[aviel-the-trans-bucket]

Did I ever show you guys Alex’s sorta hulk out/ harpy chimera transformation

He’s very inspired by the owl house but also specifically the live action maleficent movie was a big inspiration for the aesthetics of the chimera as a people

[that-foul-legacy-lover]

you know how people usually put covers on sharp edges when they want to babyproof something?

imagine reader giving FL some sort of glove to act as a covering for his sharp talons. FL is always trying to be mindful of his sharp claws when interacting with others (reader + the wildlife) so reader decides to do something to help ease his mind a little. He gets to let loose a little more now that his talons are covered

-sleepy anon

oh my moon and stars listen, listen. pair this with a reader who knits

Foul Legacy always treats everything with a gentle touch, knowing that his claws are razor sharp and the size of small daggers- he doesn't want to hurt anyone, rip anything. the city that he lives in is filled with small, breakable beings, and he is a very strong, deadly Abyssal monster, so everything he does is careful and delicate. it's awful, in a way, watching Legacy constantly treading on eggshells to avoid damaging anything, particularly in terms of affection. you KNOW that he wants to ruffle your hair and pinch your cheeks from the way his claws twitch when you're nearby, but resists out of fear of potentially gashing your skin. so, after careful consideration, also known as a sudden idea that popped into your head in the middle of the night, you decide to knit him some soft, comfortable gloves!

admittedly, it does take a while, seeing that you don't exactly have a pattern for Foul Legacy's talons and hands just laying around. however, you do grab a spare set of Childe's gloves to examine, trying to match the style that they're in with yarn, all blue and purple and glittering silver. after several weeks of work you finally present the gloves to him, watching Legacy's crystalline eye go wide and astonished as he slowly pulls them on, flexing his claws before immediately reaching out to cup your cheeks. you blink and stare at him, and he stares silently back at you, then gives your cheeks a gentle squish. your skin merely sinks under the woolen gloves, no hint of a scratch or even a bruise, and Legacy's wings begin shivering as choppy, delighted trills slip from his fanged maw, pressing and massaging your face to his heart's content

you will NOT be able to get him to stop squeezing and hugging you- but that's okay <3

[badbirchenergy]

Her opponent's warning does not go unnoticed, as the Hoennite side-steps quickly out of the way of the incoming wave. It was only a matter of time before Gold's Feraligatr would turn the tide of the match, in a literal sense, by utilizing the vast depths surrounding the sandbar. Despite the jab she feels in her heart for Vanhi, May flashes her opponent a wicked grin—things are getting interesting.

Vanhi, still reeling from the impact caused by his opponent's ambush, is unable to dodge the Surf as it towers above and soon crashes upon him. The critical hit is disorienting enough to rattle the Blaziken's senses, causing him to completely lose track of the ferocious reptile in pursuit of him. May scans along the coast, and it is evident quickly that Mojo's brutal assault is far from over.

Beyond the shallows, a violent vortex soon appears, surging with frightful intensity. The waters of the Surf attack are sucked into its voracious grip, Vanhi being pulled along with it. As he loses control of his body entirely, the Blaziken is ripped from the sands and soon finds himself submerged within the Feraligatr's deadly trap.

No matter Van's unparalleled strength, the position he's now in is bad—very bad. May is at a loss for words as she struggles to conjure a command that will free her ace from his opponent's clutches; Gold has managed to gain the upper hand, indeed, so she'd need to be just as strategic to gain it back.

Her starter's bloodcurdling cry elevates over the massive roar of the whirlpool, breaking her from her thoughts—it's now or never, lest her chances of victory go under quite like Vanhi.

She builds the command from deep within her chest, voice booming:

"High Jump Kick!"

Mojo closes in, jaws agape, though May's call reaches the Blaziken above the chaos unfurling. His muscles tighten, regaining their agency enough for him to remain stable beneath the water's surface. With eyes burning, Vanhi finally catches a glimpse of Mojo as the colossal Feraligatr torrents up from the depths—it'd be a risk, trying to use the other beast as a launchpad to free himself from the maelstrom's grip.

But, there genuinely seems to be no other choice.

Swiveling around in acrobatic motion, Vanhi's blood rushes like dynamite through his legs to the soles of his taloned heels. Aiming for the snarling beast, he lunges feet-first within the whirlpool with full intention of landing a hit strong enough to catapult himself from the deep. However, cursed with vision blurred amidst the swirling vortex, his aim slips at the very last, crucial moment—instead of meeting the skull of the Feraligatr, the struggling dual-type's left leg finds itself ensnared between rows of razor-sharp fangs that rip past feather and right into flesh.

Despite not seeing what's unfolding beneath the waves, her ace's agonizing cry is enough to tell May they've missed their chance. "Fuck."

Gold can't help but admire May's reflexes in giving a command like that, and Vanhi's for executing it. His eyes aren't tricking him either - the Blaziken's reactions are steadily getting faster. Some Pokemon had the ability to gradually increase their speed, didn't they? It made sense if Vanhi did too.

Of course, that made Gold's job harder. Even if Vanhi wasn't hitting Mojo for type advantage, being able to keep out of reach and steadily wear him down was just as effective here. As bull-headed as the Feraligatr was, smashing through a makeshift wall of concrete hadn't done him any favors. Blood trickled from a gash above his eyes where a shard had cut between the scales.

So then, that meant Gold had to work with what he could do. He needed to get the Blaziken off its feet and, ideally, into the ocean.

"Surf!" Gold swipes a hand to May (a motion to move) and then catches Mojo's gaze to flick his hand towards the ocean.

Mojo lumbers a few steps into the shallows and swipes his tail hard. The wave it creates is far too large to be natural; a huge rolling tidal wave of water that threatens to swamp the Blaziken entirely as it rolls right up the beach, raging past May - and, coincidentally, briefly blocking the Feraligatr from view of both trainer and Pokemon alike.

Mojo takes the time to dive into the ocean, slipping under the waters and surging up the side of the island. He's much faster in water than on land and Gold knows May's realized the Feraligatr isn't there anymore. He doesn't quite see what the Blaziken does to blow a hole through the surf but the water surges past it, flooding the small forest and wetting the sand.

Which is what Gold had hoped.

"Hyper Whirlpool!" He yells. Mojo, still unseen beneath the waves, causes the ocean to rage into a swirling vortex. Its as violent as a storm, sucking the water out as though the start of a Tsunami - including the surf that was just starting to settle. Gold breaks into a grin as the water wraps around the Blaziken's ankles in the ensuring suction and yanks the towering bird off its feet, dragging it out into the shallows and then further, just where it gets deep enough for the monster to be hiding.

Mojo breaks from beneath the whirlpool towards Vanhi, jaws open into a savage void of teeth.

[fernthefanciful]

A princess is a creature of grace, poise, decorum. They are soft, gentle, patient. I, however, was none of those things, much to my parents’ despair.

 They only brought that upon themselves, of course. A firstborn daughter, a royal invitation to greet the new monarch not sent, and therefore an insult perceived by a powerful magical being. You know how the story goes. I was cursed and, in my story, there were no blessings to gentle it. No other wishes for my future, or what little she left of it. Just a creature of shadow and talon which appeared, damned the bright vision my parents had of my life, and vanished.

  My childhood was a moderately happy one, even with the dark cloud of the curse hanging forever in my periphery. My parents loved me. My sisters, when they were born, did the same. And I of course love them with all that I am. My parents hired tutors, made sure I learned what it meant to be a monarch, made sure I was prepared for a future of rule. They simply made sure my sister learned as well.

  “Just in case.” My father would say, his gaze flitting across the empty hallways as if something unseen was always listening, always watching.

  And when I got too restless, when the green of the forest and the blue of the lake called to me and I couldn’t help but give in to the need to run, to chase, they took me riding. We’d make trips, have picnics, run around on the heather-filled fields and watch the sky change her colour with the setting sun. For the longest time, we were as happy as we could be.

  My eighteenth birthday was a beautiful and clear full moon night. The air rife with the scents of fresh bread and roasted meats of the feast held in honour of my coming of age. Gentle and joyful music filled the ballroom as people danced and laughed all night.

In an empty hallway, as far away from people as I could get, I screamed and cried as my body tore itself apart. As the wildness that had always lived inside of me wanted out. The howl that tore from my newly changed throat was loud enough to wake the entire city.

  I should have been terrified. I should be lamenting the turn my life had taken, all the things I now no longer could do. I should have felt all of those things. But when I made my way out of the castle and into the forest, the ground soft underneath my paws, the silver moonlight a gentle caress on my fur, I couldn’t help but think that his curse tasted a lot like freedom.

  The wildness that had always lived inside of me, the parts that longed to shed the tight clothing and even tighter responsibilities of nobility, were torn from the inner shadow where I had hidden them and shoved into the light. The parts of me that wished to run, to hunt, to feast, finally had a chance to be free.

  Things changed after that.

  Now, people are wary, afraid. My parents try, they really do. To teach me to act normal, ladylike, human. It’s of no use. The wolf lurks under my skin, peering out of my eyes.

People whisper about how much of a waste it is, such a shame, that a curse has changed me so. They don’t see, they don’t understand. The wolf, the wildness, the hunger, has always been there. It is me, the deepest parts of my soul given physical form.

  Life goes on. My sister, perfect, composed, kind, steps into the limelight. Or is pushed, I should say. To placate those who question my place at Court. Meanwhile I am forced into the background. An animal in the shadows meant to be forgotten.

  My wolf balks at the idea of corsets, of rules, of restriction. Doesn’t understand the need for playing nice with nobles it doesn’t like. She’s a creature of instinct, simplicity, and therefore, so am I.

  I spend my days roaming the grounds, protecting what is mine. The people of the city avert their eyes as I go past. Whisper about curses and how they spread, about what it means for the Kingdom that their princess is now a different creature altogether.

My wolf claims the entirety kingdom as her territory and as I get older, I travel further. Checking in daily with the people on the far edges of the lands. The misfits and the outcasts. The ones with wisdom and magic who have been pushed towards the edges of the kingdom long before I was born. Hatred and fear pushed us all here, to the lands where the briar grows three men tall. Where the trees and the shadows move on their own and where the water of the lake is always smooth, no matter how fierce the storm.

I help where I can, chasing off the foxes for the farmers, climbing trees to hang fetches and talismans for protection, bringing food to those who need it most. Most time is spent drinking tea and discussing life with the old lady whom everyone calls ‘witch’. She teaches me all she knows. Things the tutors at the castle never knew to teach me. About the plants and trees that grow, the animals that roam deep within the forest. About life here, on the outskirts of society, and all the peoples and creatures that are part of it. Here, the people look me in the eye. They bow their heads in respect but never in fear. The bravest of the children ask to card their hands through my fur. The old woman laughingly gifts me a crown of twigs and burrs and rowanberries the colour of blood. Every time I’m in my human skin I wear that crown with pride.

  One day, deep within the forest at the edge of my territory, I meet her. The being who has brought all that was hidden within me to the front and then illuminated it. I shift back to human, standing before her, naked and open, but never vulnerable, thanks to her. I thank her for the gifts she has given me. For the freedom and power and strength. The look on her face when I name her fairy godmother is priceless.

  She smiles at me then, a flash of razor-sharp teeth. I bare my own fangs back at her. She asks me then, if I understand. How they are being treated. Those who do not fit in, those who are made of wildness and shadow and blood. How they are shunned because of what they are.

  She tells me this will change, once I am queen. When I tell her that I never will be, that my parents will never find a match for me, she simply laughs and tells me not to worry. After all, I have a fairy godmother now.

  She keeps close after that. Always watching, always near, but never interfering. Not unless I ask her to. So when war, inevitably, finds itself at our borders, I ask for her aid. I stand in the middle of the bloodied battlefield, staring at the incoming forces. The wolf in me is itching underneath my skin. She wishes to hunt, to kill, to feel flesh rip underneath her claws, blood filling her mouth as she tears them apart. So I call out to my fairy godmother, asking if she would join me for a hunt, before I shed my skin along with my humanity and charge forward.

  The battle is brutal and short. The enemy army is better trained, but not against the army of outcasts led by myself and my fairy godmother. Their swords and shields quickly fall against our teeth, claws and magic.

Afterwards, I greet my father on the battlefield. Bare and covered in blood. There is fear in his eyes, yes, but also respect. And, for the first time, trust.

  Things change once again. I am brought back into the castle, but nothing is the same. I spend most of my time in the forests, still, but I also find myself fighting. Training with weapons other than tooth and claw. Weathered old men, tutors, hired by my father to teach me all they know. I learn how much I don’t know, how much there is still to learn. I earn my scars, even if they never stay for long. I earn their respect, even if it is hard won. I am no longer alone, some of my people from the outskirts join me and never leave their princess’ side.

  It doesn’t take long before suitors come from all over the world, wishing to marry one of my sisters. Singing praises about the small kingdom that could so quickly put an end to war. That could tame monsters and wild things. Silly men, none of us were tamed, we simply chose to fight.

  My parents and sisters work hard to get the most advantageous matches. To make sure that both the kingdom and my sisters will continue to grow and prosper. Bargains are struck, feasts are had. One by one my sisters move away, happy with their chosen husbands. All of them are visited by a giant wolf at least once. They know to treat my sisters well, or one night feel the sharp tips of my fangs against their throat.

  Years later I am gifted another crown. It is a beautiful thing. Delicate golden flowers and bright shining gems. It feels uncomfortable to me the way all pretty things do. “It might not suit you,” my father tells me, “but you have earned it.”

“As you have earned your rest.” I tell him.

“You will be wonderful, my Queen.”

  Rumors start spreading, about the Wolfqueen, the Wild One, sitting upon a blood-red throne. About the Kingdom of monsters where beasts, fae and man live free. About the Queen with the Iron Heart, who turns away all who wish to court her, and kills all who dare more.

  It’s not that I do not want someone at my side. I do. I wish for the love that my parents share. That my sisters eventually found with their husbands. But all those who come for my hand, those who finally dare when I have no more free sisters left, come for just that. My hand but not my heart. They are all poised and polished. Perfect little princes who look towards the wealth of the castle but away from the wildness within me. They are afraid to meet my wolf’s cold, assessing gaze.

  Some even try to change me, to find the human underneath the wolf. They only try once.

  For years, I rule alone. Through another war, through a plague born of magic, through prosperity and abundance. My people always by my side but no one to claim my heart.

  But then, a commotion. A man, dressed in furs. No scars on his body, but plenty on his soul. His eyes glowing the same gold as mine in the gentle torchlight. A wildness in them that my wolf recognizes. A challenge that my wolf is eager to take, to rise up to.

  “Your Oracle told me to come here.” He tells me, “I asked for guidance, to find what my heart truly desires, and she sent me to you.”

  My fairy godmother steps up behind me, laying a hand on my shoulder. I can’t see her, but I know she is smiling a smile of sharp pointed teeth. No doubt the oracle he speaks of.

  “My Queen,” he continues, bowing deep, his eyes never leaving mine, “I came looking for connection, for freedom. I believe I will find it with your time and your company. Will you grant me it?”

  “And what, my prince,” for if my fairy godmother sent him, he can only be that, “will you grant me in return?” I lean forward, eager, hungry.

  “Loyalty,” he steps forward, onto the dais, “companionship and understanding.” He leans over me for a single, challenging moment, before kneeling before me, baring his throat. “Perhaps in time even love. But for now, the thrill of a hunt. Of a chase.” He grins, baring sharp fangs. A breath, and a beautiful black-furred wolf sits in front of me.

Oh – the hunt is on. A thrill goes through me as I shift, ready to run, to chase him down and claim him for my own. For if one thing is certain, it is that I am a wild thing, a Queen, a hunter, but never, ever, prey.

(First posted on my website)

[undead-merman]

Yo this is the person who asked about Monster Dia and Barb, I just want a monster that suits them best.

Alright, I’ve got Barbatos as a Naga and Diavolo as a Dragon

Obey Me Headcanons (Monster Edition) 🐲Diavolo🐲 and 🐍Barbatos🐍 as Yanderes GN - Reader SFW 

Diavolo

Appearance

Diavolo is a proud dragon. He stands much taller than most in the Devildom. His large human figure stands at ten feet tall.

His skin is covered in dark maroon and gold scales, most of them centered around his face, chest, and legs. His legs resemble a dragon’s more than a human’s with three wide toes and long black talons.

He has a long prehensile tail as well tipped with a tuff of black fur and lined with large black plates sticking up dangerously.

His horns and teeth are long and fearsome, his fangs always manage to hang out of his mouth and his smile can be just as lovely as they are terrifying. His horns are always adored with gold accessories, usually in the shape of: golden skulls, torn wings, and blood red rubies.

In his True Form he stands taller then any building in the Devildom and with a wingspan capable of casting a whole city in darkness.

Diavolo’s build is much bulkier in this form, mostly seen around the jaw, and wings. His wings contain rougher and sharper scales and contain some of the black plates his tail has.

His Hoard and His Breath

Diavolo’s bed chamber also doubles as the Royal Treasury. Since his draconic nature craves hoarding wealth he has a need to sleep amongst the treasure.

Every morning he spends his first hour of awakening, sitting amongst the hoard, fiddling with gems and Grimm in his clawed hands, immersing himself in the candle lit room of wealth. Afterwards, he gets up to drink tea with breakfast while reading the R.A.D Newspaper.

He gets anxious and grumpy if he can’t be near his hoard for too long. Barbatos has to help make time in Diavolo’s schedule for Hoard Breaks.

Whenever he pleases, he’s able to breath massive plumes of black hot fire and streams of red lighting. Everything in its wide path is reduced to ash. It gets wider the angrier he gets, and it’s believed that if he truly was ever to get enraged, he could destroy the entire Devildom.

Spending Time with You

Diavolo is captivated with you to the point of obsession, needing you by his side at all times, though knows you need some freedom. Despite his instinctual anxiety of you having autonomy, he knows he could easily dispose of anything should it ever threaten his position with you. Anyone who makes you doubt him, or try to lure you to their side, he would make sure there is no trace of them left.

You are often given gifts, his form of courting you even if you’ve already tied the knot. Gifting you outfits and jewelry made from the finest gold and purest gems. He does this because he now considers you the center of his hoard, the paragon of his wealth, treasure and triumph. He wants to coat you in beautiful fine things.

He enjoys you touching the scaly parts of his body. It feels nice to have your soft warm skin on his cool scales. If you're not against it he’d enjoy you grooming him, it's relaxing.

He loves to have paintings of you made in different beautiful outfits in graceful poses amongst fantastical locations. He likes to sit with you as you pose for the artist and just talk. He adores this special time with you.

You’re the one in existence that has the right to join him in his hoard, and he thoroughly enjoys the time he spends with you in his hoard, which feels more complete with you amongst the jewels. If he had it his way, he would forget about everything except you and his treasures.

His Dark Tendencies

He has such a deep infatuation with you that he would do anything to have you. Though he doesn’t want to force the feeling onto you, instead he does it in secret, keeping up the perfect prince image for you as much as possible.

If he sees someone he deems a threat, he’d make sure they’re taken quietly and dealt with far away from you so there's no possibility you could ever see it.

Sometimes if they’ve made him angry, he’ll take the perpetrator to a private hunting ground so he can hunt them down and eat them himself, making sure not even the bones are left.

He had a wing built onto the castle just to house the thousand portraits he had made. He’s slowly overtime made it into a museum dedicated in all of your splendor. Glass encased objects of random things you had given to him, ranging from birthday presents to random cans of vending machine black tea.

He has stolen a few of your clothes, a uniform jacket or tie. He likes to fall asleep with your scent in his nose.

Diavolo doesn’t punish you at all, you can do no wrong in his eyes, only others can mislead you. He wants you yourself to fall in love with him, you have to learn by yourself how much of a perfect match you are.

Misc. Stuff

Despite being a Dragon with such fierce fire, Diavolo loves to fish in a sized down version of true form.

When he gets too excited his tail wags like a dog’s. He’s been known to have knocked over a few things with his tail when you or Lucifer came to a party or ball of his.

His eyes turn reptilian like in his humanoid form when he gets upset, or when he wakes up in the morning and is processing everything. It takes him a few moments of just staring at the ceiling to figure out he’s awake.

He has given the brothers a ride on his back as a dragon a few times, but sometimes he had flown a bit too fast making them fly off.

Barbatos

Appearance

His body is long and slender, reaching forty feet long. His scales are flat and smooth, black with a teal iridescence to them. If you look at them closely you can see a triangular pattern on his back in different shades of gray and black.

His tail however splits at the end perfectly in two symmetrical pieces.

His tongue is forked and long but he hides it well, however he does have teal coloration on the tip. Barbatos also has a few scale patches on his cheeks and just along his spine to his back hairline.

Barbatos has long perfectly trimmed claws that are sharp as a razor and grown out just far enough to start curving.

Being Cold Blood

Barbatos has to deal with the annoyance of being cold blooded, if he doesn’t heat himself in a nice warm place often enough he becomes lethargic; however no one has ever seen him resting let alone warming himself, people wonder how he always manages to be ten steps ahead of everyone while being cold blooded.

His secret is Diavolo, as he exudes a warm presence simply being near him provides enough heat to keep active for an entire day; and a pot of warm herbal tea to help jump-start his day.

He’s a type of Naga to use constriction against his prey, he has fangs but no actual venom. When he gets angry at the Little Ds you can find him constricting them and giving them a cold smile while scolding them.

Spending time with You

Barbatos just finds you so captivating and pure, he wants you in his arms. He wants to protect something so soft and warm, compared to him.

He loves to wrap his tail around you, around your waist, around your shoulders, he likes it even better if he can wrap it arounds your body completely just feeling the warmth of you on his skin.

He has a habit of spoiling you by bringing you everything you ask for. He always has breakfast in bed for you, he likes to bring you your clothes and always gets the chair or door for you.

He enjoys spending time in the garden with you, sharing a cup of tea and light pastries. Light rainy days are always his favorite just the sight of you in the green glow of the garden, the plump droplets catching the starlight above.

He likes to see you relaxed and happy, it makes his heart feel light and makes him proud to see how content you are. Sometimes he likes to lay with you and place fresh flowers around you and just admire you. He just loves looking at you.

His Dark Tendencies

He gets jealous fairly easily but he tries to not let it show in front of you. Just you smiling in front of someone else is enough to make his scales rise in anger.

He makes sure to find them and threaten them to stay away from you and says it while constricting them so much that they begin turning blue. All of his bottled up anger from everything that has happened, even events that don’t involve the victim, are being let out on them. Harshly and slowly.

He’ll very rarely punish you, if you go out of your way to escape from him he’ll make sure to chain you up and make you beg for him to take care of you, if you don’t you’ll be left alone without food or water.

He has a slightly sadistic want to make you cry. It looks so cute and beautiful to him, like the rain from the garden is dripping from your lovely eyes.

Misc Stuff

Most Nagas aren’t afraid to hunt pests, meat is meat, but Barbatos has a delicate palate and the thought of eating rats makes him ill. He also has a sensitive stomach so he can’t eat too much or anything too hot.

He loves to relax in hot baths but he never has time anymore helping with Diavolo and the Seven Demon Lords.

He likes to wake up early in the morning, put on an apron and start making pastries fresh that morning. Every morning is something new and always delicious.

I take NSFW and SFW check out my pinned post for my rules on requests Take Care - Stay Spooky 

[blueandyellow1]

Blue’s Dragon: Chapter 1

Welcome to the new AU! I love dragons and I love Bellow so here we are. Grumpy dragon Yellow and boisterous Princess Blue.

Ao3 link.

Princess Blue was sleeping lightly in her four poster bed. Gauzy curtains hung from the wooden poles, each tipped with a periwinkle diamond. The sheer material swayed gently in the wind blowing in from the open window. It was still.

But something woke the princess. She rubbed the sleep away from her cerulean eyes and squinted in the dim light. Her eyes swept across the room, looking for danger as she reached for the dagger under her pillow.

The 23 year old princess was the sole heir to the Asalik throne, a kingdom fraught with peril. The people of the vicious kingdom were hardened, fighters. Blue was no exception.

Gripping her dagger, the thin woman jumped out of her bed. Her long, silver hair curled around her, almost as if it had a life of its own. She stood, frozen in a defensive stance, her willowy frame clothed in a long, azure nightgown fluttering in the breeze.

“Who’s there?” Her voice, although fuzzy with sleep, was sharp and cutting as ever.

There was no answer.

She moved around, her eyes flicking to the shadows, checking for demons and goblins. Her bare feet ghosted across the floor, light as feathers as she jumped silently across the rugs.

After several seconds, her stance relaxed, and her dagger wielding arm lowered. Her breaths came harder, as she realized she had been holding her breath. She walked back to her bed, feet dragging slightly.

She flopped onto the bed, stomach down. It had been a hard few weeks for the princess.

…

The kingdom was under siege. The people of Asalik had been at war with the supernatural for centuries, but recently, there had been sightings of dragons. Dragons, arguably the most powerful beings to roam the planet, hadn’t been seen for a millennia. Many thought them a myth.

Until one afternoon when the sun had been blocked out by a huge form, casting the kingdom in its shadow. A gleaming, golden dragon. Huge, about the size of three huts together. It hadn’t done anything, hadn’t set fire to the villages, or eaten the livestock. It hadn’t even looted the town for precious stones, hadn’t taken anything back to its lair.

All the beast had done was fly across the sky, breathing flames into the air in a spectacular show of power. Wings stretched out, teeth and fangs on display.

That was two months ago. Blue remembered it well. Her mother had stormed into the library where she was reading. Queen White had always been stern with her, believing that the only way her daughter could be prepared to rule was through intense study, training, and lessons.

The princess had always had a mind of her own, learning to fight with swords and daggers after etiquette lessons, sewing training uniforms instead of embroidering ball gowns, and sneaking forbidden books from the library during her literary lessons. She was used to the harsh punishments her mother dealt out.

But nothing could prepare her for the torture the next few months would bring.

After storming into the library, her mother had ripped the book out of her hands, her fury misdirected at her daughter. She screamed, her normally commanding voice turned shrill. Blue hadn’t cried then, she was used to her mother’s fits. But when her mother sentenced her to her room indefinitely, she had broken down.

Two months in solitude. A prisoner.

Every meal brought to her by a servant, slipped in through the grate the queen had commissioned. She had replaced the whole door, in fact. Gone was thin wooden door. In its place a thick metal door, with barred gap in the middle for the princess to receive her meals. The door was adorned with no less than three locks, and the Queen had made it very clear that she was the only being who held the keys.

Queen White graced her daughter with her presence every morning, precisely at sunrise. She was never late. Two curt knocks on her door would alert Blue that her mother had arrived. She never stayed longer than a few minutes, mostly repeating her mantra, that her isolation was for her own good. The world was too dangerous for a pretty young princess. Especially one where dragons has free reign. Her mother always left a promise: Blue would be freed when the golden dragon was slain.

…

It was the dragon that floated through her mind as she lay on her bed, unable to shake the nervous feeling in her stomach. The golden dragon. Although the princess hadn’t seen it herself, she had heard stories. More often than not, she had her ear pressed against the door, straining to hear any gossip. She had often coaxed the servant who brought her food to tell her any tidbit they had overheard.

The dragon looked like it was made of molten lava, they said. Scales a brilliant golden, shined enough to see your own reflection, some said. Others said it was dusty, glowing like heated metal. But all agreed on the fangs and talons and horns. It had long, white incisors, sharp enough to easily cut through flesh. Black talons adorned each paw at the end of muscled legs. And the horns, thick and curved, sprouted from the beast’s head.

It was a monster, a savage. It had cruel eyes, yellow like the sun. They were no human eyes, no, the diamond pupils showed that clearly.

Blue wondered what it would be like to stare into those eyes. She’d read about dragons in her books, about how they were a magic race, intelligent and strong. They were elitist, they thought themselves superior to all other beings, and their kingdom was in the clouds, only reachable by strong dragon wings. She wondered why a lone dragon was terrorizing their land.

As she pondered, still laying face down in her bed, she suddenly felt strong arms around her waist. Her body tensed, her training kicking in, and she swung her limbs around, trying to hit her assailant. But her muscles were weakened, her time locked in her room had wasted away at them, as much as she tried to stop it.

Even as she opened her mouth to scream, a cloth was shoved into her mouth, and another across her eyes. She felt herself being taken to the window, flung across the room.

Luck was on her side, as one of her feet connected with her attacker. She heard a grunt, and a thud. Using a freed hand, she grabbed the cloth at her mouth, screaming a blood curdling yell.

She felt herself being thrown again, landing on glass. Then, a fall. Her room, a tower in the palace, was several floors up and she screamed as she fell, limbs flailing blindly.

Until she was caught. This time, she felt talons grip her torso, digging into her sides. She heard the flap of wings above her and knew. She had been kidnapped by the dragon.

…

The princess screamed as she flew over the kingdom. Her screams quickly alerted the sleeping kingdom of the danger. She heard the clang of metal and the boom of canons below her. Never before would she think those sounds would bring her comfort, but she held onto the hope that their knights could defeat the great dragon.

Hope waned each passing second trapped blindfolded in the talons of the beast, and she began to panic. Its grip on her was tight, but she squirmed, thrashing about. Above her, she heard the dragon growl in distaste.

“Stop moving or you’ll hurt yourself.”

The voice instantly stopped her struggles. It was gravelly and rough, like stones grating against each other. I didn’t know dragons could speak, she thought wildly, suddenly aware of how little she really knew about the creatures.

But before she could dwell any longer on that thought, she heard a boom, and a roar. She was jerked backwards, and her stomach felt a rapid drop in height. The dragon was hit, probably by a canon, judging by the screams and struggle.

The two fell to the ground, plummeting through trees before landing on thankfully soft soil. The talons never left her body or loosened their grip, but her blindfold was torn off by jagged tree branches, allowing her to finally see her kidnapper.

The dragon lay on its side, enormous chest heaving as it breathed. Its mouth was half open as it gasped for breath, and Blue could see the row of pearly white, razor sharp teeth. She noted the black horns on its head, and the golden scales covering its body. They weren’t shiny, but a dull golden color, contrasting to the glowing eyes that were half shut.

She wasted a moment staring at the creature, before resuming her struggle, wiggling desperately to get free. This only earned her a glare from a yellow eye, pupil narrowed into a vertical slit.

The beast rolled to its feet, shifting its grip on the princess so she was bound by one large leg, freeing the others to run underneath them. Blue watched in horror as the dragon took off, galloping further into the forest. She began to scream once more, but knew that her voice wouldn’t be heard.

Blue was surprised at the speed the golden creature gained as it ran. She had never thought of dragons running, only flying through the sky. They were fast, and it expertly avoided trees and other debris in their path.

Her wonder was short lived, as panic began to set in. “Hey, you! Foul beast, let me go!” she screamed. “I am Princess Blue Diamond of Asalik, sole heir to the throne and I demand you let me go!”

Her yell made the dragon slow to a trot. “I will let you go when we get to Rodor Cynedom.”

“Where in the Stars is that?” she shrieked back, still trying to struggling against the talons.

“The Sky Kingdom.” Came the gravelly retort. The dragon resumed its pace and Blue gave up her struggle. She could not match the strength of a dragon.

They ran for what seemed like hours before the golden beast let out a pained yelp and nearly collapsed to the ground. Blue felt the grip around her body loosen, enough to free one of her arms.

“What happened?” she asked, waving her arm. When she received no response, she scowled and muttered, “Did you choke on your own nastiness, you vile creature.”

“I am badly injured,” answered the dragon evenly, not even sparing her a glance as it drug them to a nearby cave.

“Well what about me? I could be dying here! You’re holding me really tightly!” she said angrily, banging her fists against the scales.

“You sustain small scrapes. You can wash them in the spring once we find it in the cave.” The dragon rolled one large eye towards her.

“Wash—what?” The anger drained out of her, shock replacing it. “Why would you let me wash up? Are you trying to pretty me up to eat me?”

Ridged eyebrows furrow and the dragon’s eye narrowed. “You’ll feel better when you’re clean.”

Although the dragon had a point, Blue refused to admit it. She only scowled silently as they slowly made their way into the cave.

Once they reached the spring, the dragon dropped heavily to the ground, releasing the princess. Blue scrambled away from her, nearly falling into the spring in her haste. After throwing a glare at her captor, she turned to clean herself up in the clear water.

She finished quickly, not wanting to turn her back to the beast for long. She inspected the room. It was small, but clean and warm. Various sacks hung from the ceiling, presumably the dragon’s possessions. The dragon’s large form filled the only exit, blocking any chance of escape. Blue sighed, plopping herself down in the soft dirt.

“Any chance you got a chair or cushions or something? How long are we going to stay here? I’ll starve!” she said with a glare, crossing her arms.

The dragon opened its eyes. Two glowing eyes stared her down, but Blue matched its gaze, her scowl deepening. The dragon snorted, causing tendrils of smoke to curl upwards. A clawed foot reached up to its neck, to a necklace with a yellow pendant. The stone began to glow, and after a moment, several pillows and a very plush duvet popped out.

“What is that?” Blue asked, eyeing the necklace.

“Pillows and a blanket.” The dragon closed its eyes once more.

Blue rolled her eyes. “Not those, your necklace. What is it?”

“Dragon magic.”

The princess huffed at the short response. She walked to the pile of pillows, fluffing them up. “Why are you giving me this? These are really nice,” she said suspiciously.

“So you can be comfortable.”

Blue looked to the dragon, staring at its eyelids. “You’re not very talkative.”

Golden eyes opened. “I’m in great pain.”

The princess let her gaze travel down the dragon’s form. A gasp burst out of her lips when she saw the open gash across the dragon’s wing, small rivers of blood flowing down into the dirt. Words began tumbled out of her mouth, “Are you alright? Oh stars that was dumb, of course you’re not. Will it heal? You’re not going to die are you? Please don’t die and leave me trapped here! You’re magic right? Can you heal yourself?”

The dragon snorted again, but this time it was gentle, amused. “I am not dying. I will recover in a few days time.”

“That’s good.” Blue sat down on a cushion, suddenly feeling awkward. “You wouldn’t happen to have some food in your magic necklace would you? Humans eat every few hours, you know.”

“There is fruit in the sack above your head. Meat in the one in the corner.” The dragon used its tail to point to the two bags.

“Oh. You eat fruit? I thought dragons only ate meat. And I thought they ate animals whole,” the princess said as she moved to untie the fruit sack.

“I eat many things.” The golden creature watched as the princess looked through the bag before settling on an apple.

After eating a few bites, she met the dragon’s gaze. “Um, would you also like some? Do you...need anything?”

Honey colored lips pulled back, revealing sharp teeth. If Blue hadn’t known better, she would have thought it was a smile. “No, thank you.”

“You’re quite polite. Well, other than the kidnapping and keeping me prisoner.” She chuckled softly. “So, what’s your name?”

“Yellow.” The dragon’s eyes slid shut again and Blue noted the weariness that had crept into its rough voice.

“That’s a nice name. It suits you, you’re more yellow than the sun!” Blue said with a smile.

After waiting a few moments for a response, she sighed, and began arranging the pillows around her. She pulled the duvet over her, grateful that it was as comfortable as it looked. As tiredness overcame her, she took one last look at the beast. It seems nice enough. Maybe I can talk it into letting me go, she thought as her mind drifted off.

“Please don’t eat me while I sleep,” she said aloud just before she fell asleep.

[yourfaveisyanderematic]

Yandere! Diego Brando using his claws and fangs with Scary Monsters to mark the reader after he caught them talking to another guy? Thank you so much

Is this 100% what you asked for?  No.  Do I feel bad about it?  Also no.  Enjoy anyway!

the heart grows brutal from feeding on fantasies.

“May I have this dance?” A mouthful of knives glimmers at you in the low candlelight, but in the next moment it’s a row of white human teeth.  You watch the light play off the gold edges of his mask and wonder if he can taste the poison in your answer.

“Lead the way, sir.”  You rest your hand in his waiting palm, but his fingers tighten and seize your wrist instead, leading you away from the coterie of high-society belles you’d been shielding yourself with, deep into the throng of revelers wearing other faces.

Do any of them know?  You turn the question over in your head as he begins to move in time with the music, stiffly playing along as he slides an arm around your waist, resting just slightly against the curve of your hip—

The two of you tumbled end over end, like children playing.  Your body cried out as it dashed against the rocks, new agonies crying out with each roll as Diego forced you beneath him, and you turned him under you, down and down into the ravine—

His eyes perfectly match the teal painted into the sweeping curves of his mask—an eagle, maybe, or a hawk, either way it’s bespoke and fashionably out of place among the sea of carnival masks.  This masquerade is for you—a welcoming party as racers from the Steel Ball Run return to society—and the novelty of anonymity makes for an irresistible game, as enemies and friends and perfect strangers mingle without the slightest inkling that anyone is themselves.

This close, however, with your bodies pressed together, perfectly fitting into the grooves of the wounds you inflicted on each other, there’s no mistaking who your partner is.  When his hand presses into your upper back, fingers probing at the black bruise blooming under layers of tailored silk, you know that he knows, too.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been this close to you,” he muses in your ear as the two of you circle each other, a languid slow-motion pantomime of a much deadlier dance, “I’m glad you’re here…I was worried I’d have to leave this wonderful party, and, ah…seek you out.”

“That eager to conclude your beating, are you?” you murmur back, and your hands trace the angled contours of his chest.  To those around you, you’ve been emboldened by the delicate planes of your jeweled cat’s mask and the opportunity to admire the compact muscle accentuated by your partner’s suit, but you hear the pause in his breath as you trace the short, harsh line of a knife wound near his sternum.  You wonder what you’d find if you peeled back the fabric of his shirt and had a look; did he stitch it up himself?  See a doctor who didn’t ask too many questions?  Let it close on its own, his healing facilitated by the unnatural power he had come into?

Only an inch or two to the left would have done it, you muse with a vacant sort of regret, but the unnaturally twisted bones of a monster’s torso leap to your mind’s eye, and you know how lucky it was that you’d landed the hit at all.

Step carefully, now.  This is treacherous ground.  The two of you smile at each other—yours strained and perfunctory, his a lascivious sneer—and you think about how it would feel to kill him.  You want to kill him.  You’d like to kill him very, very much.  You’d already come so close.

Your bodies fit together in a way that only existed in romance novels.  You straddle his hips, sweat dripping down your neck as your head comes daringly, dangerously close to teeth longer than your fingers.  Fists won’t do anything, would only glance off the armored scales of his face or scrabble uselessly against the talon buried up to the knuckle in your side, tearing at anything it can reach, so you steady yourself with a hand around the loose skin of his reptilian throat, and you take a rock, and you—

The music does a sudden sweep, and Diego effortlessly tucks a leg under yours and pulls you into an unwilling, dangerously low dip, all but forcing you on the ground.  Everyone is too distracted by their own delights, by the sheer proximity of bodies, the energy of the music, the fragrance of hopelessly expensive wine, to see what you see: electric blue eyes that glow in the dark, and hands that twitch with the badly suppressed need to fit into the contours of your throat.

“You’re thinking about that day, aren’t you?  I am, too.  It’s all I can think about, lately,” he breathes as he pulls you back upright.  He carelessly brushes a lock of hair back, and for a moment you let yourself imagine that he’s talking about something else, something so innocent and foolish as young love, but then the next words drip from his lips and the moment dies as suddenly as a candle getting snuffed out.

“You hurt me, back then.  I had to delay a whole day, almost two, because of what you did…I can’t wait to pay you back.  I’m going to make you crawl.  I’m going to make you beg…”

You make to pull away, but his hands are at your shoulders, and you can actually feel something razor sharp punch through the finery of your garments, and this itself is a silent promise.  If you make any reaction, your mask conceals it, and you follow his steps into the next part of the dance as if the tips of his talons weren’t there at all, as if you didn’t feel something hot and wet soaking down the blades of your shoulders.

His breath continues, a quiet litany of fury gilded with his sweet voice.  “I won’t even bother with your horse.  You don’t deserve it.  I’ll get a collar for you and drag you behind Silver Bullet, all the way to England, so everyone can see the beast you are—“

“You say such things in polite company, and I’m the animal, here?” you murmur, reveling in the shocked hiss of breath as you suddenly jab your palm into the bruised bone of his ribs and set back, hoping he can’t hear your heart hammer in your throat as reality closes its fist around your heart and you remember that your only weapon in this moment is the snare of civility, of the witnesses crowding you.  

Watch out.  Injuries to body simply hurt, but injuries to pride drive one to madness, and you’ve done both in one practiced stroke.  You can see it now, in the hunch of his shoulders as he starts to crouch, in the calculated deadness of his eyes as he weighs the idea of throwing everything aside and simply attacking you here.

“‘Scuse me…I don’t suppose I could have this next dance?” you hear a shy warble at your elbow, and it’s with belated surprise that you realize the song has come to an end.  The organism of the dance floor has broken into its components once more, as people mill around and select new partners or return to the refreshments table.  The boy is innocent, soft--not a racer, then--and you can see hopeful brown eyes staring at you from behind the planes of his mouse’s mask.

Don’t feel too guilty about what you do next.  Fear makes people selfish, and in that moment all you can think about is shielding yourself with others, to appeal to that part of Diego Brando that cares about appearances above all else, to delay his retribution for as long as you can until you figure out a way to escape.

“Of course,” you reply, and you take his arm.  The crimson staining your clothes is unnoticeable in this lighting, and the smell of iron and salt easily drowned out in perfume and wine and sweat and hors d’oeuvres.  Nobody can see your carefully masked limp, has any suspicion of fresh bruises or weeping cuts, and certainly nobody can see the way Diego’s eyes follow your back, the snarl playing over his lips he has to physically bite back, the twitching of hands he has to stuff into his pockets.

Or, if they do, they don’t care.

[aweebwrites]

Trials of the Heart (H&F)

Warning: Blood, gore, dismemberment

___________

"It's finally spring!" Jay chirped flying out of the side of their cliff home, over the still iced over waters l along the fjord they called home.

"This winter was a little shorter than normal through." Cole says as he walked along the shore, finned tail flicking back and forth as he looked it over.

"By a few days." Kai agrees, perched on Cole's back. "Jay's happy about it so I am too." The Phoenix harpy grinned and Cole smiled a little.

"Alright. Off. I have to break up the ice for Nya then you do your thing." Cole told him and Kai nods, taking air and hovering there as he watched Cole rolled his shoulders.

He pushed himself up on his hind legs then slammed his front ones down, creating an earthquake to shatter the ice along the water.

"Show time." Kai grinned then flew over to Nya's side of the lake end of the fjord and gathered fire along his feathers and him his mouth, much like a dragon.

He then blew it out as he flew around, melting the ice on top and continuing still to warm the water up a bit.

"That should do it. She can swim out and about but the deeper portion of the water will be pretty cold." Kai says, coming to a hover over the water as Cole walked over to the iceless side of the lake area.

"It'll take a few weeks before it's warm enough for her. Skylor should be fine." Cole agrees. "Hey Jay, tell them the good news." He called out to the storm harpy that was doing loopty loops in the air.

"Gotcha!" Jay called out then pulled off a sharp dive then turned last minute, going into the side of the cliff.

"In the meantime, I'm gonna take a quick run to see if all the ice around the edges are broken up." Cole says, turning away.

"Alright." Kai says, watching him take off in a steady gallop.

"Kai!" Said Phoenix blinked at his name then looked towards the large chunks of ice on the colder side of the lake.

He spotted Zane once he raised a hand and waved. Kai chuckled as he flew over.

"Boy you really do blend in with the ice." Kai smiled as Zane slid up on a large chunk.

"Could you do me a favour?" Zane asked quickly and Kai frowned at his urgent tone.

"Sure. What is it?" Kai asked, flying closer to the mer, watching curiously as he held something to his chest then stretched his hand out to show Kai. "Oh. It's your gold. Do you need me to make it into something for you?" He asked, using his taloned foot to take it as he hovered still.

"Yeah. But it's something specific…" Zane says with a light blue flush in his cheeks that had Kai raising a brow.

"Well then… I'm all ears." Kai hummed, intrigued.

Cole on the other hand stood on the other side of the cliff facing, making it to the top rather easily. It gave him a higher view of the water below. It was all broken up. Much further down the channel still had ice but that would melt on its own soon. He turned around then galloped his way down the hill that made the cliff, enjoying the feeling of his hooves hitting the ground, the wind through his much longer hair. It's getting out of control. He should find some way to trim it but…

He thought back to all the times Zane kept running his class through the thick strands of his hair, an adoring look in his eyes. Well. If Zane liked it that much, he would keep it as is. He looked ahead curiously once he noticed Zane and Kai talking. They looked up to see him before Kai grinned and flew off.

"What's that all about?" Cole asked as he slowed to a trot.

"Nothing." Zane immediately dismissed then slid his way further on sure and Cole smiled, kneeling before him and cupping his cheeks.

"You're up to something. I can tell." Cole hummed and Zane only grinned, revealing sharp, pearly whites teeth.

"Maybe… But you're going to have to wait and see." Zane purrs, using his mate as support so he could reach his height.

"Ooooh. A surprise. I like the sound of that." Cole smiled, nuzzling his nose against Zane's as the mer purred happily.

"Good." Zane hummed before they both pressed their lips together, tongues coming into play right away.

Zane's black tongue slid against sharp fangs and further still to strong yet just as sharp molars that weren't that sharp before his change. While Cole had eaten other animals as a normal centaur, most of their diet was plants after all. Now, while Cole would enjoy kelp with him, he very much preferred meat and fish which made his newer, sharper teeth come in handy. On Cole's end, his light green tongue met rows of razor sharp teeth he had to be careful with. While Zane doesn't chew his food, he has this many teeth to allow him to latch on firmly to prey and puncture more lively fish and animals so thoroughly, if they somehow manage to get away, the bite alone is guaranteed to kill them. Their equally long tongues tangled together, their movements slow and savory. That is, until-

"Hey. It's too early for that." Nya called out and they pulled away from each other to blink at the warm water mer as she swum around stretching her fins.

"There's still a week tops before you two get rut brained." Skylor smirked as she allowed herself to float and both cold water mer and Kelpie flushed.

"You're one to talk." Cole huffed as Zane hid his face into his muscular chest, a low whine leaving him as he flicked his tail in embarrassment.

"Cool it. By then we're all slaves to instinct." Jay huffed as he arrived on scene, landing on the shore. "Really, if anyone should be making fun of anyone or complain, it's the Senseis and Lloyd." He says, sitting on the cold sand.

"Which is why we should make sure everything is in order for when they wake up." Kai says, arriving as well, perching next to his mate. "They can awaken at anytime during or after that time for us so let's start planning." He told them and they nodded.

"Alright. Anyone have any clue what waking dragons need?" Nya asked and there was all around silence.

"Boy do we have our work cut out for us…" Cole says drily.

___

"So food's obviously gonna be a thing on the list." Nya says, sitting on the shore with everyone else. "But we can't start stocking up too early and risk spoilage nor can we wait until it's too late and our instincts are mostly in control." She says, tapping a red claw against her arm.

"We start gathering in about 4 or 5 days instead then." Zane suggests and Nya nods.

"Fair enough. I'm just grasping at straws here but since the cold had put them to sleep to begin with, maybe some warmth will help them wake up." Cole suggested.

"So… We make them a fire?" Kai questions.

"That seems impractical since we don't know exactly when they're gonna wake up." Skylor pointed out.

"Well yeah, but they can all spark a fire on their own. Maybe we just leave them supplies to make it." Cole clarified and they paused to think on it.

"Not a bad idea." Jay nods, the others agreeing.

"Ok. Food and warmth. What else?" Nya asked them and they all paused to think.

"Oh! Water!" Jay spoke up with a grin.

"Of course." They huffed, facepalming.

"Alright. Food, warmth and water. Anything else they might need?" Cole listed off and they paused to think on it.

"No. I think that's about it." Kai says, crossing his singed arms.

"Alright. Then- huh?" Cole looked at Zane as he scented the air, eyes narrowed sharply.

Of all of them, Zane had the best sense of smell as he needed it for his time up north while hunting. He narrowed his eyes at the tree line, spines standing on edge along his back down his tail as a low hiss escaped him. That put all of them on guard. Zane's never reacted like this before, not even to the bear that attacked them during autumn. It must be an intruder.

"We'll take a look from above." Kai says seriously as Cole urged Zane in the water fully, just in case.

They took off once Nya nods, retreating to the water as well but still staying close to shore with Skylor. They had an advantage there after all. Soon, Cole could hear them approach and he snorts, dragging his hoof through the sand, ready to attack at any given time.

"I see them. it's just one creature." Jay says, sharp eyes spotting the figure as they keep coming directly towards them before his eyes widened once they walked through thinner coverage. "It's a-"

"Centaur?" Kai finished, surprised.

He wasn't the only one. Centaurs don't live this far up north naturally. Plus, there's a lot of hills and mountains rather than the plains centaurs prefer. Cole should know, he used to be one. That didn't make him any less wary though. Finally, they broke through the tree line and Cole blinked at the centaur that walked through. It wasn't anyone he's met before, that's for sure. She was a very light brown, almost blonde coloured centaur who's coat matched her wavy hair that spilled down her back. She looked around with wide hazel eyes then spotted Cole.

"Oh… You're a centaur…" She says, walking forwards slowly. "But also not?" She says, spotting his finned tail as it flicked back and forth warily.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" Cole asked, getting right to it.

"Oh. I'm Mariah. I…" Tears filled her eyes. "I got separated from my herd. We were escaping hunters…" She whispered as tears fell down her cheeks.

"You're a long way from any nearby plains though." Jay says suspiciously as he swooped down to land.

Apparently that was the wrong thing to do since she reared up with a startled whinny then galloped towards Cole. He tensed, ready for an attack- only to blink when she held onto his arm tightly, whimpering against the back of his shoulder from her shorter statue. Cole… Didn't know what to make of this.

Zane on the other hand… He watched with wide eyes from the water as she held onto his mate's arm, burying her face into his mate's skin. He stared for a moment longer before he released a series of warning clicks and trills under the water that mimicked growls, the broken up ice solidifying again as he glared at the imposing female with icy venom.

"Cold!" Nya's yelp startled him out of his challenging stance.

He watched as both she and Skylor dove under the water before the surface stilled, solidifying into clear ice. His ear fins flattened when he realised that he was the cause.

"What happened Zane?" Cole asked, green eyes focused on him, the worry in them thawing the icy bitterness that took him just now.

"Oh. Sorry. I wasn't paying attention." He apologised with a sheepish smile.

It wasn't a lie but it wasn't the whole truth. He just felt silly for reacting the way he has. Cole loves him and this outsider will be leaving anyways. Speaking of, she turned around to see him, seeing his intimidating teeth and claws then gave a shrieking whinny, shifting to bury her face into Cole's chest, trembling with her tail between her legs. Cole grimaced, looking down at the skittish girl then sighed. They couldn't just tell her to scram. It wasn't in their nature.

"Jay, could you and Kai look around to see if you can find any nearby centaurs?" Cole asked, looking across at him.

"Roger." Jay nods then took off, going after Kai who had remained hidden but only to ambush if necessary.

"You know that harpy?" Mariah asked, looking up at him with wide eyes.

'Isn't that obvious?' Cole thought dryly. "Yeah. He's a friend. Don't worry. We'll find your herd." He says aloud and Mariah smiled widely.

"Thank you for your help!" She says happily, nuzzling against him and Zane sneered, his sharp teeth glinting menacingly as he narrowed glowing arctic blue eyes at her from the water.

For her sake, Kai and Jay better find her herd quickly.

________

"This is bad." Nya says from inside her pool in the cave.

"Yeah. Mariah's presence means that hunters have already mobilised and are closing in." Skylor says with a frown, keeping her company, her sealskin wrapped around Nya's neck to help keep her warm.

"That's bad but it's not what I meant." Nya says, glancing towards the obscure exit onto the beach. "I meant Mariah all but clinging to Cole like that." She clarified.

"Huh? But it's obvious he isn't interested in her." Skylor says with a frown.

"Yeah that may be true but not only has Zane never experienced a challenger who obviously wants to stake a claim, it's really close to that time of the year. You should know. Jealousy and instincts aren't the best mix." Nya says pointedly and Skylor's purple serpentine tail swung from side to side.

"True. Do you think he'll attack?" Skylor asked, resting her chin in her clawed hand.

"Definitely if Mariah keeps clinging to Cole like a parasite. It's just a matter of when." Nya says, nuzzling the warm seal skin around her neck. "I've never seen a cold water mer before Zane and I certainly haven't seen them hostile. I've heard that's when they're most fearsome." She whispered.

"... I've seen cold water mers before him. They aren't as social as Zane is. They're intimidating, even while not paying any creature any mind." Skylor says, recalling a brief trip she had some time ago further up north.

They were all pretty gray scale, varying from dark gray to light with barely visible flecks of colour. They were all pretty big too, not to say Zane was small. He was much bigger than Nya and herself after all. It's just… She slipped into the water, using her legs to tread as she brushed Nya's hair back. They've gotten so used to Zane, to how soft and kind he was. This would be a reminder that Zane is capable of more than they ever thought. Nya looked up at her with her clear blue eyes and she smiled softly, her purple serpentine tail coming around to wrap around Nya's tail. It'll be unfortunate but it might also be a good thing.

_________

Cole sat, completely annoyed on the shore, a hand crafted fire before him… And Mariah glued to his side, preventing him from going in the water and cuddling Zane in his arms, preventing him from watching his relaxed face as he slept soundly, brushing his fingers against his pale cheek…

"It's a pretty cold tonight, isn't it?" Mariah asked with a shiver but Cole couldn't feel it.

The cold didn't bother him at all and as far as he knew, heat is the same.

"I suppose." Cole says, trying not to let his annoyance bleed through into his voice.

He knew it wasn't her fault but dammit he can't leave her out here alone. Centaurs separated from a tightly knit herd go through separation anxiety. It has them searching endlessly for their herd or latch onto a new one- or any creature close to a centaur. It's what helps his former kind integrate into new herds. He frowns, looking out at the iced over water, at the small hole there that was just about large enough for a head to poke through.

This'll be the first time in over a year Zane would sleep by himself. That realisation didn't bode well with him. He hopes Zane would have patience, until Mariah was gone…

Zane on the other hand tried to talk himself down just below the ice. He was just so used to sleeping next to Cole, his body can't even fathom such a feat tight now. At least his species could go days without sleep and still be unaffected but it was a routine he had come to treasure and she was ruining it with her presence! A low warning trill escaped him as his spines flared wider slowly darkening as more of his blue blood pumped through them. He shook his head, trying to shake it off. He knows Cole loves him and would never pick her over him. Knows this more than anything. But the problem lies with that mare touching his mate. A low trill escaped him as he looked up towards the surface with ominously glowing blue eyes. He doesn't share.

____________

Morning came with no signs from Kai and Jay, giving the odd family reason to worry.

"They never take this long to come back…" Cole whispered, looking to the sky. "How long have you been wandering?" He asked the mare who was glued to his side still.

"I've lost track. A few days at least…" Mariah says quietly, pressing even closer and Cole grimaced realising that this might actually take longer than he'd expected.

She's out of luck come a few days. Whether she likes it or not, he'll be returning to the water to mate with his mate. Speaking of, he hasn't been able to see him since she got here. It was time he changed that.

"Wait here." He told her, getting to his hooves and walking towards the water.

"You'll come back, right?" She asked, eyes wide and tear filled.

"Yeah. Don't worry. In just a sec." Cole says, glancing over his shoulder at her then stepped onto the iced over lake.

"Are you sure?" She called out, figuring nervously.

"Yeah. I'm sure." Cole says, irritation blooming.

He doesn't want to be angry at her but he hasn't been able to hold his mate since she got-

"I'll come with you." She says as she got up, trotting over.

"No. You can't. I'm-"

The ice breaking the moment she stepped on it cut off Cole's explanation and she rested back at the ice cold water that splashed against her legs.

"C-Cold!" Mariah stuttered, backing up and Cole facepalmed.

What was this situation even?

"I- I'm sorry. I just… I just wanted to stay with you a little. Just until I can find my pack and I… I'm already such a burden…" She whispered, wiping her tears with the back of her hands and Cole felt a twinge of guilt.

He looked out to the ice, seeing barely visible eyes of glowing blue there, watching their movements.

"Sorry Zane. Maybe later on." Cole says softly then walked out of the water, missing when it immediately froze over. "You're shivering. Let's head back. I'll build another fire." He says, reaching a hand down to help her up.

Mariah sniffled then nodded, taking his hand, not letting it go as she followed alongside him. The temperatures took a steep dip then, frost building up along the bark of the trees. Cole turned back to the frozen body of water once he heard something. It was more like low vibrations coming from the water. He shook it off. He must have been hearing things.

_____

Zane decided the best way to push these feelings back was contact with his mate. A kiss even. Just the thought had him perking up as he used his claws to cut himself a hole so he could pop up through. He pulled himself out of the water partially, his tail still mostly in the hole as he looked around. He perked up even more seeing Cole return from a round of hunting.

"Cole!" Zane called out grinning once his Kelpie mate perked up at his voice and smiled widely, seeing him waiting for him.

He dropped the rabbits he caught and galloped towards the ice- but Zane just wasn't allowed to have good things while Mariah was around, was he?

"Oh? That's your name?" Mariah asked, intercepting his path to him. "I'm sorry. I should have asked earlier. I must seem so insensitive now." She apologized as Zane's happiness faded.

"It's fine. I just have to-"

"So rabbits co-" Mariah had cut Cole off, only to he cut off herself once she ends up tripping on something partially buried in the sand, leaving her to yelp and fall against Cole, both of them ending up on the ground, Mariah half across Cole. "I'm sorry! I'm so clumsy! Are you ok?!" She asked him, sitting in her haunches as Cole sat up, trying not to let his irritation show.

"I'm fine." Cole says quietly.

He looked at the ice once he heard a silent splash, only to find both Zane and the hole gone, as if they never were. Cole didn't like that. It didn't sit well with him how he just took off. He stood then paused once he realised something. Another breath out turned to fog as the temperature plummets further.

"W-w-wow. It g-g-got so c-c-cold all of a sudden." Mariah stuttered, getting to her hooves as she rubbed her bare arms. "It's snowing…" She whispered and Cole looked up seeing the snow drifting down from the pale blue sky.

This was… Abnormal. Cole looked to the frozen solid lake. Was this… Was this Zane's doing?

"Mariah. Head inside the cave." Cole told her and she looked at him wide eyed.

"B-b-"

"Would you rather freeze to death before you ever see your herd again?" Cole asked her, clipped and blunt, unphased as more tears filled her eyes.

"N-no…" She says, looking down then fiddling with her hands.. "It's just…"

Cole straightened, hearing something from the lake, calling him, beaconing him to come. No doubt it was Zane.

"Wait!" Mariah says, grabbing his arm and Cole turned around to finally snap at her, only to find her lips pressed against his.

Meanwhile, it was all Zane could do to control himself. His mind was filled with dark, gruesome things, claws ready to inflict critical damage, teeth itching to sink and rip into flesh. He tried breathing in slowly through his gills, trying to calm his rushing pulse, trying to grasp at control that was slipping through his webbed hands like sand. Logic knows what's best bit instincts are so much stronger, so much harder to fight. He knew if he let it take over, he would take a life. He didn't want to be that kind of mer, didn't want to prove the stereotypes of his kind right. He clenched his fists tightly, trying to prevent his body from preparing to fight, to maim. His mind was a mess. Emotions, logic and instincts all clashing, overlapping. He needed to calm down, needed to escape the source of his dilemma but he couldn't. He refused. He wouldn't leave Cole alone with her . He didn't trust her. Wouldn't trust her. Not with his mate.

He needed, he needed… He lowered his hands from his face, ignoring the blackness of his claws that now extended past his wrist, ignoring the blue of his fins filled with so much of his blue blood, they looked black ignoring the light blue specks of his body that also took on that same colour. He needed his mate. He needed Cole.

A reverberating croon left him as he called for his mate, calling him to come to him. He's the only one that can quiet the storm in his mind right now. It only occurred to him after a moment that it would be hard to hear under thick ice. He swam up then used his tail to break a large portion of the ice before pushing himself up, ready to restart his calls- only to see Mariah with her lips on his mate's.

That was the last straw. Emotions and mainly instincts won, the whites of Zane's eyes turning dark as he gave a hiss of outrage. They turned towards him but Zane was cutting through the ice like it wasn't there, eyes screaming murder as he locked onto the one who dare challenged him.

"Zane?" Cole whispered, stepping back without realising, getting whiplash from the constant flow of shock.

This Zane looks so different. So much wilder… Deadlier…

"Woah! Shit!" Mariah yelled once Zane ricocheted out of the water, coming directly at her.

She then did something that startled Cole: she teleported out of Zane's line of attack.

"That was close." She sighed once Zane collided with the beach but he still looked fearsome and clearly wasn't about to back down anytime soon.

"... How did you do that?" Cole asked quietly, eyes narrowed in suspicion and Mariah looked at him surprised, realising that she blew her cover before she huffed.

"Damn. Ah well. This was boring anyway." Mariah says and Cole's eyes widened as her centaur form faded away to a completely humane one.

But that along with her teleportation was a clear sign she wasn't a regular human. She was most likely a witch whom were worse than hunters. They hunted just like the humans did but they keep their catch for their essence, adding it to their spells and potions. Essence is the very source of what made a creature who the are and they use the essence from parts of whatever unfortunate creature they manage to capture until they have no more left, until they're nowhere close to the creature they used to be. Essence is strongest with intense feelings as well... Like pain. Death in the end is the only mercy they receive from their capture.

Considering this witch was able to shapeshift and teleport, it was unfortunate that Wu and Garmadon are asleep. Considering the fact that they are asleep and vulnerable, they had to protect them. But Nya and Skylor are too vulnerable to the cold. Kai and Jay are gone too. Zane is… Cole looked past her at his seething black and blue eyed mate. Zane… He spotted a flash of light then jumped back out of the way, Mariah holding a cruel smile on her face.

"Eyed on me loverboy. No more daydreaming." She smirked as her hands glowed. "And to think such a rare sight like you would be more than interested in a fair centaur maiden, just before breeding season, hmm? Though it's peculiar. My love spell hasn't been working at all, no matter how many times I've casted it though touch. I've even gone as far to actually kiss you. My spells always work. Explain this, creature." She sneered, raising a hand towards him threateningly.

"Love spell?" Cole whispered, eyes wide.

It must be because he's already in love with Zane! No time for that. He needed to get rid of her before she does something terrible. But how? His earth powers can only do so much!

"Nevertheless, Kelpie are a truly rare and powerful source of both spiritual and water essence and I plan on taking you with me." She grinned then yelled as she shot a beam of her magic at him and Cole three his hands up to block- but it never landed.

Cole blinked then looked over his arms, eyes wide to see a wall of ice it seems before him. But this ice was different, darker.

"You pesky fish!" Mariah yelled and Cole's eyes widened.

Zane!

Cole was quick to round the ice, seeing Mariah distracted with attacking Zane, his ice blocking her attacks.

"I'll slit your neck and bleed you dry when I'm done with you!" She yelled at him and Cole narrowed his eyes.

He turned around then put his weight on his front hooves and used his back legs to slam into her back, leaving her to tell as the momentum flung her onto the iced over lake, the impact of her landing cracking the ice. Zane moved like a viper in the grass, sliding back into the water quickly, the small hole in the ice freezing over instantly. Cole watched Mariah from the shore as she slowly got up with a groan, bracing himself for what was to come next. Then it happened. Mariah screamed as she found herself high in the air, ice, water and Zane trailing after her mid air from his jump. Cole didn't flinch seeing Zane's sharp teeth sink into her exposed neck, his claws digging into her flesh as he dropped back into the water with her, disappearing under the surface, ice immediately reforming afterwards.

Zane spun as he dragged her deeper into the water, then pulled away with the chunk of her neck he had bitten into. She immediately brought her hands to her heavily bleeding throat as she began to both drown and bleed to death but Zane wasn't done yet. Not even close. He hissed as he swam in, clamping on her arm, shaking her violently until it ripped off. He immediately closed his strong jaw around the other, digging his claws into her flesh to keep her steady as he ripped it off as well. He hissed at her pale, lifeless face then unhinged his jaw for the final blow. He closed his teeth around the entirety of her neck then ripped it free from her body, spitting it out in disgust then sneered at her remains. 

On shore, Cole saw nothing for a few seconds after Zane disappeared below but then the ice under the water began to turn red. He stood there as it sunk in.

Zane just killed someone.

Cole pressed his lips together before they stretched in a smile. He was oddly proud. He had concerns if Zane had enough of a heart to do it if his life was at risk. He forgot that Zane was perhaps the most deadly of them all. It made him even more proud to call Zane his mate.

"Cole!" The centaur looked up once Jay's voice caught his ears, sewing him a moment after flying quickly towards him.

He landed before him, sending icy sand kicking up in the air.

"Mariah is-"

"A witch?" Cole says, cutting him off and confusing Jay.

"Yeah! But how'd you know?" Jay asked, confused.

"She gave herself away. But we don't have to worry about her ever again." Cole says, smiling as he looked out to the lake.

"How come? Hey why is the lake re-"  Jay cut himself off when everything pieced together.

"Holy shit." Kai says, arriving then as well. "I mean, I should have known with Zane being a cold water mer but damn." He says, landing next to them, holding a large gold circlet in hand.

Cole looked at it confused.

"Hey, where'd you find that?" Cole asked him and Kai looked at the solid gold band in hand.

"Oh this? It's actually yours." Kai says, tossing it to him. "Zane asked me to make it for you. It's a permanent accessory so whenever you're ready, I'll melt the gold shut for good." He says with a smirk as Cole looked over the details in the circlet in awe.

That was clearly them along the middle. Zane on one side and him on the other, their tails laced together on the back and them sharing a kiss on the front. Cole's heart warmed as he smiled at it. It was gorgeous.

"Oh. We've brought company by the way." Kai added and Cole glanced over his shoulder, eyes widening to see two familiar figures.

"Where's the witch?" Ronin asked, glancing up at them from under his conical hat as he walked on shore.

"By now? The Departed Realm." Jay says, gesturing to the lake.

"Woah. Zane did that?" Dareth asked surprised, his head cocked to the side. "Jeeze. I didn't think he had it in him." He says with a grimace.

A section of the ice on the lake collapsed suddenly and the group blinked once a darker blue tail tossed out two arms, a torso and a head, all covered in frost. Kai whistled low.

"Remind me not to piss Zane off." Jay says with a grimace.

Cole was more focused on Zane, watching the mer watch him with only his hair and eyes visible. The cold water mer gave a beaconing croon and Cole gave the circlet back to Kai.

"Hold onto this for me." He humbled then walked towards the water, his eyes focused on his mate.

He didn't care about the lingering blood that gave the water a pink tinge. He only cared about Zane. Cole stood there, face to face with Zane, noticing that he still looked so wild, so dangerous with his gorgeous blues replaced with deadly blacks, his glowing eyes standing our even more when framed by black… But he didn't mind at all. He reached out and cupped Zane's cheek gently, stroking his thumb against his skin. Zane purred, leaning into his touch with closed eyes as Cole smiled softly. They both moved, their lips pressing together as they clutched at each other, missing this, missing each other. With a flick of Cole's tail, they both disappeared below the water.

"Awww. A happy ending." Jay cooed next to Kai as Ronin inspected the remains next to them.

"She mostly bled out but there should still be enough for a decent meal." He murmured to himself, ignoring the arms and head, going straight for the body.

"Are you gonna finish that?" Dareth asked eagerly as he watched his partner bare his fangs.

Ronin paused, glancing over at the half werewolf with wide brown eyes, watching his ears perk up as his tail wagged eagerly. Ronin only huffed and tossed him the closest arm, Dareth catching it in his mouth.

"Wouldn't want you to go hungry. You're annoying when you get all whiny." Ronin huffed with a small smirk, his red eyes glinting.

"While you guys do your thing, I'm gonna check up on Nya." Kai says, walking away.

"I'll come with!" Jay chirps, following after him.

The mercenary and his pet partner watched them go before returning their attention to the all expenses paid meal left for them.

"Well. Bon appétit." The vampire murmured then sank his fangs into the shoulder of the corpse, draining her until the raw wounds she had turned pink, unphased by the audible cracking of bone next to him.

Since they ran into them while tracking down that witch, he'll stick around… If only until after the full moon...

_____________

(Hey! Here we are! Zane is soft boi so it was time to shake things up a bit. Also! Next H&F piece will focus on Cole's powers! Because he does have them. It might take a few other elemental visitors for him to see it though. Who knows! CI is up next so see you when that's done!)

[crystalgirl259]

The Flame and the Dragon Ch16

Chapter 16: The Fire Within

Kai's legs and body screamed at him to stop, or at least slowdown. His lungs felt like they exploded but Kai refused to stop. He thrashed and growled as claw-like branches scraped and tore at his silk shirt and pulled at his cloak. His boots sank into the ankle-deep carpet of mud and dead leaves, causing him to stumble several times. Nevertheless, he pressed onward, his heart hammered loudly in his chest from anxiety. He had no idea where the castle was anymore.

He was heavily panting as he blindly tried to navigate himself through the black woods, hoping for some sign, but none came.

A crash behind him caused him to whirl around. A loud snarl, the thunder of feet, and the crushing of branches echoed in the background with the force of a huge stampede. Kai's heart leaped into his throat at this. Pain and exhaustion forgotten, Kai bolted into a sprint running as fast as he could. Snarls and claws hammered behind him but he refused to look back as the hunter chased him. A stray root sticking out the ground caught his ankle, causing him to trip.

He crashed into the icy mud and leaves beneath him.

Spitting out leaves, he pushed himself to his knees and prepared to run again but froze when a huge shadow flew over him. It suddenly landed in front of him. He stumbled backward, paralyzed by fear. His mouth opened in a voiceless scream. Tremor wracked his body, paralyzing him as his eyes met the pupil-less, soulless, demonic eyes of a monster. Its enormous, muscular body was covered in tight, pitch-black skin. Enormous razor-sharp talons protruded from its paws and a long, thin tail tipped with a spike curled and cracked like a whip.

Its head was fat but its nose and jaw were slender like those of an alligator's head.

A black, forked tongue licked its lips as it stepped towards Kai. Opening its jaws and flexing its claws in preparation for devouring the boy in front of him, it sprang. Kai closed his eyes and waited for death. Instead of death, however, another shadow swooped in front of him. A loud bellow like the roar of a dragon echoed through the clearing, followed by a loud thud as the source of the sound landed with force. Kai opened his eyes to see large wings unfurled to protect him as the figure stood to his full height.

Kai's eyes widened as he now stood behind none other than the Dragon Lord.

Cole didn't answer him as he released a harsh punch straight into the side of the monster's head. It sent it crashing into the trunk of a tree. Kai stood frozen, too overcome by shock to move or speak.

"Don't just stand there, you idiot!" Cole commanded and a harsh tug on his arm brought the boy back to reality and he jumped to his feet.

"What is that thing?" Kai demanded as the creature recovered from the blow and shook its head, snarling at the pair with rage. Cole cursed and wrapped an arm around Kai's waist and pulled him against him. Before Kai could protest, a scream tore from his throat as he was hurled into the air by a giant gust of wind. Cole flexed his wings and with a mighty leap, they burst into the air, barely missing as the beast pounced again. Terrified and confused, Kai's arms flayed until his hands clenched the front of Cole's jacket and he buried his face in the man's coat from shock.

Beneath them, the beast snarled opening and snapping its monstrous jaw and sending sticky, thick salvia everywhere.

"Cole, what is that thing?" Kai demanded as the Dragon Lord landed on the branch of a tree. He screamed when the beast started clawing against the trunk of the tree, attempting to climb it, but Cole was faster and slapped it in the side with a swing from his powerful tail. The beast crashed to the ground, howling furiously in its rage, and began clawing once more. Cole snarled as his eyes flashed with determination as he released Kai's legs and pulled him close to his body.

Kai gasped at the protective, and slightly possessive, look in the man's eye.

Orange sparks danced between the Dragon Lord's claws before a blast of bright orange energy struck the beast in the chest. It howled and screamed in pain, fury burning in its soulless eyes. It pounced ferociously and sank its claws into the bark of the tree before racing towards its prey with inhuman speed. Cole flew into the air just as the beast pounced, the swipe of its claws barely missing them. Cole landed on another tree and carefully placed Kai on a thick branch, a good distance from the beast.

"Stay here!" He ordered, turning to glare at the beast with cold eyes.

"Wait! You're not-"

"Please, for once in your life, do what I tell you!" Cole warned with an almost desperate plea before his eyes returned to the beast. All concern melted away and his hard, stoic expression returned as he elegantly leaped from the tree and landed in a crouch position, his wings expanding to their full length. Once the beast saw him, it bent low to the ground and crawled towards Cole like a shark circling its prey. Cole matched it with an arrogant smirk on his face.

"Come on." He tempted the beast. "Are you the best that bastard can do?" He mocked the monster, which snarled and snapped its disgusting fangs, trying to look threatening. Blinded by its anger, the monster lunged at the Dragon Lord. Cole dodged easily and kicked the monster hard in the gut. It recovered as it was falling and pounced with its maw open but Cole grabbed its snout and lower jaw and yanked them apart. The monster exploded with rage, struggling in vain to free itself but Cole snapped its mouth shut, struggling to lift it before slamming it against the ground.

The beast squealed and rolled over, barely missing as Cole slammed his foot into the frosty ground where the monster once lay.

The battle raged on and Kai watched in amazement. For the first time since he was trapped in the tower, Kai saw the real Dragon Lord. Moonlight poured through the trees, making lights dance across Cole's form. The powerful wings flapped and moved perfectly in sync with his body, either to shield him from harm or to let him swiftly dodge the monster's strikes. His arms and legs were brawny and muscular and, covered by almost impenetrable scales, each limb moving together in swift, lethal motions.

His claws were always poised to attack while his feet were quick and positioned to either dodge or strike.

His body moved with all the strength and power of a dragon but the adaptability and flexibility of a human. The Dragon Lord was the perfect fighter. Kai's eyes widened, enthralled even more by the sight before him. He was sucked in by the brutal but beautiful display of power the Dragon Lord presented. Just as the Dragon Lord's victory seemed assured, the beast suddenly pounced again. This time, however, it landed in front of its assailant, dodging Cole's punch and leaving his un-scaled sides open.

The beast leaped forward and sank its teeth into exposed Cole's side.

Kai screamed louder than he ever had in his life. A sound between a human cry and a dragon's roar of pain ripped from Cole's mouth. Blood and pain exploded from his side as he slashed the beast across the snout, causing the monster to release its hold as part of its mouth were ripped off. It wailed feebly and backed away to nurse its wound. Cole fell back against a tree and his hand flew to cover his side. His black hand was red as rubies as blood dripped from his hands and speckling the frosty ground.

He hissed in pain and turned to Kai, who was hastily trying to free himself from the tree.

"Kai, get out of here now!" He called to the boy, the pain in his eyes evident, as he gestured north with his other hand. "The castle is that way! I'll distract him as long as I can, but you'll be able to make it from here."

"But what about—"

"Go! Now!" He bellowed as loud as he could. That was his only warning before he took to the air as the beast lunged at him, invigorated by the smell of blood. Cole bit back a scream as his side tore during the flight. The beast took advantage of this and pounced, swatting the man out of the air. Overcome by shock, Cole crashed to the ground and didn't bother stopping the scream that escaped him.

"Get away from him, you monster!" Kai yelled as the beast stalked towards its weakened prey. Confused, it turned its head only to find its previous prey standing at the base of the tree, shaking in rage. Cole growled and opened his mouth to yell at the boy to run, but no sound came out. "You want me? Come and get me!" Kai taunted as his eyes blazed with fire. The beast growled and charged. Kai didn't move. Instead, he backed up until his back was pressed against the trunk of a tree.

He jumped and grabbed a thick but low branched with both hands and, with haste, pulled himself onto it, just as the beast crashed headfirst into the base of the tree.

It howled as it thrashed its head wildly, showering blood everywhere from its injured nose. Taking advantage, Kai lowered his body on the branch. With the skill of a gymnast, swung his body back and forth until he swung himself full circle and launched his body forward. His feet collided with the beast's side, sending it crashing through branches as it fell to the ground. He finished by releasing his grip on the branch and landing in a perfect crouched position.

"What the hell?" Cole gasped as his eyes wide with disbelief.

"What?" Kai asked, panting. "You thought you were the only one who knew how to fight?" He asked but the teen didn't wait for a response and knelt to inspect Cole's wound.

"Look out!" Cole shouted, jumping to his feet and pouncing on Kai just as the beast lunged at them again. It sailed over them before orienting itself and sliding across the dirt, blood, and saliva dripping from its fangs.

"Damnit! This thing doesn't know when to quit!" Kai cursed as he moved to grab Cole but the man grabbed him first and forced him to meet his eyes.

"That thing is after you."

"Me? Why?"

"Not now!" He shouted as he pulled Kai behind him and bit back a loud grunt when he put weight on his bleeding side. "Just go!" He ordered and started to walk towards the beast, but Kai didn't move. His eyes darted from the barely standing Dragon Lord to the beast who, despite the damage it took, looked fresh and ready to fight. Cole saved him when that monstrous thing attacked him. Despite Kai breaking into his room, almost ruining his candle, he still came to help him.

Now, he was willing to sacrifice himself to protect him.

What about everyone at the castle who needed Cole's protection? They would be devastated if he died because Kai ran away. His fists clenched at his sides. His nails sank into his palms and his face grew red with rage.

"Cole, get behind me." He spoke in a dangerously low voice. Cole opened his mouth to protest but was silenced by the sharp look in Kai's amber eyes. Kai turned to the beast with a blank expression. He glared at the beast with hatred, wanting to blame it for all his pain. The beast's jaw formed a twisted smile before it charged towards its prey, ready to rip the boy limb from limb. Kai didn't move. His determination to protect the one who saved him and his anger at both the creature that hurt Cole and his own stupidity burned in his eyes like fire.

Heat pooled in his hands, sparks forming between his fingers and crackling to life.

As the beast closed in, he turned to meet its eyes. All his anger, determination, protection, and emotions spiraled together. Without any hesitation or training, he raised his flaming hands in the air and dropped to his knees, sinking his hands into the dirt. Bright red and gold flames burst from his hands. The beast roared in shock and anguish as tongs of fire consumed its entire body. Its skin burned from its bones as it howled and wailed with an excruciating, inhuman cry of death.

Fire danced in Kai's eyes until only a smoldering pile of ashes remained.

When he rose to his feet and the burning dissipated from his palms, his senses returned to him. He shook his head and looked quizzically at his hands, then back to the Dragon Lord, who doubled over in pain, clenching his side. Forgetting his internal questions, Kai dashed to his side and hooked Cole's arm over his shoulder before helping him lean back and rest against a tree.

"Hold still." He ordered once Cole sat down and swiftly removed his cloak. "You'll tear it open."

"Don't fuss," Cole said but Kai had already removed his cloak and ripped it into long strips. Cole hissed when Kai started to tear open his coat and began to lift his shirt. The dragon hybrid tried to move but Kai held him in place.

"Will you stay still?! I'm trying to get to the wound!" He explained and shuddered when he saw just how bad the bite was. "Damn, it doesn't look deep but I'll still need to disinfect it when we get back to the castle, I hope you've got yarrow tincture or something."

"It doesn't matter, it'll heal on its own, now let—"

"Not a chance in hell!" Kai protested harshly, pressing a clean piece of fabric to the wound. Cole yowled at the pressure but held still as Kai tied the rest of the long strips around his hip and side, forming a make-shift bandage. "There, that should hold it until we get back to the castle." He said and the second he finished, Kai hooked Cole's arm around his shoulder and used the other to help him to his feet.

"Can you still walk?"

"I said I'm fine!" Cole snapped and removed his arm, but the second he put pressure on his side he hissed and slouched over, Kai quick to catch him.

"If this is fine, I hope I never see your idea of dying." The teen said sarcastically and he allowed Cole to slouch half of his body weight on him. "I'm stronger than I look." He added but Cole said nothing. His pride having already been wounded, he allowed the boy to help him home...

[slugmanslime]

Stretching

Pairing: ChiChi x Piccolo Warnings: cursing?? babies Word Count: 2,335 Fic Type: Oneshot Drabble

i want to say a huge thank you to @lilacboii for proof-reading all of these and thank you as well to @lilmissmousey for the encouragement!

i did vague this up a little bit bc sticking to timelines gives me a headache late at night bit i may fix this later on!

It might be difficult for the average woman to adjust to the feeling of a baby having a tantrum in the womb, but Son ChiChi is no average woman and her babies do not simply have tantrums, oh no. While her firstborn was rather mellow, surprising given his astronomical power level, her youngest son was proving to be very easily excitable. On days where all she wants to do is hang up the linens to dry and mop the kitchen, she is often forced to take frequent breaks, bent at the waist and gasping, while baby Goten does backflips off her ribcage and uses her small intestine as a jump rope.

It seemed that today was going to be one of those days; they were beginning to happen more often the closer she was getting to her due date, and ChiChi finds it to be both a blessing and a curse that her little boy’s gestation period would be seven months rather than nine. With Gohan’s schoolwork done for the day so he could make a break for the Lookout, and breakfast dishes that needed to be washed, ChiChi took a deep breath and hoisted herself from the kitchen chair she had collapsed in when Goten started practicing the mamba. The expectant mother clutched six months’ worth of baby belly in one hand as she waddled to the sink with a stack of plates in the other. Depositing them in the sink and taking a moment to wince, ChiChi rolled up her sleeves and got to work. While she was still heartbroken and angry, not much had changed with her Saiyan husband wishing to stay in the Other World. She could commend him for wanting to keep them safe—but she still felt that he was going about it all wrong. What good would it do for him to be gone if trouble reared its ugly, alien head regardless? Her scrubbing faltered for a moment before continuing. Well, it wasn’t as if she and her little boys were all alone…

Piccolo hovered a few yards above the roof of the Son cottage, silently tracking Gohan’s ki as he raced to meet Dende for who knows what. If he was a betting man, he would put money on them cracking open one of those ancient Namekian tombs and spending hours drooling over it. Deep in meditation, his lips quirked upwards only the slightest at the thought. Gohan was his closest friend, but the boy needed interaction with those his own age, and who better for the strongest fighter on either to befriend than the planets guardian himself?

Gohan’s ki was not the only one he was keeping tabs on at the moment. Beneath him in the cottage, he could feel two more sets thrumming with vitality. Although ChiChi would never admit it, he knew that his help was always wanted and appreciated; he supposed it had just never become a thing to consciously vocalize it, lest it become awkward for the lot of them. Piccolo had always been close, even when Goku was alive, always hovering and always around. But it wasn’t until cracks in the foundation had started to show that Piccolo came even closer, allowing himself to get sucked into the mundane of everyday life with the Sons. And on some level, he even admitted that sometimes it was enjoyable.  

Animated swearing cut his meditation sessions short, and his unconscious smirk vanished as his ears perked. Piccolo dropped to the ground in an instant, but the curses had slowly started dying off. Chichi’s voice had been laced with pain, and the Namekian wasted no time barging through the too-small front doorway. To his increased confusion, he could smell no blood, and as he peered at the tiny woman doubled over and clutching the sink so hard the aluminum was warping, Piccolos anxiety spiked.

“ChiChi, what’s going on? Is—is this labor? You’re very early, I should call that doctor to see—,” The very hand that had been crumpling the sink like a soda can whipped up, motioning for him to be silent. Piccolo’s mouth shut with an audibly click, fangs knocking against each other.

A few moments later when she was able to speak, it was hardly more than a hiss. “Trust me, Piccolo, I know what labor feels like. This… is Goten stretching…”

The surly Namekian stays hunched for a moment longer before completely entering the house and standing at his full height, violet tinging his ears. He had been truly frightened for a moment, thinking he had this spitfire woman about to have a Saiyan baby right in front of him. His arms crossed over his broad chest, talons curling around his bicep as he gazed down at her, brows furrowed. “You look like he’s ripping you in half. Is that even normal?”

Almost immediately he regretted speaking as her head tilted upwards, melting him to the spot with her fiery gaze. Sweat beads dotted her face and her mouth is set in a grim line; haggard is an expression she had been sporting for too long and there was something about it that tugged at Piccolos chest.

“Well I don’t know, is being pregnant with a half alien child normal? Idiot!” Although her voice is sharp, it’s becoming apparent that Goten’s movements were becoming less agitated. They shared few more moments of silence punctuated by ChiChi’s panting, and finally she stood, wiping her sweaty palms on the front of her gown. Piccolo took this opportunity to come closer, peering around the nearly completely cleaned kitchen for something to do. She had beaten him to nearly everything, and he frowned down at her.

Chichi gave it right back, hands placed on her hips, cocking one to the side with a sass that comes as easily as breathing. “Don’t give me that look, Piccolo! You know when I need help you’re the first person I call.” Her face softens some, and she gives him an apologetic smile. “You shoulda seen the look on your face though. Priceless! You looked like you’d seen a ghost.” She doesn’t bother trying to stifle her giggles at his discomfort.

“Oh, come off it! How was I supposed to know?” His frown weakened into a scowl, his ears growing a shade darker at her teasing. The concern hadn’t left his eyes at all however, no matter how gruffly he was speaking. It doesn’t go unnoticed by his companion either, even as she sighs and returns to her seat, hands folded over her stomach.

“Okay, you wouldn’t know, you’re right. I was just pokin’ fun, Piccolo, don’t be such a ‘fraidy-cat. Hey, c’mere, let me show you something—quick, before he calms all the way down!” Beaming in a way that only a mother-to-be can, ChiChi motioned for him to approach, holding one hand out for his own. He shuffled over to her after a long minute of hesitation and her beckoning with increasing annoyance. Once his hands slipped into hers— or rather, he engulfed her hand with his own— she guided it to her distended stomach slowly, and placed the clawed appendage atop it.

Any other mother may have been terrified at the sight of a huge green hand equipped with claws sharp enough to put any razor to shame so close to her unborn child, but again, ChiChi was no ordinary mother. Time and time again it had been proven that she could trust this snarky alien leaning over her, jaw slackening in awe at the little kicks and rolls her Goten was performing. Something fuzzy tickled her heart just at the sight of him, unable to hide the intrigue and fondness blooming in his gaze.

“Amazing isn’t it? And he’s actually being pretty tame right now. Usually it feels like he’s training for the next World Martial Arts Tournament.” She felt the coolness of his skin even through two layers of clothing and it was both strange and reassuring. Goten was moving less frequently now, his little feet pushing at her abdomen every other minute, and ChiChi was silently relieved; Piccolo’s fingers twitch to match Goten’s movement, but he can sense he exhaustion as well.

“How are you feeling, honestly? And don’t give me any bullshit about being fine because you’ve got…” Piccolo lifted his hand from her stomach delicately only to wave it errantly in the air, giving her a no-nonsense look that she was kind of impressed with. “I dunno, chores or something to do. Gohan and I can take care of that.” There he goes again, signing himself up for menial human crap.

Teeth worried pink, chapped lips as she looked around the kitchen thoughtfully; a few more hours of rest sounded heavenly, and she was rather frustrated with her unborn son for wanting to act up every time she got busy. “Since when did you become the boss around here?” Damn, she could have at least managed to put some conviction behind that. He smirked at her too; he knew she was done for.

“Since you decided to become some kind of Super Mom. You’re catching a break here,” Without warning or notice for her to protest, a pair of burly emerald arms scoop her out of the chair, cradling her to his chest as if she were the newborn, “so take it, and get some rest. The day won’t be wasted, I assure you.”

ChiChi’s protests were falling on deaf ears—purposefully, how could he not hear her yowling and complaining even if his ears weren’t superhuman? —as he meandered through the cottage, ducking down through the doorway of her bedroom. No, his arms did not hesitate to deposit her gently on the bed, and no, his gaze did not linger on the tiny puckered pout that had formed on her face during the trip. Not to mention, he definitely did not miss the warmth of her body curled against his chest, although it seemed that some of it had seeped through into him, his memories. Piccolo had minded that, though. He minded that one a lot.

“Thanks, you stubborn jerk. I’m pregnant not crippled, you had better get the right idea! But since you’re here, and you diiid offer…” ChiChi shifted to lean over to her bedside table, swiftly scribbling on the handy notepad she kept there. With a clean tear, she held the list up to her stoic helper, smile sweeter than honey. “Just a few things I had on my agenda today, nothing a big strong guy like you can’t handle, right?”

What had he gotten himself into? One hand rubbing his temple, he reached out and plucked the list from her fingers, giving it a once-over before snarling down at her. “What the hell, there’s at least thirty things to do on here! How could even you do this all in one day?”

“It’s called being a mother, you should try it sometime!”

“No thanks, I’m much more suited to meditating and training that brat of yours.”

“Call him that again and you won’t be training anyone anytime soon, especially either of my boys!” Once again, she had matched his expression, but for the life of him he couldn’t figure out how hers was so much more intimidating. Arms crossed in defeat, Piccolo crumbles the list in his grasp and glares down at her. “That’s more like it! But honestly, make up your mind, because I need all of that done today. Now, I can do it myself, or I can stay put, so what is it gonna be?” Another withering look is cast in his direction and he bit his tongue—she was obviously crabby but it wouldn’t do him any good to say so.

“Oh, damnit all woman, it’s a few menial chores and some heavy lifting. Don’t worry your chatty little head.” The former demon gave her a once over, picking up the far edge of the blanket and tossing it over her as if to make his point. “I’ll take care of the big stuff and pick up the br—Gohan, to finish the rest. Won’t take more than a few hours—long enough for you to take a nap. And bathe.” He didn’t need to crinkle nose to illustrate, but he did it anyway, just to see that cute enraged look on her face.

Wait, he didn’t mean cute, he meant…

His train of thought was cut short by a pillow to the face, and he can’t help the bark of laughter that escapes his mouth before he tosses it back. His cape swirled upon his exit, its swooshing not near loud enough to mask her searing remarks but he simply smirked to himself, and shut the door. If ChiChi wasn’t tuckered out before, she damn well had better be now. The same cape that helped him escape fluttered behind him in the breeze when he strode out of the cottage, pouring over the list once more; Piccolo had no regrets about putting her on bed rest for today, and no matter how standoffish he was, he could at least admit to himself that he was worried for her. Now, why exactly was a can of worms for another day... 

When was the last time the headstrong woman had been manhandled in such a fashion without her consent? ChiChi flopped back against her pillows and drew the blanket up to her chin, thinking of her late husband. Albeit careless sometimes, he had loved hoisting her up to grab things or spinning her around when he was elated about something. Sadness tinged the smile on her lips, fingertips brushing the swollen area of her stomach. She was unsure if Goku had even known about his second son before he died, and the thought turned her expression bitter. It didn’t matter now, anyway. Exhaustion was creeping up on her, and in the mist of sleep the image of Goku smiling down at his firstborn morphed into one of a fanged smile framed by green lips and a clawed hand jostled by the movements of another Saiyan child to come. Sorrow lost out to the content of an assured mother, but it was debatable whether she’d remember when she awoke.  

[weareautumncourt]

Monarch Profile:  Morgan, Queen of Ravens

Faceclaim: Jinxy

Full Name: Original unknown.  Also known as Morgan Corva Age: Appears early 40s Virtue: Fortitude Vice: Envy Kith: Roteater Seeming: Beast Mask: A tall woman of spare, forbidding beauty.  Her hair is long and deep black, though in bright light reflections of green and purple sometimes appear.  Her fingernails are always painted deep onyx black, and are long and extremely sharp.  She tends to dress in black to match - occasionally smart dress suits, but often elaborate formal gowns. Mien: Her hair gains a speckling of raven’s feathers, and her nose takes on the texture of a bird’s beak.  Her arms grow horned and gnarled like a bird’s legs, and her fingernails become true talons.  The feathers which usually line the collar of her dresses and gowns blend into her skin.  Her Mantle is the scent of a charnel field after a battle - blood and death and offal.  Her fingernails constantly drip phantom blood which disappears before touching the ground.  The light grows gray as though the day were overcast, regardless of the normal quality of the light.  Wherever she goes, regardless of what’s on the floor, each of her footsteps is accompanied by the sound of dry, crunching leaves. Her Reign: Morgan appeared in the Freehold several years ago, already powerful and well-versed in a number of Contracts.  She began campaigning to become Autumn Regent, running a brutal campaign of both propaganda and, where that was less than successful, the careful use of knives in the darkness.  The previous Autumn Monarch. a Fairest known as Bertram o’the Barley, disappeared the day before the Autumnal Equinox.  Morgan was crowned the next day.  

She has ruled through fear ever since.  She is an accomplished necromantress, using the power of Shade and Spirit to treat with ghosts.  She can also raise the corpses of the dead to do her bidding, using some unknown Contract or Token.  She prefers rotten corpses or those stripped to skeletons for this purpose.

Those who speak out against her still have a habit of disappearing.  It’s whispered (where she cannot hear) that she has tasked one of her loyal courtiers to serve as Gaoler, imprisoning her enemies despite the terrible toll such an action would take on the Clarity of prisoner and warden alike.  Some wonder whether this would be more terrible than being slain, then raised to become one of her “little friends.”

Despite the terror she spreads, she maintains the manner of a polite, almost motherly society woman in public.  Those with whom she speaks are “My dear,” or “Darling.”  She touches those with whom she speaks often, enjoying their discomfiture at the proximity of those razor-sharp talons.

Contracts: Darkness 5, Eternal Autumn 3, Fang & Talon 4 (corvids), Fleeting Autumn 5, Shade & Spirit 5, Vainglory 5, others.