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The sentry stood watch at the bow, right hand on the hilt of his sheathed rapier. He stood watch during the early hours of morning. He stood watch while dawn lightened the sky at the end of his vision, at the end of the world which lay before him. As he observed the slowly spreading of light across the sky and water, broken by the other ships, he shivered. For reasons felt and not seen, he gripped the rail in front of him to prevent his shaking knees from collapsing, but was unsuccessful in doing so. His fearful eyes widened even further as a blue serpentine head much larger than his own rose from the water and looked into his eyes.
"Call out your fleet commander." it said.
The minotaur stumbled away from the rail, clutching his throat as though with his hand he could force his clenched larynx to give way to the air he most vitally needed. Pulling himself up, the bull-man did his best to walk in a straight line, calmly, yet succeeded only in moving his body in a false, jerking effort. He disappeared below decks, only to reemerge with the ship's captain, who held a horn in his hand. Following them came most of the sailors as well.
The captain felt the same effects as the sentry had, as the rest of his crew did as well, but he and most of the other sailors managed to stand erect and steady, some even staring straight at the dragon beside them as though to try and prove to this great serpent that the crushing fear emanated by it was not great enough. The captain raised the horn to his lips and sounded a strong, clear blast, but the single note evaporated messily when the leader noticed something new.
The sky was moving! Specks of blue would appear from the darker west sky, only to fly to the clearer east and then double back. But there were so many!
As the sound tripped outward to the ships around it, minotaur emerged from all the vessels. One of them began to move towards the origin of the blast. This ship was no larger than the rest; it's only visible differentiating characteristic was the flag atop the mainmast. By the time it pulled next to the ship that had emitted the horn blast, the great blue snake had risen from the water and gone to join the rest of the sky-pieces. However, another, larger serpent had already descended to meet the new vessel.
Khellendros picked out the commander by the weapons and the position that the minotaur stood in relation to the rest of the crew members. He landed on the ship's forecastle, and directed himself to the commander.
"Welcome to Lon. Do you know what I am?"
"You are a dragon. One of my captains has just told me that he smelled fear radiating from you, and yet it was his own and not yours. I feel nothing of the sort." This proclamation from the female was made with curiosity, as though she had encountered a new kind of plant and was comparing what she had heard to what she saw.
"Sometimes the other races will feel fear when we are around. We do not always intend it. Tell me where you come from." Khellendros nonchalantly feigned interest in the ship, pretending he had never seen one up close.
The minotaur commander couldn't help staring at the dragon. This enormous creature had no fear of her or her crew. It just sat there, inspecting the rigging, the sails, anything it could see. Such an impressive being involved in such a mundane and innocent activity was just, wrong. The sharp teeth, the sharp claws, the blue scales that were more armor than skin, those yellow eyes. There was nothing innocent about the visage. But it just sat there, inquiring where she was from. It was unnatural.
"What is your name, dragon?"
The head swiveled to look right at her. "You may call me Storm. Who are you?"
"I am Taran Din-Rea, commander of the Thousand Vessels. And you are sitting on my ship."
"What are you here for, Taran Din-Rea?"
"I have brought my brethren east to conquer the undeserving peoples there, but there is something in the water which will not let us approach land."
Khellendros rose and spread his wings. "Come east with me and I shall help you with your conquest. The sea dwellers that disturbed you are insignificant. Fear them not." As he elevated himself into the air, he called to his lieutenant. "Streak! Escort them."
Streak called out to several other dragons and together they descended to glide alongside the fleet.
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A/N: What do you think of my impulses?
