[The Kingdom of Elrios, in a distant, faraway land, has a dragon problem.
Elrios seems to have always had its issues with beasts. From Minotaurs to Centaurs and every creature inbetween seeking to reclaim lost territory or expand on their own, the Kingdom is almost constantly fending off some kind of threat beyond its borders. To hear the people tell of it, these beast attacks are akin to the occasional hornet trying to attack a bee's hive. It's a futile effort, as their Kingdom has some of the most powerful knights and mages this side of the vast land, making things seem peaceful even during times when they may not be, so much...
But while this may be true, it's also true that what the Ishmael family might have the people believe isn't always what's going on, at the heart of the matter. Sometimes, these beasts may actually be oppressed communities simply trying to reclaim what was already rightfully theirs, having their actions smeared as aggressive attempts to attack the good Kingdom for no reason at all. Or, worse still, the Kingdom is simply pushing its way outwards ever so slowly, bit by bit with each year that passes, gobbling up more of the land either by "peace treaty", conquest...or both. Not everyone lives in blissful ignorance, of course, as many of the impoverished on the fringes of the capital understand the deeper intent behind what the royals do, and their discontent brews with each passing day. But who would dare rise up against a Kingdom so powerful, so mighty?
Why...dragons, of course.
The dragons are the only creatures to date that the Kingdom, as a whole, does not try to aggress. The dragons really have nothing to fear from the Kingdom and their toys. At least, they know that they would never truly retaliate, lest they incur the wrath of dragons who breathe fire, ice, and electricity razing their "hard fought" land to the ground. So the dragons tend to do as they please, coming and going to pillage and plunder, with Elrios not even the sole exception here. Tales spread far and wide of a terrible black dragon who snatches sleeping Princesses from their bedchambers, never to be seen again...or a sleek, purple dragon who breathes bolts of electricity, winding like a snake through the air as he steals from passing caravans.
It's been a very long time since Elrios has personally seen a dragon attack- many decades, in fact- but it doesn't mean it can't happen. Yet, even the royals themselves had become so complacent, so confident in their army's own ability, that they simply don't worry themselves with such possibilities. After all, the Queen has her family of many sons to attend to, each one beloved in his own right. Most of them had left the Kingdom many moons ago to seek their own land, some having already expanded the Kingdom as rulers of their own parts of the continent. Others left to become emissaries for Elrios, leveraging the trade of goods and information between further away lands. And the very youngest...the Queen's most beloved, precious child, still remained at the castle, acting as the cornerstone for the walled-off kingdom who the people looked to for guidance, comfort, and assurance. Prince Ain always seemed to know what to do or say for them, even when things were harder than they were used to.
Yet, despite this, some would claim that he seemed a bit...sad, behind his eyes. It wasn't easy to understand why that might be. Perhaps he missed his siblings, so far away?
It's an unassuming, quiet night in the Kingdom. All is peaceful and calm, and the Kingdom is silent as the populous sleeps. By now, Ain is likely long since asleep in his bed given how late it is...he just won't be for much longer. For where he sleeps in the castle, he'll feel a sudden impact so heavy that it causes the walls around him to shake. Books on the shelf tumble to the floor, things on his table fall, a chair across the room clatters as it hits the ground. And for just a fleeting moment following this singular impact, all is still. Did lightning strike the roof?
But then...across from his bed, right where the window lies, a singular eye suddenly appears, staring right inside.
The eye spots Ain, then abruptly dilates.
Within seconds, the window shatters, part of the wall crumbling with it as a massive claw shoves its way through, scrabbling and tearing at the rug under Ain's bed. It drags the bed forward a fraction before managing to find purchase, reaching in further to snatch Ain up right out of the bed itself. With the claws tight around him like a cage, too tight to escape, the black dragon pulls back and takes Ain outside into the chilled night air, beats his wings hard, and disappears into the night.]
[Ain is very loved and very, very spoiled. He has everything he could ever want in life. Money, power, servants at his beck and call, fine jewels and foods, pretty clothing... and one would think a young prince would be happy with that shallow life, actually, if only because it's easier than being a peasant or working-class citizen who has to do things for a living... but no. Ain is not happy. Ain is, in fact, quite depressed, not because he doesn't have everything but because the things he wants to have are out of reach.
He wants a husband. He wants to be loved and not married off for politics and, actually, he also hates politics and wants to cease being involved in them. He wants a pet owl (Ain you cannot have an owl) (you don't have time for a pet anyway!), he wants to go on adventures, he sort of wants to stop being part of the church if he's honest with himself... and he really wants his mother to leave him alone.
Of course, being young and coddled with no way to know how to get any of that... Ain tolerates his life, wearing a fake smile and looking distantly sad if people squint, yet it always comes back to "he misses his siblings, who wouldn't?" Ain is going to be so real with everyone: he does not care one bit about his brothers. Not one. They're the reason all these heavy expectations have been placed on his shoulders, and he's sick and tired of them and the expectations and his mom and this and that and aaarghhh.
On a good day, Ain narrowly avoids a mental breakdown. On a bad day, uh, let's just say he's very good at holing himself up in the library or his room. On a really bad night, like tonight when he's unceremoniously woken up and yanked out of his bed via the window and a massive claw... the mental breakdown will become obvious in a couple hours, whenever they land, assuming he isn't eaten in the sky.
Most captives would probably wiggle. Ain looks down, sees the blurry shapes of trees from thousands of feet in the air, and thinks to himself: if anyone shoots me out of the sky or if I wiggle, I'm going to become meat in the branches.
So he does not wiggle.
This does not help the mental breakdown and the way he starts having a very understandable panic attack midair, though. Maybe someone will rescue him? Maybe dragons aren't real? Yeah, this is a nightmare. Dragons aren't real. He's going to wake up in his bed from this nightmare and be like "yay :) i'm still royalty :)".......
Okay, maybe becoming a splatter of flesh on the ground isn't such a bad idea. He gets out of being eaten And politics at the same time! Thanks panic attack for that nihilistic thought—]
[This dragon is completely unaware of Ain's midair panic attack, mostly because he's so fucking huge he can't tell what Ain's doing in his claws. He would if Ain started wiggling and screaming, but he doesn't, so the dragon just continues flying. And you see the unfortunate thing about this is...despite the fact the ENTIRE CASTLE was alerted by the castle walls being ripped into, and people no doubt looked out their windows in time to see a dragon flying away but with no real power to do anything about it. The people won't know that the Prince had been stolen...it's unlikely they'll even know by the morning, as the family will keep it under wraps to prevent panic and mass hysteria. Certainly, the guard will be sent in an attempt to rescue him, but...
No one will be shooting him out of the sky tonight. Even if they could, it would be too dangerous to try while the dragon is carrying Ain, and there's no time to organize such a feat. The dragon is there and gone as quickly as it came, leaving behind destruction and confusion in his wake.
While poor Ain struggles through a panic attack, the dragon carrying him flies on. It's miserably cold, but the claw holding onto him actually keeps him weirdly warm, or at least covered up enough to not catch hypothermia while up this high. He has a long way to fly, so Ain will have a while to ponder what's going to become of him now...if what's happening is even real. On and on through the sky he carries his quarry, up high into the distant mountains where people could never easily reach. The temperature abruptly drops up this high as he flies towards one of the snow-capped peaks, though fortunately he doesn't go so far as to where the snow covers the ground perpetually. He ends up landing with a heavy thud at the mouth of a cave entrance, holding Ain in one of his foreclaws as he makes his way inside.
The black dragon's massive head does a sweep of the cave, electric-blue eyes narrowing to slits until he snorts a heavy plume of smoke, padding his way inside. Ain will see pretty much immediately that this is where the dragon's hoard lies. There's a massive pile in one corner of what looks like the armor and weaponry of knights long dead...many of which still have their bones left behind as an example. Coins and jewels litter the floor, though perhaps not so many treasures as one might expect as opposed to the sheer number of books alongside the weapons. They're stacked in high piles up near the ceiling, each one taken oddly special care of...even if a few are old and battered, they don't seem to be destroyed the same way you'd think a book would if a dragon brought it here.
Why would a dragon want these, anyway?
No time to question it, because Ain is suddenly being dropped onto a pile of torn up linens and fabrics overtop bunches of dry straw, undoubtedly one of the dragons' nests.
...one of. He would do well to notice a second one nearby, though it's currently empty as the dragon pins Ain down to the first, his body hunched over him as he leans in close to give Ain a deep sniff.
Then the dragon speaks without opening his mouth, a booming, gravely voice in his head.]
[And Ain, brave and stupid and definitely in full on panic mode, literally punches the dragon in the nostril.
This does... absolutely nothing, most likely, and it's with a very childish and ostensibly humanlike wiggle that he tries to free himself long enough to get a sword.
And then screams when his hand just barely pats a skull. A real one! Not a fake decoration one but a real human skull!
...
And then he grabs it and throws it at the dragon's forehead, where it likely shatters on impact.
So anyway, this one is Clearly not a knight and Clearly doesn't know how to fight, but he sure does know how to be obnoxious.]
[This is not the first time their prey has fought back. Kicking, screaming, trying to attack in any way possible...it's only expected. The dragon, of course, is completely unphased by both being punched and having a skull thrown at him, more annoyed by this than anything. He huffs, his tail lashing at Ain's insolence (they never really give proper "last words" anyway, this always happens) and suddenly opens his jaws wide over him, teeth glistening as the back of his throat crackles to life with embers and flame. It's hard to tell whether he plans on roasting Ain first, or swallowing him whole...or both.
But all of this is cut short when a voice suddenly shouts from the cave entrance, again an echo in both their minds.]
What the fuck are you doing!?
[With his claws still holding Ain down, the dragon lifts his head with a rumbling snarl, and before Ain can even fully process what's going on, the second dragon that wasn't there previously arrives. This one is a lot sleeker than the bulky black beast holding Ain down, yet still with spikes and rough scales in places. He lumbers to land nearby with what look to be a few bits of metallic junk in his claws that he throws nearby before wheeling on the first dragon.]
Bastard! How many times are you gonna try to-
[...
......
The purple dragon stops, looking comical as he leans back on his haunches for a moment, before he looks to the black dragon and hisses, baring his teeth with disgust and annoyance.]
Does that look like a Princess to you?
It doesn't fucking matter!!
YOU don't fucking matter!!
[The purple dragon rams the black one, causing him to stumble a few feet...and within seconds, the two are literally fighting in the cave, snarling and hissing and slapping each other with their claws.]
...only my nightmares would come up with something so stupid...
[Ain concludes, still sniffling by the way, as he pulls himself up out of the nest and rubs his eyes. He's shaking so terribly from the panic attack that it's hard to move, but Ain manages to drag his jittery body over to the piles of stuff anyway. He wishes they were soft piles. And shouldn't dragon hoards have money in them...? And jewels? What a stupid dream...
He sniffles a second, third time, and then moves to sit behind one of the book piles. They're stacked so high that he can't grab one without risking the other books, but there are some in smaller piles he can safely get to without doing any damage. The dragons can bicker if they want to. Ain's thinking he fell asleep while reading and so, to wake up, he obviously has to read too. Just like in this one storybook he read once........
Sniffle.
Ugh, god Ain, you've got to get over your constant anxiety!! They're not even real!]
[Yeah the dragons have...seemingly momentarily forgotten about Ain, um. They're literally tumbling as they wrestle each other, though they at least seem to know better than to start letting loose their elemental magic inside the cave. Though, judging by the scorch marks on the walls, they can't always exercise that much restraint.]
And what were you fuckin' doin' while I was out grabbin' someone? AGAIN?! If you ain't happy with it go get 'em yourself!
The last time I brought a Princess home, she escaped because YOU weren't keeping an eye on her! I'm not going out there just to have you ruin my hard work again!
I think maybe you should kiss my fuckin' ass!!
[RAAARARA DRAGON FIGHTING they tussle like this for a while, until the purple dragon ends up stomping on the black one's head, holding him down for a second (it won't be for long, the black dragon seems to surpass the purple in strength, though perhaps not in intellect) as he whips his head around and notices...]
Where's the Prince!?
Oh HOH, you see!? He got away because YOU had to fuckin' barge in and start naggin' me, who's fault is it now!?!
[The black dragon bowls over the purple, shoves him aside for a moment, and starts to thunder over to where he'd left Ain last, sniffing the air to try to find where he went.]
You'd better come on out if you know what's good for you. You don't want us to have to find you.
[The purple dragon rolls his eyes.]
He'll definitely want to come out now. It's no fucking wonder the Princesses didn't want anything to do with you.
If this were a Princess, she would still be here because I wouldn't have SOMEBODY up my ass while tryin' to talk to her!!!!
[If they'd shut up they'd hear Ain sniffling from behind the book tower in an attempt to get it together. He just wants to read, man... He doesn't know how to escape! And he's cold...
Hiccup, sob...
And then Ain hears "talk" and can't help but scoff, okay now he's angry—]
Talk to me?! You were trying to eat me! That's not talking! Fuck you, I hope you choke on a sword and die!!
[The panic attack is ongoing. He is still sobbing.]
The black dragon snorts, and assuming Ain didn't come out from behind the book tower, he's going to try to reach around and snatch him up with his claws again, either succeeding in doing this or missing him and swiping at nothing.]
Of course I'm tryin' to eat you. You're not a Princess.
[The purple dragon lets out an audible groan, but this time doesn't intervene and just turns away from the black one completely for a minute to push the metal stuff he'd gathered into one of the many piles of junk in here.]
Any reason you grabbed a Prince then, Wolfwood? Or are you just blind? Thanks for confirming you were just going to eat him without saving any for me, by the way. Fuck you.
[The black dragon- Wolfwood- wheels around and hisses at the purple dragon, who is still looking elsewhere like lalala-]
The Queen of Elrios didn't have any girls, numbnuts. And anyway...we've been through all of the neighboring Kingdoms already. Do YOU really wanna go trying in Lanox again after what happened last time?
[Wolfwood will not catch Ain, he's rolling out of the way and getting up to move with his One book to the far recesses of the cave. Don't talk to him he's gonna try to cram himself into a crack in the wall.
Ain rubs his eyes on his sleeves again, still sniffling, still so jittery that it's difficult to move, but part of those jitters now belong to anger. He hates these dragons. And he's still cold, thanks for NOTHING you ASSHOLES—]
Why can't you talk to me? And stop kidnapping people! God...
[Scoot, scoot.]
It's not difficult to have a conversation... [he is Going into the wall.]
[Ain is right to be upset...this is pretty much what happens every time they try doing this. One of them kidnaps a Princess and brings her back with...the intent of trying to woo her, somehow, but she's either too (UNDERSTANDABLY) panicked to want anything to do with her captors, or they just...start fighting and she escapes. It's been a very long time since they've actually eaten someone they'd brought as well, though it's hard to say how many survived the attempted trek back down such a tall mountain. It seems the two aren't interested in telling those stories right now.
The purple dragon snorts audibly at what Ain says, prompting Wolfwood to thump him in the head with his tail.]
Shut up.
[And then it's back to Ain, who Wolfwood is still trying to grab but clearly can't reach because he's a little too big to fit back where Ain has wiggled himself to. The purple dragon- Add, as Wolfwood will snarl in a moment here- could probably get him, but...he's having too much fun reveling in Wolfwood's failings right now.]
Now get out here. If we have to come after you it ain't gonna be pretty!
Let me guess. Better to have a meal than be rejected...
Are you just gonna stand there mouthin' off or are you gonna help me?
Why should I? You weren't going to share, this is your mess to deal with.
I was gonna leave you half!!
[Wolfwood pulls away while Add just rolls his eyes again, sighing heavily as he decides he'd rather just grab the Prince if he can than listen to Wolfwood bitch...and unfortunately for Ain, this dragon can actually fit his head past the gap behind the books, peering with glowing purple eyes into the dark.]
[Says Ain, still trying to wiggle his way into a human-sized crack in the cavern wall that's no doubt full of bugs and cobwebs and is just as fucking cold as the inside of the cave itself... but then he sees the much lither dragon coming for him and screams—
Nonono! NO! Go away! I'd rather get stuck in here and starve to death than have to get eaten by either of you!
[Notice how he does not say he wants to go home...]
Ain is trying to go deeper but a) his fat ass thanks wolfwood cannot fit and b) he sees a really big, he means REALLY HUMONGOUS, spider in the gloom and screams and panic moves the other direction, and at this point it's either deal with the huge spider or deal with the dragons and he doesn't know what he wants to do anymore. Maybe just die? Maybe just die. But not to dragons or spiders or the cold. In a way he wants to die.
Maybe by jumping off this mountain—
He sinks onto the ground outside the crack in the wall and groans, face in his hands, trying to curl up into a ball. That'll at least protect his vital organs from any claws...]
I hate you. [And he jabs a finger at Wolfwood.] And I hate you more.
[On account of the fact Wolfwood was the one who actively planned to eat him.]
Let me out of this cave so I can go kill myself in the valley properly, please. [on second thought, Ain may need a medieval therapist,]
Add pulls his head out from the gap and looks over at Wolfwood like ????, who just kindof glares back and shakes his head because he doesn't fucking know, he just brought him here what do you want from him? Then he'll turn back, but there is enough room for Ain to leave of his own volition without Add having to grab him, though Add does look like he's still prepared to do that if he needs to.]
What are you talking about? Aren't you going to try to go back to your Kingdom?
[Sure, it's not EASY, but if he were to escape...why would he just leave and then kill himself? It doesn't make any sense.]
Like, we're not going to take you back, but if we were to let you free, it's not like we'd stop you.
[You know, unless you send an army after them. Then they might stop you.]
[Here he is, sitting on the ground in his now-dirty silk pyjamas, shivering, eyes red and puffy and his heart feeling like it'll never slow down from its breakneck beating. Ain feels a headache blooming behind his eyes, but he isn't sure if it's from the blood rushing through his ears or the general upset or the stress or all of it. Probably all of it.]
But I don't like you, so I'm not talking to you about it.
[So there! This is an adult human man btw.]
I just want to die in a way that's my choice. If you try to eat me I'm going to rip your teeth out and stab you in the eyes with them. [ain is too small to be making these threats but it's the thought that counts.]
Touch my books, and I’ll gladly disembowel you myself if you want to die so badly.
[Add hisses back before he turns away and walks back to his corner of the cave because he’s done humoring this, this is now Wolfwood’s problem until further notice (and he inevitably has to intervene AGAIN. There’s definitely a story behind these two living in the same cave when they seem to not be able to stand each other).
Wolfwood, meanwhile, is pissed off now as he sits on his own nest, staring at the book pile with his tail thumping the floor like a cat stalking its prey. As a tenuous silence falls over the cave, it’s clear that Wolfwood isn’t going to let Ain make a run for it.]
[The dragons are in their corners. Ain is moping on the floor. Honestly, he'll probably fall asleep for a few hours due to how late it is and how fatigued and stressed he is. His brain very quickly assesses that this is not some sort of traumatic stress-induced nightmare, and as he wakes up just before dawn breaks, he thinks to himself that he's probably wanted to be dead for a while now, actually, and this is just an excuse to not die miserably with some woman he doesn't want betrothed to him...
His panic brain goes no don't Ain and it's too late, because he's pushing himself up (trying not to sneeze again on the way, it's so cold here and he's barely wearing anything insulating because believe it or not silk is not actually that warm) and going to the weapon pile. He pulls out a particularly sharp and scary looking pike, loops at the tip, and gulps...
If the dragons are awake, they might watch Ain plunge the tip of it into the side of his stomach, completely missing any vital organs by some stupid miracle of God being like "no child stop child", and pulling it out a half-second later with a several-inches-deep wound and tears in his eyes. Nope nope nope suicide sucks actually he can't do this he wants to live so badly (he also wants to die so badly) and now he's bleeding and
he sneezes again and coughs and that, of course, makes the wound gush blood faster.
So he hits the floor and passes the fuck out.
The dragons might want to eat him now before their breakfast gets cold.]
[As it turns out, despite being the dragon Ain hates the least of the two (though he still hates both), Add is far less invested in the fate of this human and just. Is asleep. Again, this is Wolfwood’s problem, and he was too stupid to even bring a Princess this time so whatever!!
Wolfwood though…he does happen to be awake when Ain suddenly rushes from his hiding place, and for a moment he’s surging to his feet thinking he aims to escape-
Only to watch as Ain stabs himself with a spear before collapsing in what Wolfwood is pretty convinced must be death. Fuck’s sake…
So as Ain lays there bleeding out and unconscious, Wolfwood walks over and picks his body up with his claws, though he’s oddly careful as he brings him back to their nests. He smacks Add with his tail as he passes.]
Wake up. You said you wanted me to share, right? He fuckin’ stabbed himself, it’ll go to waste if we don’t eat now.
[Add stirs with a grumble and looks over with slitted eyes, leans his long neck over and sniffs Ain’s hair…
Then snatches him from the nest where Wolfwood set him down, putting him more in the middle instead.]
Oi!!! You greedy-
Can it. He isn’t dead.
Well he’s going to be after that. Do you see a human doctor here?
I don’t care what you think, but I’m not exactly comfortable eating a meal that killed itself, are you?
I don’t LIKE it, but when have you ever had any honor towards humans? You can barely fuckin’ stand ‘em most days…
[Add opts to ignore that and instead suddenly becomes enveloped with a bright purple light that lasts for just a moment before he’s assumed a human form, the sight of which makes Wolfwood laugh incredulously as he grabs a few nearby books.]
Gods! You haven’t shapeshifted in months, the fuck-?
Will you be quiet already? Get me herbs for a poultice from our stores or shut up and stay out of it. Next time IM doing the kidnapping to avoid another one of your messes.
[The deeply ironic thing in all of this is that if any one of them had shapeshifted in front of Ain he'd suddenly be Fine with being kidnapped only because men are hot and hot men that want to kill him are better than dragons that want to kill him (?????????????) so anyway—
Ain isn't dead! He is unfortunately unconscious, though, but some amount of shivers wracking his body say that he's clinging to life still. This sort of wound won't kill him unless the bleeding goes untreated, and it seems like he'll be patched up, therefore this thread doesn't end 22 comments in...
It will become very apparent very quickly that he's gotten some sort of illness, probably flu, from sleeping on the ground and being up in the mountains for many hours with little protection against the cold. Yes, a cave is shelter, but not when you're wearing little of anything and also have dehydrated yourself by crying for several hours. And also the blood loss.
Ain sometimes squeaks and sobs in his sleep, but otherwise, it'll probably take him another several hours to wake up... and when he does, his voice is scratchy and he definitely sounds deader than he is.]
...did I miss...?
[Girl not only did you miss your vital organs but you also pulled the pike out and had a panic attack and hit the floor. Yeah you missed.]
[It’s funny because Add rarely shifts forms unless he has to, finding the human form to be unpleasant compared to his “real” form, while Wolfwood is a lot more liberal with using it. Granted, using them for the sake of a human partner changes things considerably, but lol…they’ve never once found a Princess who actually wanted to stay with them, so that clearly isn’t happening any time soon. So, the fact Add changed at all was a really big deal. And Add having so many books means he has a couple on healing and medical care (at least the best that can be done in the mountains), which means Ain is no longer bleeding out but also hasn’t exactly received the highest quality care. Neither dragon has healing magic, and Ain absolutely needs stitches so he doesn’t scar. The best Add could do was cover the wound with a poultice after stopping the bleeding to prevent an infection. It’s not a permanent solution by any means, but it’s the best they can do for now.
Ain will find himself waking up sometime in the morning. It’s raining outside the cave, but the dragons would have stayed in even if it wasn’t. They’re both resting in their nests with Add curled up in a ball asleep, Wolfwood curled up similarly but still awake. Ain, meanwhile, has been placed on soft things inbetween them. If he looks closely, he might realize their nests are actually connected, just with spaces set aside for them both should they want to be alone for whatever reason.
As Ain stirs, Wolfwood growls deep in the back of his throat.]
Yeah, and we ain’t slept at all cause of you. Go back to sleep.
[Blinks... ugh, his head hurts, but luckily for him he super doesn't feel like getting up. He's so tired...]
Cold...
[Is he cold? It's not like he can feel his fingers, but that might be due to blood loss more than anything. He's wedged between two giant-ass warm lizards, so he may not be as cold as he thinks, even despite the clear distance between all of them. Proximity warmth is a hell of a thing.
Yawwwwn...
Ain doesn't have much of a choice; as much as he tries to stay awake for longer, his brain simply gives up on him and he passes back out again within a few minutes. He doesn't feel any safer, but he's alive for some strange reason... apparently for his injury-induced exhaustion, that's good enough.]
[Eventually, both Wolfwood and Add wake back up while Ain still sleeps, giving them a chance to talk about what to do with him. They could have just let him die, but since they didn’t, he’s kindof their responsibility now…but the thing is, they’ve never had someone who doesn’t WANT to go back home. Okay, they could just let him loose into the mountain, but then he’d just try to mill himself, which neither dragon is comfortable allowing either. Turns out, for all the killing and pillaging they do, they don’t just kill people for fun. Mostly.
So, what now? They argue for a while. They can’t just keep him here, he’s not…a Princess. He doesn’t have what they want. And they doubt he WANTS to partner with a pair of dragons either. They don’t really come to much of a consensus other than to keep Ain here until he recovers…however long that might be. But it’s obvious he’s sick now as well, which hugely complicates things.
After some more bickering, Add declares he’s leaving to get some food and medicinal herbs and since Wolfwood caused this mess he can watch Ain while he’s gone. Have fun!!!
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Elrios seems to have always had its issues with beasts. From Minotaurs to Centaurs and every creature inbetween seeking to reclaim lost territory or expand on their own, the Kingdom is almost constantly fending off some kind of threat beyond its borders. To hear the people tell of it, these beast attacks are akin to the occasional hornet trying to attack a bee's hive. It's a futile effort, as their Kingdom has some of the most powerful knights and mages this side of the vast land, making things seem peaceful even during times when they may not be, so much...
But while this may be true, it's also true that what the Ishmael family might have the people believe isn't always what's going on, at the heart of the matter. Sometimes, these beasts may actually be oppressed communities simply trying to reclaim what was already rightfully theirs, having their actions smeared as aggressive attempts to attack the good Kingdom for no reason at all. Or, worse still, the Kingdom is simply pushing its way outwards ever so slowly, bit by bit with each year that passes, gobbling up more of the land either by "peace treaty", conquest...or both. Not everyone lives in blissful ignorance, of course, as many of the impoverished on the fringes of the capital understand the deeper intent behind what the royals do, and their discontent brews with each passing day. But who would dare rise up against a Kingdom so powerful, so mighty?
Why...dragons, of course.
The dragons are the only creatures to date that the Kingdom, as a whole, does not try to aggress. The dragons really have nothing to fear from the Kingdom and their toys. At least, they know that they would never truly retaliate, lest they incur the wrath of dragons who breathe fire, ice, and electricity razing their "hard fought" land to the ground. So the dragons tend to do as they please, coming and going to pillage and plunder, with Elrios not even the sole exception here. Tales spread far and wide of a terrible black dragon who snatches sleeping Princesses from their bedchambers, never to be seen again...or a sleek, purple dragon who breathes bolts of electricity, winding like a snake through the air as he steals from passing caravans.
It's been a very long time since Elrios has personally seen a dragon attack- many decades, in fact- but it doesn't mean it can't happen. Yet, even the royals themselves had become so complacent, so confident in their army's own ability, that they simply don't worry themselves with such possibilities. After all, the Queen has her family of many sons to attend to, each one beloved in his own right. Most of them had left the Kingdom many moons ago to seek their own land, some having already expanded the Kingdom as rulers of their own parts of the continent. Others left to become emissaries for Elrios, leveraging the trade of goods and information between further away lands. And the very youngest...the Queen's most beloved, precious child, still remained at the castle, acting as the cornerstone for the walled-off kingdom who the people looked to for guidance, comfort, and assurance. Prince Ain always seemed to know what to do or say for them, even when things were harder than they were used to.
Yet, despite this, some would claim that he seemed a bit...sad, behind his eyes. It wasn't easy to understand why that might be. Perhaps he missed his siblings, so far away?
It's an unassuming, quiet night in the Kingdom. All is peaceful and calm, and the Kingdom is silent as the populous sleeps. By now, Ain is likely long since asleep in his bed given how late it is...he just won't be for much longer. For where he sleeps in the castle, he'll feel a sudden impact so heavy that it causes the walls around him to shake. Books on the shelf tumble to the floor, things on his table fall, a chair across the room clatters as it hits the ground. And for just a fleeting moment following this singular impact, all is still. Did lightning strike the roof?
But then...across from his bed, right where the window lies, a singular eye suddenly appears, staring right inside.
The eye spots Ain, then abruptly dilates.
Within seconds, the window shatters, part of the wall crumbling with it as a massive claw shoves its way through, scrabbling and tearing at the rug under Ain's bed. It drags the bed forward a fraction before managing to find purchase, reaching in further to snatch Ain up right out of the bed itself. With the claws tight around him like a cage, too tight to escape, the black dragon pulls back and takes Ain outside into the chilled night air, beats his wings hard, and disappears into the night.]
ain dies thats it thats the psl
He wants a husband. He wants to be loved and not married off for politics and, actually, he also hates politics and wants to cease being involved in them. He wants a pet owl (Ain you cannot have an owl) (you don't have time for a pet anyway!), he wants to go on adventures, he sort of wants to stop being part of the church if he's honest with himself... and he really wants his mother to leave him alone.
Of course, being young and coddled with no way to know how to get any of that... Ain tolerates his life, wearing a fake smile and looking distantly sad if people squint, yet it always comes back to "he misses his siblings, who wouldn't?" Ain is going to be so real with everyone: he does not care one bit about his brothers. Not one. They're the reason all these heavy expectations have been placed on his shoulders, and he's sick and tired of them and the expectations and his mom and this and that and aaarghhh.
On a good day, Ain narrowly avoids a mental breakdown. On a bad day, uh, let's just say he's very good at holing himself up in the library or his room. On a really bad night, like tonight when he's unceremoniously woken up and yanked out of his bed via the window and a massive claw... the mental breakdown will become obvious in a couple hours, whenever they land, assuming he isn't eaten in the sky.
Most captives would probably wiggle. Ain looks down, sees the blurry shapes of trees from thousands of feet in the air, and thinks to himself: if anyone shoots me out of the sky or if I wiggle, I'm going to become meat in the branches.
So he does not wiggle.
This does not help the mental breakdown and the way he starts having a very understandable panic attack midair, though. Maybe someone will rescue him? Maybe dragons aren't real? Yeah, this is a nightmare. Dragons aren't real. He's going to wake up in his bed from this nightmare and be like "yay :) i'm still royalty :)".......
Okay, maybe becoming a splatter of flesh on the ground isn't such a bad idea. He gets out of being eaten And politics at the same time! Thanks panic attack for that nihilistic thought—]
Bye...
No one will be shooting him out of the sky tonight. Even if they could, it would be too dangerous to try while the dragon is carrying Ain, and there's no time to organize such a feat. The dragon is there and gone as quickly as it came, leaving behind destruction and confusion in his wake.
While poor Ain struggles through a panic attack, the dragon carrying him flies on. It's miserably cold, but the claw holding onto him actually keeps him weirdly warm, or at least covered up enough to not catch hypothermia while up this high. He has a long way to fly, so Ain will have a while to ponder what's going to become of him now...if what's happening is even real. On and on through the sky he carries his quarry, up high into the distant mountains where people could never easily reach. The temperature abruptly drops up this high as he flies towards one of the snow-capped peaks, though fortunately he doesn't go so far as to where the snow covers the ground perpetually. He ends up landing with a heavy thud at the mouth of a cave entrance, holding Ain in one of his foreclaws as he makes his way inside.
The black dragon's massive head does a sweep of the cave, electric-blue eyes narrowing to slits until he snorts a heavy plume of smoke, padding his way inside. Ain will see pretty much immediately that this is where the dragon's hoard lies. There's a massive pile in one corner of what looks like the armor and weaponry of knights long dead...many of which still have their bones left behind as an example. Coins and jewels litter the floor, though perhaps not so many treasures as one might expect as opposed to the sheer number of books alongside the weapons. They're stacked in high piles up near the ceiling, each one taken oddly special care of...even if a few are old and battered, they don't seem to be destroyed the same way you'd think a book would if a dragon brought it here.
Why would a dragon want these, anyway?
No time to question it, because Ain is suddenly being dropped onto a pile of torn up linens and fabrics overtop bunches of dry straw, undoubtedly one of the dragons' nests.
...one of. He would do well to notice a second one nearby, though it's currently empty as the dragon pins Ain down to the first, his body hunched over him as he leans in close to give Ain a deep sniff.
Then the dragon speaks without opening his mouth, a booming, gravely voice in his head.]
Any last words, Prince?
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This does... absolutely nothing, most likely, and it's with a very childish and ostensibly humanlike wiggle that he tries to free himself long enough to get a sword.
And then screams when his hand just barely pats a skull. A real one! Not a fake decoration one but a real human skull!
...
And then he grabs it and throws it at the dragon's forehead, where it likely shatters on impact.
So anyway, this one is Clearly not a knight and Clearly doesn't know how to fight, but he sure does know how to be obnoxious.]
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But all of this is cut short when a voice suddenly shouts from the cave entrance, again an echo in both their minds.]
What the fuck are you doing!?
[With his claws still holding Ain down, the dragon lifts his head with a rumbling snarl, and before Ain can even fully process what's going on, the second dragon that wasn't there previously arrives. This one is a lot sleeker than the bulky black beast holding Ain down, yet still with spikes and rough scales in places. He lumbers to land nearby with what look to be a few bits of metallic junk in his claws that he throws nearby before wheeling on the first dragon.]
Bastard! How many times are you gonna try to-
[...
......
The purple dragon stops, looking comical as he leans back on his haunches for a moment, before he looks to the black dragon and hisses, baring his teeth with disgust and annoyance.]
Does that look like a Princess to you?
It doesn't fucking matter!!
YOU don't fucking matter!!
[The purple dragon rams the black one, causing him to stumble a few feet...and within seconds, the two are literally fighting in the cave, snarling and hissing and slapping each other with their claws.]
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[Ain concludes, still sniffling by the way, as he pulls himself up out of the nest and rubs his eyes. He's shaking so terribly from the panic attack that it's hard to move, but Ain manages to drag his jittery body over to the piles of stuff anyway. He wishes they were soft piles. And shouldn't dragon hoards have money in them...? And jewels? What a stupid dream...
He sniffles a second, third time, and then moves to sit behind one of the book piles. They're stacked so high that he can't grab one without risking the other books, but there are some in smaller piles he can safely get to without doing any damage. The dragons can bicker if they want to. Ain's thinking he fell asleep while reading and so, to wake up, he obviously has to read too. Just like in this one storybook he read once........
Sniffle.
Ugh, god Ain, you've got to get over your constant anxiety!! They're not even real!]
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And what were you fuckin' doin' while I was out grabbin' someone? AGAIN?! If you ain't happy with it go get 'em yourself!
The last time I brought a Princess home, she escaped because YOU weren't keeping an eye on her! I'm not going out there just to have you ruin my hard work again!
I think maybe you should kiss my fuckin' ass!!
[RAAARARA DRAGON FIGHTING they tussle like this for a while, until the purple dragon ends up stomping on the black one's head, holding him down for a second (it won't be for long, the black dragon seems to surpass the purple in strength, though perhaps not in intellect) as he whips his head around and notices...]
Where's the Prince!?
Oh HOH, you see!? He got away because YOU had to fuckin' barge in and start naggin' me, who's fault is it now!?!
[The black dragon bowls over the purple, shoves him aside for a moment, and starts to thunder over to where he'd left Ain last, sniffing the air to try to find where he went.]
You'd better come on out if you know what's good for you. You don't want us to have to find you.
[The purple dragon rolls his eyes.]
He'll definitely want to come out now. It's no fucking wonder the Princesses didn't want anything to do with you.
If this were a Princess, she would still be here because I wouldn't have SOMEBODY up my ass while tryin' to talk to her!!!!
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Hiccup, sob...
And then Ain hears "talk" and can't help but scoff, okay now he's angry—]
Talk to me?! You were trying to eat me! That's not talking! Fuck you, I hope you choke on a sword and die!!
[The panic attack is ongoing. He is still sobbing.]
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The black dragon snorts, and assuming Ain didn't come out from behind the book tower, he's going to try to reach around and snatch him up with his claws again, either succeeding in doing this or missing him and swiping at nothing.]
Of course I'm tryin' to eat you. You're not a Princess.
[The purple dragon lets out an audible groan, but this time doesn't intervene and just turns away from the black one completely for a minute to push the metal stuff he'd gathered into one of the many piles of junk in here.]
Any reason you grabbed a Prince then, Wolfwood? Or are you just blind? Thanks for confirming you were just going to eat him without saving any for me, by the way. Fuck you.
[The black dragon- Wolfwood- wheels around and hisses at the purple dragon, who is still looking elsewhere like lalala-]
The Queen of Elrios didn't have any girls, numbnuts. And anyway...we've been through all of the neighboring Kingdoms already. Do YOU really wanna go trying in Lanox again after what happened last time?
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[Wolfwood will not catch Ain, he's rolling out of the way and getting up to move with his One book to the far recesses of the cave. Don't talk to him he's gonna try to cram himself into a crack in the wall.
Ain rubs his eyes on his sleeves again, still sniffling, still so jittery that it's difficult to move, but part of those jitters now belong to anger. He hates these dragons. And he's still cold, thanks for NOTHING you ASSHOLES—]
Why can't you talk to me? And stop kidnapping people! God...
[Scoot, scoot.]
It's not difficult to have a conversation... [he is Going into the wall.]
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The purple dragon snorts audibly at what Ain says, prompting Wolfwood to thump him in the head with his tail.]
Shut up.
[And then it's back to Ain, who Wolfwood is still trying to grab but clearly can't reach because he's a little too big to fit back where Ain has wiggled himself to. The purple dragon- Add, as Wolfwood will snarl in a moment here- could probably get him, but...he's having too much fun reveling in Wolfwood's failings right now.]
Now get out here. If we have to come after you it ain't gonna be pretty!
Let me guess. Better to have a meal than be rejected...
Are you just gonna stand there mouthin' off or are you gonna help me?
Why should I? You weren't going to share, this is your mess to deal with.
I was gonna leave you half!!
[Wolfwood pulls away while Add just rolls his eyes again, sighing heavily as he decides he'd rather just grab the Prince if he can than listen to Wolfwood bitch...and unfortunately for Ain, this dragon can actually fit his head past the gap behind the books, peering with glowing purple eyes into the dark.]
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[Says Ain, still trying to wiggle his way into a human-sized crack in the cavern wall that's no doubt full of bugs and cobwebs and is just as fucking cold as the inside of the cave itself... but then he sees the much lither dragon coming for him and screams—
Nonono! NO! Go away! I'd rather get stuck in here and starve to death than have to get eaten by either of you!
[Notice how he does not say he wants to go home...]
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[Add's text is just permanently in purple because I hate myself but also I can't think of a better color than black for Wolfwood so rip Add ig]
You can be suicidal all you want, but I'm not letting you get stuck back there to die and decompose in our cave.
[It's happened before, and Add will actually just leave if it happens a second time.]
You're not a Princess, and eating you is pointless anyway. There's nothing to eat, you have no meat on you.
Are you kiddin' me? Look at how fat his--
[Add must have hit Wolfwood because he's cut off as something smacks him in the snout.]
Now come out so I don't have to drag you out.
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Ain is trying to go deeper but a) his fat ass thanks wolfwood cannot fit and b) he sees a really big, he means REALLY HUMONGOUS, spider in the gloom and screams and panic moves the other direction, and at this point it's either deal with the huge spider or deal with the dragons and he doesn't know what he wants to do anymore. Maybe just die? Maybe just die. But not to dragons or spiders or the cold. In a way he wants to die.
Maybe by jumping off this mountain—
He sinks onto the ground outside the crack in the wall and groans, face in his hands, trying to curl up into a ball. That'll at least protect his vital organs from any claws...]
I hate you. [And he jabs a finger at Wolfwood.] And I hate you more.
[On account of the fact Wolfwood was the one who actively planned to eat him.]
Let me out of this cave so I can go kill myself in the valley properly, please. [on second thought, Ain may need a medieval therapist,]
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Add pulls his head out from the gap and looks over at Wolfwood like ????, who just kindof glares back and shakes his head because he doesn't fucking know, he just brought him here what do you want from him? Then he'll turn back, but there is enough room for Ain to leave of his own volition without Add having to grab him, though Add does look like he's still prepared to do that if he needs to.]
What are you talking about? Aren't you going to try to go back to your Kingdom?
[Sure, it's not EASY, but if he were to escape...why would he just leave and then kill himself? It doesn't make any sense.]
Like, we're not going to take you back, but if we were to let you free, it's not like we'd stop you.
[You know, unless you send an army after them. Then they might stop you.]
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[Here he is, sitting on the ground in his now-dirty silk pyjamas, shivering, eyes red and puffy and his heart feeling like it'll never slow down from its breakneck beating. Ain feels a headache blooming behind his eyes, but he isn't sure if it's from the blood rushing through his ears or the general upset or the stress or all of it. Probably all of it.]
But I don't like you, so I'm not talking to you about it.
[So there! This is an adult human man btw.]
I just want to die in a way that's my choice. If you try to eat me I'm going to rip your teeth out and stab you in the eyes with them. [ain is too small to be making these threats but it's the thought that counts.]
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[Wolfwood stomps over and hisses to Add:]
Can't we just eat the little shit already? This is pathetic.
[To which Add kindof looks at Wolfwood like >:/]
What part of "I'm not doing your work for you" did you not get, earlier? If you want him so badly, you're getting him out.
I can't fit where he's wedged himself!
And that's not my problem!
[Add centers one eye at the gap again.]
Well, you heard it yourself. We're at a crossroads. Are you going to stay back there? Because you won't be leaving any time soon.
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[He's back behind the books because books feel safe to him. It's a small comfort in a world that's only done well to terrify him tonight.
Frustrated and, again, acting extremely childlike... Ain throws himself into a heap on the ground, facedown, limbs flat.
He sneezes.
He curls up into a ball.
He contemplates the sword pile. Maybe if he makes it real quick...]
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[Add hisses back before he turns away and walks back to his corner of the cave because he’s done humoring this, this is now Wolfwood’s problem until further notice (and he inevitably has to intervene AGAIN. There’s definitely a story behind these two living in the same cave when they seem to not be able to stand each other).
Wolfwood, meanwhile, is pissed off now as he sits on his own nest, staring at the book pile with his tail thumping the floor like a cat stalking its prey. As a tenuous silence falls over the cave, it’s clear that Wolfwood isn’t going to let Ain make a run for it.]
written comically, but also. suicide-
His panic brain goes no don't Ain and it's too late, because he's pushing himself up (trying not to sneeze again on the way, it's so cold here and he's barely wearing anything insulating because believe it or not silk is not actually that warm) and going to the weapon pile. He pulls out a particularly sharp and scary looking pike, loops at the tip, and gulps...
If the dragons are awake, they might watch Ain plunge the tip of it into the side of his stomach, completely missing any vital organs by some stupid miracle of God being like "no child stop child", and pulling it out a half-second later with a several-inches-deep wound and tears in his eyes. Nope nope nope suicide sucks actually he can't do this he wants to live so badly (he also wants to die so badly) and now he's bleeding and
he sneezes again and coughs and that, of course, makes the wound gush blood faster.
So he hits the floor and passes the fuck out.
The dragons might want to eat him now before their breakfast gets cold.]
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Wolfwood though…he does happen to be awake when Ain suddenly rushes from his hiding place, and for a moment he’s surging to his feet thinking he aims to escape-
Only to watch as Ain stabs himself with a spear before collapsing in what Wolfwood is pretty convinced must be death. Fuck’s sake…
So as Ain lays there bleeding out and unconscious, Wolfwood walks over and picks his body up with his claws, though he’s oddly careful as he brings him back to their nests. He smacks Add with his tail as he passes.]
Wake up. You said you wanted me to share, right? He fuckin’ stabbed himself, it’ll go to waste if we don’t eat now.
[Add stirs with a grumble and looks over with slitted eyes, leans his long neck over and sniffs Ain’s hair…
Then snatches him from the nest where Wolfwood set him down, putting him more in the middle instead.]
Oi!!! You greedy-
Can it. He isn’t dead.
Well he’s going to be after that. Do you see a human doctor here?
I don’t care what you think, but I’m not exactly comfortable eating a meal that killed itself, are you?
I don’t LIKE it, but when have you ever had any honor towards humans? You can barely fuckin’ stand ‘em most days…
[Add opts to ignore that and instead suddenly becomes enveloped with a bright purple light that lasts for just a moment before he’s assumed a human form, the sight of which makes Wolfwood laugh incredulously as he grabs a few nearby books.]
Gods! You haven’t shapeshifted in months, the fuck-?
Will you be quiet already? Get me herbs for a poultice from our stores or shut up and stay out of it. Next time IM doing the kidnapping to avoid another one of your messes.
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Ain isn't dead! He is unfortunately unconscious, though, but some amount of shivers wracking his body say that he's clinging to life still. This sort of wound won't kill him unless the bleeding goes untreated, and it seems like he'll be patched up, therefore this thread doesn't end 22 comments in...
It will become very apparent very quickly that he's gotten some sort of illness, probably flu, from sleeping on the ground and being up in the mountains for many hours with little protection against the cold. Yes, a cave is shelter, but not when you're wearing little of anything and also have dehydrated yourself by crying for several hours. And also the blood loss.
Ain sometimes squeaks and sobs in his sleep, but otherwise, it'll probably take him another several hours to wake up... and when he does, his voice is scratchy and he definitely sounds deader than he is.]
...did I miss...?
[Girl not only did you miss your vital organs but you also pulled the pike out and had a panic attack and hit the floor. Yeah you missed.]
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Ain will find himself waking up sometime in the morning. It’s raining outside the cave, but the dragons would have stayed in even if it wasn’t. They’re both resting in their nests with Add curled up in a ball asleep, Wolfwood curled up similarly but still awake. Ain, meanwhile, has been placed on soft things inbetween them. If he looks closely, he might realize their nests are actually connected, just with spaces set aside for them both should they want to be alone for whatever reason.
As Ain stirs, Wolfwood growls deep in the back of his throat.]
Yeah, and we ain’t slept at all cause of you. Go back to sleep.
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Cold...
[Is he cold? It's not like he can feel his fingers, but that might be due to blood loss more than anything. He's wedged between two giant-ass warm lizards, so he may not be as cold as he thinks, even despite the clear distance between all of them. Proximity warmth is a hell of a thing.
Yawwwwn...
Ain doesn't have much of a choice; as much as he tries to stay awake for longer, his brain simply gives up on him and he passes back out again within a few minutes. He doesn't feel any safer, but he's alive for some strange reason... apparently for his injury-induced exhaustion, that's good enough.]
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So, what now? They argue for a while. They can’t just keep him here, he’s not…a Princess. He doesn’t have what they want. And they doubt he WANTS to partner with a pair of dragons either. They don’t really come to much of a consensus other than to keep Ain here until he recovers…however long that might be. But it’s obvious he’s sick now as well, which hugely complicates things.
After some more bickering, Add declares he’s leaving to get some food and medicinal herbs and since Wolfwood caused this mess he can watch Ain while he’s gone. Have fun!!!
Ugh.]
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