FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Xenorosth was standing in a cave. There didn't seem to be any exit. It was dark except for the small torch in the center of the room. He walked toward the light, not sure what he should do. He grabbed the torch in his maw, and then started walking the edge of the cave.

To his surprise he found Flare. He was being bound by some shadow to the ground. He couldn't move. This time though, Flare's mouth was not bound. Why didn't he cry out? Xenorosth dropped the torched, causing it to go out. He couldn't figure out what next.

"Flare! You're okay!" Xenorosth exclaimed. He reached out his forepaw attempting to touch Flare's bound tail, but it went through it. He jerked back with a gasp.

"I'm dreaming again." Xenorosth quickly realized. He thought back to the time he saw Yamizephyr, but he couldn't hear, see, or feel him. He closed his eyes, thinking that if he tried to wake himself up, he would be able to do so. He opened his eyes, but the same scene was still there. This confused the hatchling. He had no time to figure out however, for he heard a rumbling in the far wall, opposite of him and Flare.

He watched the wall, realizing it wasn't a wall, but a door, probably with some sort of magic lock on it. It didn't surprise him when Yamizephyr appeared entered through the door. In fact, he half expected it.

"Father..." Xenorosth rumbled to himself. Not that it mattered how he said it. He couldn't be heard anyway. Not even if he shouted at the top of his lungs. He stood back watching him.

"So... You are the fire dragon who escaped." Yamizephyr growled. He was surprisingly calm. Xenorosth could only think that this was the silence before the storm. Or was Flare a treasure, or a tool to him? Either way, He didn't want to know. Unfortunately, he didn't how to wake himself up. It was inevitable to find out exactly what Yamizephyr was planning.

"That doesn't concern you." Flare mumbled back. It seemed he was trying to sound defiant, but his voice was too soft to make it convincing.

"Oh, it very much does. I know exactly how you escaped, and exactly who helped you." Yamizephyr quickly responded in his lowest, most dangerous voice. It was the same one that he used when Xenorosth was bound by his shadows by the lava pools. It sent shivers though both of them.

"So what if your son helped me escape! I can't help you find him now! He's going to make his own territory far, far from here. I don't know where. He never told me his ideas! Search my head all you want to! It will do you no good!" Flare hissed distastefully.

"I know it won't do me any good. You disappeared before Xenorosth could ‘rescue' you. Pity. Now you are at my mercy. You are lucky I have mercy." Yamizephyr let out a small chuckle. Xenorosth's ears perked. There was something he couldn't identify in it. It wasn't pure malice.

Flare's eyes rose in fury. "How can you say that? You chase your son to catch him and keep his as a pet! How is that mercy? If you had mercy you would leave him alone and not show your face to him ever again!"

Yamizephyr was obviously stung by this statement. That surprised Xenorosth. He clawed Flare's bound, right leg hard in punishment.

"How dare you speak like such in front of me! He is my son, not yours!" Yamizephyr almost roared.

"Really? He seems to be much closer to me then you." Flare retorted. Xenorosth pleaded in his head for Flare to just shut up. He was going to get himself killed.

That comment stung Yamizephyr worse then the first one. Xenorosth could see his rage in his eyes, however he noticed it vanish quickly. Perhaps he thought of a plan. Xenorosth gulped. He knew that if he did, then that would be trouble for him. When he had a plan, it normally caused trouble for him.

"Well then, tell me. Why do you think he does?" Yamizephyr asked curious. There was a sly grin on his face. Flare blink, not expecting such a reaction. He was baffled. Check.

"Well I can't say! I don't know his preferences." Flare carefully said. He obviously knew that he was on thin ice. But he evaded the verbal attack.

"You can't tell me? Do you think its because he has had time to get used to you? After all, you've known him longer then me." Yamizephyr smirked. Check again. Flare was obviously loosing this war or words.

"Well that isn't long enough. You know it takes a while to get to know someone." Flare evaded another attack, but Xenorosth knew that wording was faulty, and Yamizephyr would easily take advantage of it.

"Long enough? I know the hatchling inside and out! You can ask me anything about him. I will answer it and know I'm correct. The hatchling could be here right now and confirm it all. Sorry, but I don't think he likes you as much as you think." Yamizephyr grinned seeing the look on Flares face.

That shook Flare, "Of ... of course he likes me. B-but not like a father. I can't replace the hole in his heart you left when you taken away that parent. He needs you as a father; not a master."

Xenorosth felt a sinking feeling in him. On the outside he wanted to say he was fine. That his mother and Flare was enough. But Flare was right. No matter what, Xenorosth wanted that fatherly figure, and it couldn't be replaced by any amount of friendship. He sighed. The more he denied it, the more it hurt him. But he would keep doing so, just to make sure that no one thought he cared about that monster.

When that thought flew over him, the words that went between Flare and Yamizephyr seemed to just fade off into the distance. His own thoughts enveloped him. What if the thing that was making Yamizephyr go after him was that he thought he didn't care? That thought disturbed him. But there was no time to brood over it.

Xenorosth turned back to Yamizephyr and Flare. Flare seemed like he was about to break. Xenorosth knew he couldn't do anything. This was merely a dream. Wait... does that mean all these emotions were fake too? Too confusing. But whatever this was, it felt real.

"I'm tired of this. It's getting old, going in circles and circles with you red dragon. Its time to do what I came to." Yamizephyr growled. That caught Xenorosth's attention immediately. He looked over again, focusing on the two. He noticed Flare's eyes grow wider. Apparently he thought he was just being interrogated.

"From now on, shadows will run through your veins until I realize it from your body!" Yamizephyr roared. He started approaching Flare slowly, as if he was a predator ready to catch his meal of the day. Xenorosth was tempted to jump in between, but he knew that it wouldn't help anything. He would just go right through him.

Flare struggled viciously, but the shadows held him tight. Xenorosth tried to wake up, not wanting to see what would happen, but he couldn't once more. He gulped. He tried to close his eyes, but something was forcing him to watch every second of this torture.

Then, all of the sudden, Yamizephyr pounced Flare, pinning him. He put a fore claw on his neck trying to keep him still. Flare struggled a lot, but he quickly ran out of energy and took one moment to breath. That was all Yamizephyr needed.

"Got you!" He roared in triumph. He quickly gave Flare a deep a kiss. That was the last thing Xenorosth, and even Flare expected. A kiss? What was going on? Flare hissed and writhed again. Then it came clear.

There was a black aura coming off of Yamizephyr and seeping into Flare's scales.

"Shadows..." Xenorosth mumbled. Yamizephyr was using the shadows to subdue Flare.

Suddenly, Xenorosth felt something jerk him backwards hard. He woke up. He looked around blinking. Everything was the same. Same beach. Same ocean. Same moon. The fire was still slightly smoldering. The hatchling was panting hard. What a weird dream. Or was it a dream. He remembered how part of Yamizephyr's soul was in him. But he himself told Xenorosth that he didn't put enough in him to cause a significant influence on his thoughts.

Xenorosth was still drained. That nightmare seemed to cause his body to use up more energy then normal. He tried to get up, but his muscles were still weak. As soon as he put any weight on his fore claws he would fall over. He still needed rest. He submitted to his body's demands and curled up again. Sleep didn't come easy. He wanted to move. Take action! He couldn't sit here vulnerable for long. This was certain. His father always tracked him easily. Then again, he did teleport. That leaves no trace left.

Xenorosth looked up into the sky, and then looked to the ground. He summoned up another pile of wood and relit it with a small fire bolt. It made the fire roar and spring to life. Xenorosth watched it for a moment. It was interesting how it had its own unique beauty. Just like everything else in this world. Even someone who is sleeping. Speaking of, he needed to rest. He was drained. Physically and mentally. He would need to move out when he woke up. Simple as that. He would need to establish his own lair, somewhere far from here. But for now... sleep was a really nice idea right now.