Hey y'all! We're back~! So sorry it took us so long to post Chapter 5.
Also, we hope you don't mind but we decided to change the rating to M… Yes that means there will be sex scene.
ItalianCrybaby: Arthur
Yamiyo. Darknight: Alfred, Matthew, all the other awesome dragons that appear in this chapter. ;D
So here's chapter 5~!
Arthur awoke feeling slightly confused. He blinked open his eyes to the bright morning light.
Morning? Arthur thought to himself with a groan. So much for a short nap.
Even though Arthur had slept through the whole night, he still felt a bit sleepy. He was never a morning person so it was normal for him to feel this way. What wasn't normal was the extra weight he felt on his waist. Arthur turned his head and looked to find that Alfred's arm draped over him and on further inspection he found the young dragon fast asleep.
Arthur smiled at Alfred's sleeping face, but his smile vanished when he remembered his conversation with Alfred the night before. He had almost forgotten about the Elders. Arthur didn't think a meeting sounded like a bad idea at the time, but now that he had a full nights rest and was fully recovered he started to realize how dangerous a meeting with them could be.
Arthur sighed and carefully maneuvered himself out of Alfred's grasp; cautiously making sure the other did not awake. He didn't want to wake the dragon just yet. He wanted to have some time alone to gather his thoughts.
Looking over himself, Arthur grimaced when he noticed that there was dry blood on his clothes. Arthur glanced around the cave to see if Alfred had a water basin to clean with but found none. Instead he heard the faint sound of rushing water coming from outside the cave.
Arthur looked back at the sleeping dragon once more and decided it would be alright to leave the cave for just a moment.
The rushing water doesn't sound too far away from the cave. Arthur thought to himself. I'm sure I'll be back before Alfred wakes up. With that final thought Arthur quietly made his way out of the cave.
Alfred woke shortly after Arthur had left, rubbing his eyes tiredly. He felt like he'd just been punched all over by his brother or something. Man, he usually never felt this sore, so why now?
He sat up and yawned, then looked around. His eyes widened when everything came rushing back to him. Where was Arthur?!
He stood up quickly, feeling light headed when he did so. He stumbled a bit before turning around frantically to try and find his knight. "Arthur?!" He called out worriedly.
Not getting a response, he paused, trying to think where he could've gone. He didn't get taken...Did he? He caught Arthur's scent and realized that he'd gone deeper into the cave.
He followed the scent down the tunnel, keeping his eyes peeled for the blonde as he continued to call out for him.
Arthur was relieved to find a small stream not too far away from Alfred's cave. Arthur had already cleaned his clothes as best as he could and left them out to dry while he soaked in the brook.
He washed away the remaining blood and found that his wound was completely healed. All that was left was a faint pink line where the arrow had pierced him.
Arthur felt a chill run down his spine. The scar was a reminder of how close to death he was and the danger that Alfred was put in because of the former knight's people.
Arthur blamed himself for this mess that they had gotten themselves into. If he hadn't dropped those scales then no one in the kingdom would have known about Alfred and they wouldn't have set up that stupid event and Alfred wouldn't have been in any danger.
Arthur continued to think in deep thought and failed to hear Alfred calling for him.
Alfred frowned when he continued to have no response. Why wasn't Arthur responding to his name? Had something really happened to him?
In a panic, Alfred started to run, hoping nothing bad had happened to his knight again. He didn't want to lose him. Especially after the fright he'd gotten the day before.
He followed the scent trail and finally came cross the blonde at a stream in the cave.
"Arthur!" He exclaimed, relieved to see he was okay... Even if he happened to practically be nude.
His face went a deep red when he finally realized it, and slapped his hands over his eyes. "Why weren't you answering me?!"
"Bloody hell Alfred!" Arthur yelped in surprise by Alfred's sudden appearance. He sank lower into the stream and wrapped his arms around himself in an attempt to cover himself. "I didn't hear you calling. I thought you were asleep!" Arthur's face quickly turned just as red as Alfred's from the awkwardness of the situation.
"I WAS asleep!" Alfred protested, voice becoming squeaky. "But then I woke up and I saw you were gone so I thought you got taken or something! So then I followed your scent here but I didn't know that you'd be-" he didn't continue the sentence, face deepening in color.
"Well my clothes were filthy after what happened yesterday. I couldn't stay in those bloody garments." Arthur tried explaining anxiously. "Just… turn around while I put my clothes on."
He was thankful that Alfred had politely covered his eyes, but he still felt very self conscious and wanted to make sure Alfred was turned the other way before he got out of the stream.
Alfred didn't bother to protest, already feeling horribly embarrassed for walking in on him the way he did. So he turned around, still covering his eyes just in case.
Once Alfred had turned around, Arthur quickly jumped out of the stream and put on his slightly damp clothes.
"You can look now." Arthur announced when he was finished. His face was still red from feeling embarrassed about Alfred finding him that way.
Alfred reluctantly let his hands drop back to his sides to clench slightly. He turned back to Arthur with a weak smile, still very much embarrassed. "Um...so you're feeling better now right?" He asked shyly.
"Yes, the potion did its job. I'm fully recovered now." Arthur answered as he unconsciously rubbed the scar. He was happy that the conversation had changed to something else. "How are you fairing?"
"Well," Alfred started, "I'm still a bit sore from the chains and all. Metal really digs into ya, you know?" He stretched his arms up and winced. There were darkened marks on his skin where the chains had been digging into his arms as a dragon.
Arthur flinched when he saw Alfred's wounds. They looked painful and it grieved Arthur to see his dragon bruised.
"I'm so sorry you had to go through that." Arthur mumbled quietly. He reached out and lightly traced his hands across a particularly nasty mark on Alfred's arm. He examined it carefully before speaking again. "I don't have anything to heal your wounds, but if we head back to your cave I can use a spell that will prevent you from feeling any of the pain."
"Yea! I'd really like that!" Alfred said with an enthusiastic nod. "It'll be easier to move if I can't feel the pain." He smiled warmly at Arthur. "And don't apologize. None of this is your fault." He reached a hand out and ruffled the knight's hair. "So don't worry. I heal fast."
"Alright." Arthur half heartedly swatted Alfred's hand away from his hair. (He didn't want to let Alfred know he liked the gesture.) But he smiled when he saw that Alfred's overenthusiastic behavior had returned. It took away some of the guilt Arthur felt. He grabbed Alfred's hand and started leading him back to the cave. "Come along then. The sooner we get back the sooner we can patch you up and talk about this 'meeting with the Elders'."
Yea, I'm worried that we might get attacked by them though. Alfred wanted to say. He didn't. He wasn't sure what Arthur would say to that. He knew Arthur wouldn't attack his kin unprovoked, and probably even if he was provoked. He didn't have a cold heart.
Alfred wasn't sure how everything was going to go. He hadn't been killed by the humans, so did that mean he'd still be in trouble?
Or would they think he'd attacked the humans in self defense? Although, he had been sealed and unable to move. So what would that mean to the elders?
Arthur noticed Alfred's thoughtful expression but didn't comment on it. He knew Alfred must be worried about talking to the Elders. Arthur didn't blame him. He himself was still worried about standing before a roomful of dragons. But there must be someway to persuade them. Even if they could have one other dragon on their side, maybe it would be enough to make the others consider their idea for peace.
They continued to walk, both of them in deep thought. As they were about to enter Alfred's cave, Arthur stopped suddenly and tightened his hold on Alfred's hand.
"Alfred, did you hear something?" Arthur questioned quietly. He turned to face the dragon with a quizzical look.
Alfred stopped in his tracks, also hearing something. He put a finger to his lips to tell Arthur to keep silent and quietly made his way forward. He peeked around the tunnel's wall and was very much surprised to see his brother there.
"Mattie?" He called out, surprising the other. He walked out into full view to make sure he wasn't just seeing things. "Why are you here?"
"I should be asking you that," Matthew answered rather bitterly, having recovered from his initial shock of seeing his supposedly dead brother. "Didn't the humans kill you?"
"They tried." Alfred answered honestly, tone softening. "But Arthur saved me from them."
Matthew seemed skeptical. "Saved you? I'm sure he 'saved' you just so he could keep your scales to himself. He doesn't love you Alfred. No human is capable of loving a dragon. They are greedy and wish to use us for what we have."
Arthur meant to stay hidden as Alfred tried to talk to who he could only assume was Alfred's brother, but hearing these accusations immediately made the human's blood boil.
"How dare you!" Arthur bellowed as he bolted around the corner to face the intruding dragon. Although he knew it was foolish to stand before a moody dragon unarmed, he was feeling very offended and his pride wouldn't let him back down. He glared at the other dragon defiantly. "I don't know who you think you are Mattie, but how dare you accuse my love for Alfred being false. I'd never do anything for my own selfish gain to someone as kindhearted as Alfred."
Matthew's eyes widened again in surprise as Arthur joined the conversation but he quickly narrowed them and he scowled. "You say that, but any human can lie!" He retorted sharply. "We've been hunted by your kind for ages. Some have been fooled by words of kindness and killed. We have since then learned not to trust your stupid lies." He stepped up to Arthur, prodding him harshly on the chest. "You have no rights here, human! Especially since you're a descendant of the one who started the slaughters!"
"That doesn't mean he's bad!" Alfred cut in, shoving his brother away angrily. "He's never done anything bad to me and he almost DIED saving me! I didn't want anything to happen to him so I saved him! He wouldn't lie to me! And he certainly wouldn't use me for his own gain!" He stood defensively in front of Arthur, arms crossed over his chest. "So don't you dare slander him!"
Arthur gently put a hand on Alfred's shoulder and moved to stand next to him. He gave a Alfred a soft but stern look, hoping that Alfred would understand that Arthur didn't want him coming in between him and Matthew. Arthur was touched by Alfred's defensiveness over him, but he didn't want to look like he was cowering behind the dragon for protection. He didn't want to give Matthew anymore reason to doubt his morals.
Alfred backed down slightly, but only because Arthur was telling him to. He wasn't happy that his brother was trying to make Arthur feel bad about himself.
"Yes… my family is responsible for starting the horrid act of slaying your kind." Arthur spoke solemnly as he turned his attention back to Matthew. "It's a fact that I am ashamed of but you must believe me when I say I'm trying to right the wrong that was made. Alfred and I are trying to stop this hate and act if killing between our kind." Arthur's voice grew stronger the more he spoke, even though he was trembling lightly trying to keep his composure. "You may not like me or my people, but I know you must be just as tired as I am of all these unnecessary killings. So many good dragons and humans have been killed in this feud. Don't you want all this fighting to stop?"
Matthew was unhappy about being rebuked by both of the other males. He scowled when Arthur did not retreat and also rebuked him for what he'd done. "I don't not like the fighting or slaughtering of either side. But I do not feel that humans can be even called good now. They are too selfish." He muttered, not willing to back down.
"Well, I'll admit that not all people are good. But the same can be said about dragons." Arthur stated. "No offense, but you did turn in your own brother to the Elders when he had done nothing wrong. Your brother could have died and you would've been partly to blame for that!" Arthur stated harshly. He didn't like the dragon before him. This dragon should have been more supportive of his brother but instead he put Alfred in danger. "If I judged dragons by just your actions then I would believe you all to be cold hearted creatures. But I look at Alfred and I know you are all better than that. So don't go judging all of my people for others crimes. Help us make peace. You'll see that there are many good humans and together we can stop the bad from committing anymore crimes against your kind."
Matthew flinched at the accusation and he growled. "That's the rules of our kin! If you commit a treason against our kind, against the rules that were instilled by our Elders, then you will be punished as such!" He snapped angrily. "You humans have your customs and we have ours!" Tears started to build up in his violet eyes. "Do you think I LIKED taking him to where his fate would surely be bad?! No! I didn't! I hated what they did to him! But there were rules put in place for a reason and so I obeyed them! Don't talk down to me like you're all noble and perfect because you're not!"
"I know I'm not perfect and I've spent my whole life trying to achieve my family's vision of noblility and tried to follow their traditions." Arthur replied. "I've gone by there rules for far too long and only after meeting Alfred did I understand that their rules were wrong… and some rules are meant to be broken for the ones you love."
Matthew went silent, expression showing that he was clearly conflicted by what the knight was saying. "You would betray your kin for him?" he asked Arthur quietly.
"Yes." Arthur answered immediately. "I'd do anything for Alfred."
Matthew didn't say anything in reply and stepped back towards the knight, glaring at Alfred when he tried to intervene. "I'm not going to do anything bad to him," he said flatly. He turned back to Arthur and his expression was just as flat as the tone he'd just had. . . at least until he hugged Arthur. He smiled softly and pulled away. "I'm glad then, that you are willing to stake your own life for him." He paused and sighed before stepping away, ignoring Alfred's flabbergasted look. "My brother is an idiot, but if you are willing to stay with him anyways, then I am grateful."
He bowed his head in apology. "I did not mean to put you on edge, but I did not know whether or not I could trust you." The violet-eyed dragon crossed his arms. "I have been wondering about our rules for a while now. Ever since Alfred came into contact with you and said that people were not truly bad, and then was saved by you… I've begun to doubt that what we've been living by is right. If you need to speak with the Elders, then I will guide you there."
Arthur was just as surprised as Alfred was by Matthews actions. But it caused the knight to smile with gratitude and relief. "Thank you Matthew. I can't tell you how much your support means to us."
"That's great bro!" Alfred cheered, pouncing on his brother to hug him. "I'm glad you're finally seeing the light!"
Matthew rolled his eyes and shoved Alfred off. "Don't act like that." He dusted himself off and then frowned. "I must warn you both. The Elders are on High Alert right now and I know they're going to try and attack you if they see you alive in their presence. Even if we work together Al, at best we could pin down one of them. At best. And even then, we'd likely be horribly injured or half-dead. They're very protective of each other, so we can't fight them. It's impossible."
"But they won't listen to me either. You saw how it went last time." Alfred argued. "They're not going to just let some hatchlings like us just start dismissing the rules we've been going by for all these years."
"Then how about I confront them myself?" Arthur inquired.
"Absolutely not!" both dragons exclaimed at the same time.
Arthur jumped slightly in surprise by the two brothers exclamation. He didn't expect them to be so put off by his idea.
"You'd get killed!" Alfred fretted, blue eyes shining with worry. "They'd definitely not listen to you!"
"He's right. Alfred almost died trying to tell them about you last time. Having you there in person would just make it worse." Matthew agreed. "They'd try to kill you for sure."
"Sorry, I didn't think of that." Arthur replied before turning to Matthew. "Do you have any suggestions on what we should do?"
Matthew moved over to sit on a rock, before giving a sigh. "Well, honestly, I can't say there's much we can do, other than to hope that if we can convince others to support us. If we can prove to them that there is a type of human that does not mean them harm, then perhaps they will listen. But I don't know how we can get them to listen. . ." He paused and his eyes widened with a sudden idea. He looked up at Alfred, thoughts seeming to be running quickly through his mind. "Alfred. . ." He stood up and grabbed his brother and dragged him off to talk to him, out of Arthur's ear shot.
Arthur furrowed his eyebrows as he watched Matthew pull Alfred away. He wasn't sure if he should be worried or not, but he respected their privacy and stayed were he was.
There was some murmuring and Alfred seemed to be surprised and then very much confused. Matthew sighed, giving a shrug before walking back over to where Arthur was, a determined look in his eyes. "I've got an idea. I cannot say if it will work well, but it may be the only way we can get you into the meeting without you being immediately attacked." He said. "Are you willing to listen?"
"Of course." Arthur leant forward in interest. "What did you have in mind?"
"Alright. As I'm sure you know, dragons are very capable of using the ability of transformation," Matthew began, gesturing to himself and his brother. "However, what Alfred (I'm sure) failed to tell you, is that we can transform others as well. It's a difficult process, but if it's successful, then it would be a very convincing form." He figured Arthur understood but decided to elaborate for his brother, who seemed to still be lost. "In other words, we can use that ability to turn you into a dragon temporarily. That way, we could get you into the meeting, get our message in to the elders. . .and go from there."
"That's brilliant!" Arthur marveled. He didn't realize how far advanced the dragons were on their transfiguration magic and he grew excited at the prospect of learning more about it. "I'm willing to go with this plan."
"Very well then." Matthew consented. "If you're willing to go along with this with your own will, then I will assist you. This process will need some spell casting as well as potion-making. So we need to go to a facility where we can utilize as many ingredients as we can."
"Well, there's the place where I learned potions at. We could go there, couldn't we Artie?" Alfred chirped.
"We have all the ingredients you could need for any potion there." Arthur nodded. "It shouldn't be too far away from here."
"Good. We should head out there now then," Matthew said. "The sooner the better. I don't want to let this wait too long, or else I fear that things may go wrong."
"Why?" Alfred asked, lost.
"Because our kin is contemplating attacking the humans in an 'finish-all' fight." Matthew said in a solemn tone. "It hasn't been decided yet, but if we don't hurry, then everything is going to go wrong."
Arthur froze at Matthew's words. He stared unbelieving at the other dragon and panic set in his chest. "No." Arthur spoke barely above a whisper. He spoke louder and said, "No! They can't do that." He turned quickly to Alfred and hoped he didn't look on the brink of being hysterical. "Alfred, we have I hurry. We can't let them do this."
"Like I said, they haven't decided on anything yet. That's why we have to hurry now before they do decide on something." Matthew cut in sharply, not allowing Alfred a chance to say anything. The blonde shifted into his dragon form and stretched before gesturing for Arthur and Alfred to climb on his back.
"Why can't I just fly too?" Alfred demanded, sulking.
"Because if any of the others see you then it'll be trouble." Matthew hissed, shoving Alfred with his snout.
"Fine!" Alfred sighed, pouting.
Arthur quickly climbed on first then offered a hand to assist Alfred.
Alfred climbed on behind Arthur and wrapped an arm tightly around Arthur's middle before letting his brother know that they were okay to go. The violet dragon stepped over to the entrance before leaping off the edge, wings spread widely to catch thermals in the wind.
Alfred squeaked as they dropped, his hold tightening on Arthur. He wasn't used to being on another dragon's back. He was used to being the one flying, so this was not something he was enjoying.
It didn't take long for Matthew to find the run-down building with Alfred's instructions and he landed softly on the grass. He settled onto his belly, letting the pair off his back before going back to his human form. "I know the ingredients we're going to need and the preparations for the potion. You're both going to have to follow them exactly, otherwise this potion will become a poison." He warned.
Arthur nodded in understanding. He grasped Alfred's hand, he trusted Alfred and knew they could make the potion correctly. Together. "Alright, what do you need us to do?"
Alfred smiled at Arthur, knowing that he'd be okay if he had him to help. "We're ready to get to work."
Matthew nodded and stalked into the building, making sure the other two were keeping up with him. "Listen well. This will require rare ingredients that would otherwise be unavailable to anyone not close to a dragon."
"You mean like dragon scales?" Arthur inquired. He followed Matthew and listened intently to his words.
"Not just dragon scales," Matthew replied, violet eyes glum. "We will be using Dragon's Blood as well. I should warn you now, the substance is very acidic and will burn a human's skin."
Alfred frowned and looked away, brows furrowed. "Dragon's blood can also reject the body it's consumed by, should it happen."
"Which would mean that, if rejected, that body would (in the best scenario) would suffer imaginable pain." Matthew explained. "Worst case scenario, it would disintegrate."
Arthur would have been lying if he said the thought of drinking Alfred's acidic dragon blood didn't bother him. But he wouldn't let anymore fear set in. He had to do this not only for Alfred but for his people. Arthur closed his eyes and took a quavering breath before looking back at Matthew. "Alright, what other ingredients do you need?"
"The scales and blood will be provided by both of us," Matthew said. "Mine will give you the form, Alfred's will give you the stability and lessen the risk of your being rejected. Other than that, we are going to need minerals of amethyst and sapphire. We're then going to need mint and some sugar (since the finished product will taste pretty awful)."
Arthur quickly ran off to gather the ingredients needed for the potion. He used a spell to break open a cupboard that held the rare minerals and took what they needed. The mint and sugar were easier to get a hold of (they were in jars perched upon a shelf). Lastly, Arthur grabbed a silver dagger. He winced as he held it in his hand, knowing what it was about to be used for.
He placed the items on a table before Alfred and Matthew and waited for further instructions. "What do I do now?"
"First, we're going to need to boil some water." Matthew started.
Alfred took over that part and got the water for the cauldron to be heated and lit it.
"Alright, now while we wait for it to boil, I need you two to crush those gem stones." Matthew said. He looked at Arthur. "Although, you might just want to leave that to Alfred. I don't think you can crush them. . ."
Arthur passed the gems to Alfred without complaint. He could crush the gems if he wanted to. It was just that it would be after if Alfred did it.
Alfred crushed the gemstones into small pieces, making it seem like he was crushing dry leaves instead. He handed the small shards to Arthur, trying to be extremely careful not to lose any of the pieces.
"I want you to put those in the water, Arthur. This potion is for you, so you need to be the one who puts everything in it." Matthew said firmly. "After the gemstones, we need to put the blood in. It will dissolve and mix with the gemstones." He picked up the knife and a small container. "I'll go first, then Alfred will go next."
Arthur carefully added the crushed gems into the boiling water. He treated them with the same care as Alfred did and to ensure all of the fragments made it into the water. He focused his attention on the mixture and tried to ignore what Matthew and Alfred were about to do. Blood never made him queasy so he wasn't sure if it was that fact that he would be drinking the blood or the fact that Alfred would be slicing his own skin that made Arthur suddenly feel a bit nauseous.
Matthew took the blade to his palm and made a quick, careful cut across the skin. He did not so much as wince as he let the scarlet blood pool in his hand before letting it drop into the container. He grabbed a loosely-hanging strip of tapestry and tied it around his hand. It's not like they cared about the building's appearances anyways.
He wiped the blade off so that it was clean, and then handed it over to Alfred who looked more than a bit unsure about cutting himself. Nevertheless, the blue-eyed dragon took the blade and did the same thing, letting his blood mix with his brothers. He bound his hand with the strip of cloth provided by his brother before handing the container of blood over to Arthur. "Careful not to spill it. You could hurt yourself."
"We'll let the blood mix in and dissolve the gems. Then we can continue." Matthew said. "When you pour it in, you want to stop when it matches the color of dragon you will become. It should match the color of your eyes."
Arthur took the container of blood gingerly in his hands. He stood before the mixture and took a deep breath before carefully (and slowly) pouring the dragons blood into the caldron.
The blood had an amazing affect on the crushed gems. The potion turned colors that Arthur had never even seen before. And each color shined bright like dragon scales. Once Arthur had depicted his right color (an emerald green) he immediately stopped pouring to prevent the remainder of the blood from flowing into the mixture.
"I believe this is the right color." Arthur said turning to Matthew.
Matthew nodded his agreement. "I'd say so. I'm sure you'll be quite the shocker there. Green dragons are quite rare now."
"Greens were hunted first because their scales were the most powerful in potions," Alfred explained. "But they were also the most feared because they could blend in the easiest with the surrounding forests."
"Correct." Matthew commented. "Anyways, now that we've got the blood in, we need the scales. Like the gems, the scales will dissolve (although slower since our scales are resistant to the blood's effects).
Now that Arthur thought about it, he had never seen a green dragon before. It saddened him to think that his ancestors killed off so many magnificent creatures.
"Alright. Are you and Alfred ready to shed the scales?" Arthur questioned.
"I've already got mine," Matthew replied, holding up a few violet scales.
Alfred trotted out of the room to go outside.
"Now remember, this isn't going to be the most pleasant thing for you to consume, and it has a risk. But, as it seems to be going right now, you should be fine." Matthew told Arthur.
Alfred came back in shortly after and held up a few of his own scales. "Alright! I've got mine too!"
They both handed their scales to the knight. "Mine go first, Alfred's go second."
Arthur took the scales and nodded his head towards Matthew to tell him he understood the risks. He placed the violet scales in first and waited or them to dissolve before adding Alfred's blue scales to the mix. The potion bubbled for a few moments after the scales had dissolved. Then the mixture became very still although it should still be bubbling with the temperature it was at.
"Is it supposed to do that?" Arthur questioned with concern.
"Yes. Our scales are heat resistant which makes the water still instead of bubble." The violet dragon explained. "If it were still bubbling, that would be a sign we did something wrong."
"Does it look metallic?" Alfred asked Arthur.
"Yes it does." Arthur answered. He stared with amazement at the now metallic green mixture.
"Good! That means it's like perfect!" Alfred chirped. "Now you can add the mint and sugar, just not too much sugar cuz it'll taste too sweet."
"Funny that you should be the one to say that." Matthew teased, prodding his brother's side.
"Wah! Don't poke me there! It tickles!" Alfred squeaked, squirming away.
Arthur chuckled at the two brothers antics and returned his attention to the potion. The mixture hissed when the sugar and mint leaves were added but this was because of the extreme heat of the mixture. Arthur cringed at the thought of drinking the molten hot potion.
Sensing Arthur's dismay, Matthew chuckled. "You won't have to drink it while its hot. It's best to drink it when it's cooled a bit."
"But I'm not sure if we have enough time to wait until the potion cools." Arthur remarked. "I know a spell that can bring the temperature down, but will magic affect the potion's properties?"
Matthew pondered the question. "It shouldn't, but I don't know if we want to take that risk. . ."
"Couldn't we just take a small sample and let him try it on that and see if it works or not?" Alfred suggested, holding a small beaker.
"We could," Matthew replied. "Might as well." He grabbed the beaker and a ladle, scooping a small portion of the liquid before setting it on the table. "Go ahead and try."
Arthur let his hand hover over the beaker and muttered a spell under his breath. He felt a cool sensation run through his fingertips and a soft blue mist momentarily surrounded the small bottle before disappearing.
Matthew looked at the liquid in the beaker, eyeing it carefully to check for any sign of difference. "It doesn't look like anything changed."
Alfred moved over to sniff it and almost sneezed. "Doesn't smell any different either. "Still beats the smell of those stupid slugs."
"Slugs?" Matthew echoed, confused.
"Long story." Arthur replied with a fond smile. That first potion lesson with Alfred seemed ages ago. He wanted to laugh when he remembered how Alfred reacted to handling the slugs. "So is it alright to drink?" Arthur inquired. He lifted the bottle, which now felt cool to the touch, and examined it.
"It should be fine now. But you'd best drink it outside. And remember, the transformation is temporary." Matthew warned.
Arthur nodded in understanding and lead the way outside. He waited for the others to join him. He then lifted the bottle to his lips and downed the potion.
Arthur was able to get pass the still slightly bitter taste of the potion, but the affects were another story. It felt like a dull fire was seeping down his throat and leaked into his veins. He started to feel uncomfortably hot and his insides began to twist. Feeling dizzy, Arthur fell on all fours and tried to even his breathing. Before he knew it, he felt like he was growing out of his own skin.
Alfred watched with concern when Arthur almost seemed to be in pain as his form changed. He stood in front of him, trying to whisper calming words to his knight so he wouldn't feel too worried.
Arthur concentrated on Alfred's voice. Before long, the whole world felt still. Arthur opened his eyes and saw that everything looked like it'd shrunk. Next Arthur looked at where his hand should be and instead found emerald green reptilian claws.
"It worked." Mumbled Arthur in amazement.
Alfred laughed. "Of course it worked! My bro is a genius!" He hugged Arthur, trying to wrap them around his neck.
"Alright, let's get going then." Matthew said. "That potion will last a few days. If you try and transform to a human during, the potion will lose its effects. So be careful." He turned to Alfred. "You're still not allowed to fly. They'll recognize your color."
"I'll be sure not shift back unless it is absolutely necessary." Arthur answered. He then turned to Alfred and with a bashful look said, "I'd offer you a ride but I'm afraid I would throw you off on my first attempt to fly. It would be best if you road on Matthew."
"It might be best to get you flying at all right now." Matthew sighed. "Otherwise you're not going to get there at all."
"That might not be a bad idea." Arthur replied. He flexed his wings awkwardly at first (it felt so strange to have these extra appendages) and he continued to move them until he got used to the feeling. Arthur then tried fluttering his wings very quickly. It caused him to hover over the ground momentarily but his flaps were off rhythm and he tumbled back to his feet.
Matthew shifted to his dragon form and moved to stand in front Arthur so he could help him. Alfred had to move out of the way so he didn't get squashed.
"You've got to remember that our wings out very much like two more arms." Matthew explained. "They are built the same. You must flap them at the same time."
Arthur listened to Matthew's advice and began flapping his wings in sync with each other. He flapped them in longer strides. This technique worked a lot better and he was able to hover longer.
Matthew smiled. "That's good. When you're actually higher in the air, you'll have to learn how to let your wings flow with the wind. You don't fight it. You ride it."
Arthur took a deep breath and beat his wings harder to get more height. When he was above the trees he spread his wings and caught the wind. It pushed him back slightly but he positioned his wings to ride the air. Flying began to feel more natural to the knight. He was even able to circle around Alfred and Matthew's head before landing (stumbling) to the ground.
"I'd say you got the hang of it." Matthew commented, letting his wings fold against his sides. "Now we just have to get to the meeting."
"Hey, Mattie? I know you said I can't fly there, but I don't think I can just go and sit on your back." Alfred said, frowning. "Can't we just change my color or something? I don't have to speak. Just say I'm mute or something."
"There should be a color changing potion in the storage area of the building. Although, I'm not sure if it works on dragons." Arthur stated. He himself had made the potion to pull a prank on Francis when he commented on his eyebrows. "It's the hourglass shaped vile with gold colored liquid inside."
"I wanna give it a try!" Alfred said excitedly, acting like he was going to dye his hair a new color. He bolted back into the building and grabbed the vial before running back out with it. He held it up for Arthur to see. "This one?"
"That's the one." Arthur confirmed. "The color it changes you to is completely random though."
"Better not get something lame," Alfred muttered. He popped the cork off the top and chugged the purple liquid before shifting to his dragon form. The sky blue scales began to shift in hue, as did his eyes.
The color darkened and then shifted to a bold crimson color that reminded Alfred of blood. Internally, he shuddered. "Well, it's not pink!" He said gratefully.
"That's a relief. Pink is the color Francis turned when I slipped the potion into his evening wine." Arthur said with a smirk.
Alfred snorted with laughter, smoke pooling from his nostrils as he did. "Serves him right! Please tell me it was a gaudy bright pink!"
Matthew's brow-ridge raises slightly. "And who is this Francis exactly?" He had no idea who the two were talking about.
"He's an asshat and that's all you need to know about him at the moment." Arthur said to Matthew before turning to Alfred and said. "By the way, he turned into an obnoxious pastel pink."
Alfred laughed loudly, tears coming to his eyes at the thought of the horrible man being such a hideous color. "That's perfect!" He exclaimed, still laughing.
"O...Kay..." Matthew murmured, not quite understanding. "But can we go now please? We need I get to the meeting before it starts. Alfred, do what you suggested and keep your mouth shut."
Alfred pouted but did as he was told.
Arthur pursed his lips together to prevent himself from laughing just as hard as Alfred. His laughter was just so contagious. But they had a job to do so he turned his attention back to Matthew and said, "Alright Matthew. Lead the way."
Matthew nodded and took off into the air. Alfred waited for Arthur to follow before joining them. He planned to stay by Arthur's side to stabilize his flight should he need the help.
"It's a bit from here, but flying will make the trip short. Especially if there's thermals." Matthew said to Arthur.
"Well that's good." Arthur huffed. "The sooner we get there the better." He was already slightly out of breath. He was doing pretty well with the flying but he would occasionally position his wings wrong, causing him to wobble in midair.
Alfred positioned one wing under one of Arthur's, stabilizing it. "Don't worry so much about flapping as reading the wind. There's lots of thermals here. That means you can just glide." He said to Arthur quietly, smiling. "And we're here to help ya. So don't worry."
"Thank you." Arthur smiled gratefully at Alfred. He spread his wings out a bit wider and glided on the thermals.
Alfred nodded, still smiling.
It didn't take long for the three to reach the meeting place after that. The rounded formation of stone signaled where they would all be, a formation that could be seen from the sky.
Matthew had then land a bit from the formation. "We'll walk from here." He said, shaking himself out before stepping forward to lead the way to the inside of the formation. "Both of you might want to stay silent. You can speak, Arthur, but only if addressed. If its something you cannot answer, then I will help you out."
Arthur nodded in understanding and followed the formation. He kept close to Alfred and didn't say a word. He was afraid that if he said or did something wrong then it would get them caught.
Alfred, sensing Arthur's unease, leaned his head against Arthur's own, trying to comfort him. He couldn't say anything but maybe his actions would say it for him. "It'll be alright."
When the three entered the middle of the rock, many dragons could be seen, gathering around the outer walls of the formation. All sat proudly, necks arching to watch as others wandered in. The two elders sat in the center as they usually did, looking as regal as they had when Alfred had last seen them.
But despite their regal appearances, he felt a shiver run down his spine. They were just as powerful, if not more so, as they seemed regal.
Arthur paused for a moment and stared in awe at all the dragons. There were so many of different colors and sizes. The sight was overwhelming. It took Arthur a moment to regain his senses and catch up to Matthew and take his seat.
After the rest of the dragons had taken their seat, the elders began the meeting. Many of the dragons started off by saying that humans needed to be killed since they were a threat to all their kin.
Matthew, however, disagreed with them causing a stir. "I once felt the same as you all. I felt humans were heartless beings that thought of nothing but themselves. But recently, I've seen another side that shows something is not seen or had considered seeing in them. Compassion, love, and protection that we would have amongst each other. And this human felt this way towards one of our kind." He began saying, ignoring the jeers and insults he received. He watched the elders as they started to frown. "This human, at the risk of his own life, decided to save one of us. He did not do it out of a want for something in return. He did it because that dragon meant something more to him."
"You are sounding like your brother," Romulus growled with a warning tone. "Do we need to punish you the same way?"
"There is no need." Matthew replied calmly, as if the threat were nothing. "I am merely speaking my observations. Is it truly right that we should hold one species in contempt for what they have done, rather than to see the good that they can potentially hold? Our rules, as useful as they once were, are now ignorant."
"How dare you!" Folkert roared angrily. "You would dare to speak against the foundations we have been living by?! They are there to protect us! Why would we change them now?!"
"You have been swayed by that foolish brother of yours!" Romulus snarled, baring his fangs. "Don't you come here to preach about humans being good when it is not true!"
Just as Matthew was about to be attacked by both elders, Alfred jumped in, standing protectively in front of his brother. "Don't touch him!" He hissed, not noticing that the crimson color was fading back to his original sky blue.
"You!" Folkert growled, rearing back. "You should be dead!"
"But I'm not!" Alfred spoke loudly, standing tall. "I was saved by the human who was commanded to kill me. Rather than keep the status of a Knight, he gave it up to save me. He also almost lost his life because of it. I am here now because of him."
"Our wars with humans were caused by the fact that we do not try to understand each other. Mistakes have been made but what if we learned to get along? Don't you think better things could be happening now? We wouldn't have to live in fear of being killed." Matthew said persistently.
"No such humans exist," Romulus snapped, wings flaring. "If they did, our lost kin would not be gone. They would be here with us!"
"It's because of all the misunderstandings!" Alfred argued.
"You are both fools!" Folkert hissed, flames escaping from his mouth.
"No! We're not! That human is real!" Alfred continued, sliding away from an attempted attack. He swiveled his head to look at Arthur. "And he would never betray me!"
Arthur grew more concerned as he saw the Elders become more hostile toward Alfred. He didn't want to see!anymore harm fall on his dragon. Throwing all caution to the wind, Arthur stood protectively in front of Alfred and glared at the elders.
"Such a human does exist!" Arthur declared. He used all of his concentration to transform back into his normal form. He stood on display for all of the dragons to see his human form. "I am that human and I would never betray Alfred."
There was a fearful collection of gasps and hisses from the dragons around them. Some started to try to flee but were stopped by the others.
The elders both seemed horrified that a human had even got into their midst without their even sensing of it.
"You- you brought a human here?!" Folkert demanded, eyes wide. "Are you mad?! He will reveal us to the other humans!"
"No he won't!" Alfred protested, his tail curling around the knight protectively. "He never revealed me to the other knights when he met me! He had plenty of chances to and yet he didn't! He kept quiet about me and even taught me how to make potions! He taught me how to make a healing potion! You all can't even do that, can you?"
"Humans can help us with many things if we get along! This man saved my life. When you all exiled me and had me sentenced to death, he was also in trouble. The knights were mad that he had taught me magic and that we were close. But did he betray me and kill me like they wanted him to? No! He risked his life, in front of all his people, and set me free. He almost died because of it." His voice was shaky when he recalled Arthur's near death. "But then I saved him too. The healing potion he taught me to make saved his life. Humans and dragons should be friends! Not enemies!"
He shifted back partially to his human form, although draconian features still remained, such as his horns, wings, and tail. He wrapped his arms around Arthur, looking pleadingly at the elders. "Can't you see past the hatred they've instilled in you, those few bad ones, and look at the many good ones like Arthur?"
Both elders remained silent.
Arthur clung to Alfred as pride swelled in his chest. He wanted to turn and kiss the dragon into oblivion for speaking so strongly to the Elders. But Arthur held his admiration at bay and used the Elder's silence as a chance to speak. "Alfred is right. We all must stop looking for the bad in each other and search for the good. Now is the time to make peace before we end up starting a war that will mean more death on both sides." He held his gaze with the Elders. Arthur's stare had almost turned into a pleading one. "Won't you at least arrange a meeting with our King and discus matters between our people before things get out of hand?"
Folkert growled at Arthur lowly in his throat but Romulus eyed Arthur with slight interest.
"You, you say you are interested in our kins coming together so that they may thrive as one." The golden dragon spoke, lowering his face so that he was eye level with the knight. "But to us it is a major risk. What have you to say for yourself that we will not be harmed if we were to go with your idea?"
Arthur stared at the dragon Elder in perplexity. Arthur really had no way to guarantee their safety. "I understand that you would be taking a risk by going along with this idea." Arthur spoke carefully. "Many of our people would see it as us taking a risk as well. Just as many humans, civilians not just knights, have perished at the hands of dragons."
Arthur began to grow uneasy. He didn't know what to do to get the Elders to trust him. Suddenly, an idea hit Arthur. This was a crazy idea and he didn't know how it could be done, but it was worth a shot. "But if you agree to hold a meeting with the King, then to show you that we are serious about making peace and not war, I will bring the King here to you. Without any of his escorts or knights. We will come unarmed and trust that you will not harm us just as you will trust us not to harm you."
"I will persuade him to come meet with you." Arthur answered calmly, although he felt as if he was digging his own grave. He didn't know how he would keep this promise but there was no backing out of it now. "If he comes of his own free will, then surely you will know that we speak the truth of peace."
Romulus pondered this for a moment and the other dragons were deathly silent, not knowing what would be decided.
"Very well," The golden dragon said, nodding his massive head. "I will accept your proposal. However, I will only accept it if you are able to bring him here. Otherwise you can consider your plan rejected."
Folkert did not seem as keen on the idea and frowned bitterly. "You have one more week to complete this task. I will not allow any more time to pass with such risks on the line."
"Understood." Arthur said with a bow. Arthur internally cursed himself. He had one week to do the impossible. And he hated to think what would happen if he didn't follow through on his promise.
"Don't you think that's a bit unreasonable?!" Alfred snapped, stepping forward at the silver dragon. "A week is no time at all."
"It is more unreasonable to expect the humans to agree to a meeting with us." Folkert replied coldly. "He was given his task and has accepted."
"He's right Alfred." Arthur whispered. He rested a hand on Alfred's shoulder to calm him. "We best leave now and start our preparations."
Alfred sighed, giving in. "Fine." He crossed his arms and started to stalk out of the formation.
Romulus stopped Atthur before he left, handing him a golden scale. "This will be my sign of protection for now. Should any dragon stop you, show them this and they will know that you are not to be harmed."
"Thank you." Arthur carefully tucked the scale away in his gambeson. He felt honored that this Elder, Romulus, was willing to give him a chance. "Thank you for giving us this chance to make peace."
Arthur gave Romulus a salute (usually shown as a sign if respect in his kingdom) before following Alfred out of the formation.
Matthew follows the other two closely, having shifted back to his human form. "Well, while we're on the topic, I'd like to go with you two. I might be able to help you."
"It'd be nice to have your help, Mattie." Alfred agreed, smiling. He pounced on Arthur and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "You were great! I'm glad you were able to convince at least one of them."
"You did very well yourself. I'm so proud of the way you spoke to the Elders." Arthur responded fondly to Alfred. His cheeks were tinted pink from the kiss. "But I'm afraid I've placed us in a rather difficult position. The castle is heavily guarded by knights and I'm sure the security has doubled since our escape. It will be difficult to get in undetected."
"Yea, we can't disguise ourselves to get in, huh?" Alfred asked with a sigh. "And you don't have any connections to get in right?"
"This could be harder." Matthew agreed. "Especially if anyone finds out what we are."
"Well, nobody has seen me or Mattie as humans." Alfred mused, shrugging. "But I dunno if that's going to help in any way."
"It may come in handy later." Arthur noted. "We'll come back to that later. For now I'm going to teach you both the complete layout of the castle. Then in a couple of days we can scout the castle. We can determine how many knights are standing guard and which areas have the weakest security. Once we've gathered all the information we need, we can make a plan to sneak into the castle and try to convince the king to talk with the Elders."
"There's only one problem," Matthew intervened. "We don't have the luxury of spending a 'couple days' to learn everything. We only have a week. We'd better get it memorized by tomorrow night at the latest."
"You have a good point there." Arthur replied thoughtfully. "Well, I hope you two can pull an all nighter, because I've got a lot to teach you if we want to start scouting as soon as possible."
How many if you thought the sex scene was going to happen in the stream? (Trololololol~!)
Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a review and let us know what you think of the story. Review are very much appreciated by both of us.
Also, don't forget to check out Yamiyo's other stories. The link to her stories is on my profile.
