1x1?

[shadow_claw]

It was a scale, then? That made sense. Aedus nodded sagely, interested in this information he was given. He knew very little about the world; accompanying Dwyer was the first real-world experiences he'd ever had. His lifetime up until now had been bits and pieces of information snagged by the passerby. It was incredibly freeing to be able to learn on his own terms. "You must be very important, then." Aedus decided. Why else would something so old seek the council of Dwyer?

[pudding]

Dwyer looked more shocked than anything else at this description of him and quickly shook his head, looking away from Aedus immediately. "No, certainly not," He replied with a small frown as he walked over to a dresser and began rummaging through it for a cloak for Aedus. Eventually finding a long, dark green one, he looked it over briefly before holding it out for Aedus to take. "Perhaps in the past, a long time ago. But now? Today? I'm just a relic."

[shadow_claw]

Aedus frowned at this, looking as if he was unconvinced. But the tone in Dwyer's voice kept him from arguing. Instead, he accepted the offered cloak and unfolded it. The green clothing was draped over his shoulders and tied, the hood pulled over his head. "Thank you. You've...done so much for me. I hardly even know you. Freeing me from my ma-the Fae, taking care of me...I will serve you happily." The boy's gratitude shone on his face. Nobody had ever treated him so well. It was...overwhelming. Only when his ears turned red did he look away. "I...um...why don't we get going."

[pudding]

Dwyer looked as though he wanted to argue that. He didn't need servants, after all. All he wanted from Aedus was companionship. Well, that was all he realistically knew he could get. His mind was hazy but he was still able to distinguish that Aedus was not what he wished him so desperately to be. And he couldn't be. He would never wish his state upon another, especially not one he cared so much about. "Very well," He replied, leading the way out of the castle and back to the swamp surrounding it. "So'reth does not live that far from here. We should be able to reach the halfway point by nightfall."

[shadow_claw]

((What are you implying Dwyer ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

 

He wants the booty and he can't deny it))

 

Grateful the subject had not been delved into further, Aedus followed quickly after the recently-named Dwyer. Although unsure of how he exactly arrived in the castle (okay, it wasn't a castle, but it sure looked like one from the outside), he didn't feel as if it was a good time to ask about these things. After all, they were going to visit a dragon!

 

He knew little about the beasts, other than what he had learned from the Fae. They were ancient creatures, arguably one of the first to appear in the world. As such, they are skilled in magic in ways most beings aren't. Every part of a dragon's body is useful for spells and potions alike. In fact, it was fabled that eating a dragon's heart would grant the best's abilities to its consumer. Not that anyone was lining up to slay dragons.

 

((Something bad should happen. ))

[pudding]

((You know what he's implying (¬‿¬)

Agreed. Dwyer could always have a problem. He's got so many issues as it is Aedus is going to figure them out eventually.

I did kind of want to wait a little for Aedus to adjust before revealing how messed up Dwyer is. He's super self conscious about it and would try to hold off on being revealed until the last possible second.

 

What do you think?))

 

 

[shadow_claw]

((Hm...That sounds like it's best saved for later.

 

We could have them bonding over a campfire. You know, setting up for camp and the two of them [just Aedus really] talking about his past and his worries and such [Aedus is a pretty chatty person]. I could roll with some fluff. ))

[pudding]

((So how about we do the campfire scene, then cut to the Wrym after that dies down a bit?

 

Or So'reth could get impatient and just track them down in the night.

 

I do like the campfire idea, though. It gives Dwyer a chance to awkwardly sidestep every attempt to learn more about him.))

[shadow_claw]

((So'reth is old and patient, much like Dwyer. He's spent most of his life waiting for his daddy to return; a day's wait won't kill him.

 

remind me later I have a ton of art to show you about this.

 

But yes, camping. As a warning: Aedus is a cuddler.))

[pudding]

((Oh my god this is going to be hilarious.

 

I just imagine Dwyer waking up in the middle of the night out of a dead sleep. And he's a little delirious for a moment and then he realizes that, at some point during the night, Aedus has moved from his 'side' of the dirt to right up against Dwyer's leg. And he's got his arms completely wrapped around him and Dwyer values his personal space so much but he just can't bring himself to wake up Aedus and push him away so he just stiffly lays there until morning. And Aedus is super refreshed after sleeping while Dwyer just slowly climbs to his feet, packs up the camp and trudges off with even more bags under his eyes.))

 

When the sun began to set, Dwyer decided they had gone far enough and suddenly stopped. Setting the small bag he had carried with them on the ground, he rumaged through it before pulling out several blankets that seemed far too large to fit in the bag in the first place. Setting one down for Aedus, he silently unfolded his own and set it down on the ground where he decided he was going to sleep before standing upright. Walking a few paces from the bag, he lifted his hand and glanced briefly at the numerous rings on his fingers before selecting a particular one and twisting it. Immediately, a small fire appeared in his hand, which he dropped on the ground. Growing no larger than a small fist and not requiring any flames to keep burning, the small blue fire flickered on the ground, providing a surprising amount of light to the area. "Are you hungry?" Dwyer finally asked, clearly not a talkative one, as he turned to look at Aedus.

[shadow_claw]

When Dwyer stopped, Aedus did as well. He was groomed his entire life to be a follower instead of a leader, and it showed. He struggled to initiate conversation while the two had walked, and when he did, it was about the work ahead. Not only this, but he was silent any other time. Aedus had learned over his lifetime that complaining was dangerous.

 

To the young man's surprise, Dwyer simply set up camp. His hands immediately went to the axe at his hip (being it was his only real possession). He could be useful! It would take no time at all to hack off a few branches for a fire. Dwyer, however, had other things in mind. Aedus flinched away at the sudden creation of fire, eyeing the flames with both fear and suspicion. Only once he was certain nothing bad would happen did he settle down onto his blanket.

 

At the mention of food, he perked up immediately. He lifted his gaze to Dwyer, his golden eyes round with excitement. "I...yes. I can gather us something." Immediately after speaking did Aedus rise to his feet. He was accustomed to doing work. Being tasked with only travelling was both new and moderately distressing.

[pudding]

"Oh, you don't need to do that," the god replied, turning back to the bag and rummaging around in it some more. Shifting items aside, he pulled out a few bowls made of clay and set them on the ground before pulling out a massive pot that clearly should not have been able to fit in the bag at all. Setting the pot down, he began adding the contents of several small vials to it before twisting another ring around his finger, this one blue. Water splashed into the pot, filling it up about halfway before Dwyer decided that was fair enough and set the pot down on top of the fire. The flames wavered briefly but held strong and licked around the edges of the pot. Satisfied with this, Dwyer lifted the bag and moved the few paces back to his blanket before placing the bag on the ground and sitting down beside it."When I travel, I do not disturb the land around me. I make sure to bring all of my own supplies so that my presence does not become a burden to the creatures that live here." He didn't comment on Aedus cutting down the branches of a tree. After all, how could he had known? "I hope you enjoy soup."

[shadow_claw]

As expected, Aedus was quickly pink beneath his scales. His ears burned the same color, but were plainly visible. Although he had only gotten one hack into a tree branch, when he lowered the axe, the whole section of that tree fell onto the ground. Ears angling backwards, the boy shuffled back to his seat and sat down. His eyes remained on the fire for quite some time, his expression shameful. It had been a long time since he had messed up so badly, and he wasn't taking it well upon the mention of food, his doleful gaze drifted to Dwyer. "I don't...I'm sorry." He muttered, immediately looking back down.

[pudding]

"Don't apologize," Dwyer replied gently as he crossed his legs. Even while sitting and clearly attempting to relax, something seemed stiff about his entire being. He was no edge about something, as if a thought was nagging him constantly in the back of his mind. But whatever was troubling him he didn't comment on. "My reasons for attempting to not change the environment I step into are my own and I won't force you to conform to them. You are a part of the world and you should not feel remorse from your actions, just as a bird does not feel remorse for eating a worm. Take pride in yourself and realize that everything is connected and, in the end, nothing will be wasted."

[shadow_claw]

Although Dwyer's words were soothing, Aedus didn't seem comforted by this. Instead, his eyes remained glued to the fire. It upset him massively to think that he had done the exact opposite of what Dwyer had wanted. Tears welled in his eyes at the notion of disappointment. So, for quite some time, he was silent.

 

((ehhh it's sort :/))

[pudding]

Dwyer closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath. His arms rested in his lap as he resigned to his own thoughts in the dimly-lit forest. Not being around others for some time meant he wasn't really aware of how Aedus was feeling. His silence wasn't seen as something that unusual. Out of the scramble of his mind, however, a small voice spoke up in a silvery voice.

When are you going to tell him?

Twitching slightly, Dwyer tried to ignore the voice in his head, trying to push it back down inside his head. But now that it was there, the small voice wasn't so easily cast aside. Instead, it pushed back against him, speaking in the same small, weary voice.

Are you going to hide it from him too?

Shaking faintly, Dwyer didn't notice as the pot of soup began to boil in the pot. His hands curled into fists as he began to sweat slightly.

[shadow_claw]

It was only the soft roar of boiling soup that pulled Aedus out of his trance. By now, his crying had stopped, leaving his face shiny with tears. Immediately did he leap up at the mess, lunging forward and snatching the pot from the flames. He was usually one for rash decisions when in a panic, and this was no different. With a squeal, Aedus dropped the pot almost as soon as he picked it up. Although his hands hurt quite a lot, he seemed much more upset at the idea of ruining Dwyer's hard work than his own injuries.

 

"I-I'm sorry..." He sniffled. The tears quickly returned, this time a mix of both pain and embarrassment. And, as if unsure what to do, he hurriedly tried to fix what he had done. The pot was taken into now trembling hands, and was repeatedly attempted to return to its place above the fire. How...had he done that? It wasn't working! "I-I'll fix it! P-Please give me another ch-chance!"

 

 

[pudding]

The noise Aedus made and the rattle as the pot fell to the ground startled Dwyer out of his trance. Snapping forwards immediately, he planted his hands on the ground as he took a few startled breaths. Looking up quickly, he noticed Aedus and the pot and scrambled to his feet, ignoring the pot in favor of trying to grab ahold of Aedus's hands. "What are you doing?" He yelled, looking down at his hands. "You're going to hurt yourself!"

How can you pretend to care about him when you won't be honest with him? Didn't you promise not to lie?

"You did hurt yourself!" Dwyer replied, scowling up at Aedus.

Edited November 7, 2015 by pudding

[shadow_claw]

Aedus's response was only as expected. He recoiled at Dwyer's words, flinching as if he had been struck. The panic in the man's gaze quickly devolved into sheer terror as the god raised his voice. Both hands curled into tight fists and, as if on instinct, he attempted to jerk them away. "I-I didn't!" His lie was both obvious and heartbreaking to hear. For reasons that were somewhat obvious to those who knew him, he was mortified by any form of negativity. In an instant, he collapsed in a fit of sobs. Hysteria had him gasping for air between desperate apologies and violent sobs.

Edited November 7, 2015 by shadow_claw

[pudding]

Dwyer all too quickly reeled back when Aedus suddenly pulled away from him, the hands easily slipping from his grasp. Taking a small step backwards as Aedus collapsed onto the ground in hysterics, his green eyes went wide and he found himself winded at a horrible realization.

He's afraid of you The voice in his head whispered, it's soft tone growing more confident and possibly even gleeful at the realization. Breathless, the god clutched at his chest, quickly pulling out the necklace he wore and clutching at the stone, banishing the voice away to the back of his mind where it belonged, ignoring the faint curses and promises of it's return. When he focused back on Aedus, his expression eased slightly as he remained distant, refusing to draw closer to him.

"I am sorry," He whispered, looking ashamed. He couldn't do this. Not like this. Looking at Aedus, he hesitantly gripped the necklace then frowned and turned away. "I can't do this. I'm not meant to be around others. When we get to So'reth, you...you should stay with him instead."

[shadow_claw]

Things only seemed to worsen from there. Aedus hysteria worsened at Dwyer's words, the young man's sobs making it nearly impossible for him to breathe. No...No! He couldn't leave! He didn't want to! When he looked up, his blind eye was glowing brilliantly. For a moment, he fell still. Although it appeared as if he had calmed down, it was quite the opposite. When he spoke, another voice sounded behind his own. Although their messages differed somewhat, the meaning held.

"I-I don't want t-to be alon-ne."

"I still love you..."

As soon has he had finished speaking, Aedus fell limp onto the ground. Not that it was a very far fall to start with. He sniffled wearily, curling up on his blanket. He didn't want to live with a dragon. He didn't want to leave with another stranger! At least he knew a little about Dwyer!

[pudding]

Dwyer turned away from Aedus, refusing to look at him as he threw what could only be described as a fit. Patient as he was, the sobs and tears from behind him served to only harden his heart. This was even more of a reason for Aedus not to be near him. He needed to learn to be strong and clearly, around him, some part of Aedus was too caught up in his emotions. Old emotions that were too dangerous to be there in the first place. It wasn't safe for either of them to be close to one another. Clearly, So'reth would be the next best individual to teach Aedus.

"You aren't alone," Dwyer replied softly, sitting back down on his own blanket with his back turned to Aedus. "Just....go to sleep," He added, skipping dinner altogether as he settled down for the night.

[shadow_claw]

Aedus didn't sleep. At least, not restfully. He kept waking up in a cold sweat, his face wet with fresh tears. It was only when he felt enveloped in a comforting presence was he able to settle down. A hazy comfort settled over him as a shimmering figure slowly wrapped itself around the young man. It was only the next morning did he realize that his fuzzy dream was a reality.

 

---

 

So'reth had always been a dragon of the paternal sort. Although he fathered no children, he was often one to raise hatchlings that had been abandoned. In fact, he had a certain...sensitivity to other children of the sun. Some time in the middle of the night, the Wyrm visited Dwyer's small camp and coiled himself around the restless Aedus. Not only did his body make a excellent shield for the elements, but he was pretty warm too.

 

When Aedus awoke, a pair of golden eyes stared down at him. Indeed, So'reth was a formidable sight. Roughly 75 yards long (3/4 a football field, for those unwilling to count), his head alone was the size of a horse. In the tight coils the old beast had formed around Aedus, his shelter for the young hybrid could easily be perceived as a prison. Three pairs of thick, chubby legs occasionally peeked through the coils, sticking out rather comically. Although a generally peaceful beast, the left side of So'reth's mouth had long since been sliced open, revealing a few large teeth and a corded scar. Rumbling softly, he slowly uncoiled himself so Aedus could escape.

 

"What troubles you so, child?" Momentarily did So'reth raise his head to glance at the sleeping god nearby. They would speak when he was ready. When Aedus mumbled something dismissively, the dragon clicked his tongue.

"I can feel the sorrow in your heart. You cannot lie to one as old as myself."

[pudding]

Dwyer managed to not notice as the massive dragon landed in the clearing. Remaining turned over on his side, the god had retreated back into his mind. As a technically immortal creature, he did not require sleep. It was only his current state that he found required rest and food like mortal creatures. As such, he never really developed the capacity to dream. Instead, the god simply retreated into his mind. Usually, he spent this time meditating or sorting through the day's events manually, but this time, he found his way to a nice sleep was blocked by a familiar presence in his head.

You're not welcome here, The god hissed, responding to the presence with negativity and aggression right away. The form in his mind responded with a calming, sweet response.

You know as well as I there isn't a place on this world that I can't go, The voice responded, giving on a feeling that could only be described as a smile. The form was faceless, more like a mass of murky liquid floating around in his mind, but it still managed to give off strange sensations that felt like expressions.

Suddenly, the foreign creature in his head swarmed forward, coiling itself around his conscious and dragging him down further into his own mind. You can't keep me out for long. I'll come back one way or another and when I do, you'll be sorry!" Surprisingly releasing him suddenly, the force slapped Dwyer out of his own mind, forcing him awake with a loud gasp. Coughing, he rolled onto his stomach and managed to yank down his scarf just in time to throw up on the blanket he had been sleeping on.

[shadow_claw]

It was So'reth that was the one to notice Dwyer vomit. The dragon's eyes narrowed at the pile of vomit, before he stiffened. Instantly did he coil himself around Aedus again, bristling to protect him. Any creature old enough knew the black substance the god had coughed up. It was a cursed liquid, dooming whomever who had come in contact with it. Growling softly, So'reth bared a formidable set of teeth.

 

"You have lied to me." The beast stated, his tone displeased. He slithered forward, keeping his fortress on Aedus high enough for the boy to remain trapped. His first pair of legs became visible, revealing human-like hands with serrated claws. So'reth rose up, much like a cobra would, staring disdainfully down at the once-mighty god. "It seems you forget how dangerous a lie like this is. You forget much because you cannot bear the loss. I took the burden of memory out of pity."

 

Although a powerful creature, the dragon wasn't one for violence. His preference was words. But he lunged forward nonetheless, stopping inches before Dwyer. His lips curled back, revealing glistening white teeth. A deep snarl rumbled throughout his body, and smoke rose from his nostrils. "I, too, loved Pallian. They were my father, my teacher. I took on the grief you could handle so you would not destroy yourself. And you endanger this world once more by spawning chaos once more. Your bitterness and hatred of the very world you made will doom us all!

 

The Great Wyrm's rage was small compared to what he deserved. It was difficult, harboring enough pain and suffering for two. Especially when one of them was infinite. But he did so because it would devastate the Moon otherwise. Losing both creating deities would doom the world to chaos's grip when the beast returned. The sun's way was one of illuminating the fture, and that was what So'reth did. "And what of this dracon you carry along your travels? Is it your intention to plague the world once more?