Misc. Erotica Asian Experience becomes an Isekaie

"Jake, why did it appear the dragon just looked at you like it wants to rip your head off?" Bard asked as he shield bashed a dragonling to the ground before stabbing it to death.

"What I'm about to do, try not to run on me," Jake stated before a well of mana began to gather within his being, bubbling into a froth before boiling over and exploding, releasing the dragon taunt he had magically created long ago just for this reason. His grin only grew wider at the look of rage on the dragon's face at the thought of a lowly human daring to challenge it. "I told you; dragons are prideful little pricks. They absolutely take afront to our resistance to not dying beneath their claws and being shit out," he said, bringing up his left hand, making the hand gesture as he used his roar again to irk the dragon off even more.

"Well, just how indignant of us not to become food for it!" Holly uttered, playing up her joke in the middle of a deadly situation.

"You ready, Marda?" Jake whispered, seeing the dragon about to make its move on them from high above.

"Mmmhmm, I'm eating dragon tonight," Marda spoke, fighting not to drool at the thought.

"Good, because here it comes," Jake said, seeing the fear the dragon's roar induces starting to settle on their shoulders. "Stay focused on me; ignore the voice in your head that's telling you to run," he spoke loudly, bolstering their resolve. His, Marda's, and Bard's voices thundered as they charged towards the dragon as it opened its maul to blast them all in its fiery breath. It was all so the dragon would keep its attention on them and not Mark, who was in the middle of casting his spell to freeze the dragon's wing solid. Jake danced around, keeping the dragon's attention on him. Who used the opening Marda caused when her hammer slammed into the frozen dragon's wing, rendering it completely useless, darting between the dragon's front legs, his sword slicing through its scales with ease. Its hot blood splattered along the ground.

Marda used her bulk and her conjured shield to keep the dragon off balance as Bard and Shion weaved in and out around the dragon's legs, causing the dragon to crumble forward. The spike of her hammer came roaring down, plunging into the skull cap of the dragon at her feet, thus ending its short life. Jake just stood off to the side, watching the five of them celebrating their first major dragon kill. He could have ended it very quickly, given how young the dragon was. It was too careless, too prideful, why many didn't live past a hundred years of age since they fought amongst themselves. Yet he wanted to give them this, to know what it's like to actually fight a dragon and live to tell about it. While they didn't kill all the dragonlings, their departing shadows shrunk in the distance. Jake and the others turned as Zaroth and his men came charging with empty wagons to scoop up everything they could gather from the corpses. Nonetheless, Jake saw their befuddled looks at the number of kills that now lay strewn along the ground.

"By the gods, Jake, I'd thought it would take longer for you and your party to kill the dragon," Zaroth exclaimed as he held out his arms to him.

"That's not the dragon the quest is about," Jake said, cutting the man's mirth short.

"If that's not the dragon, what exactly is it?" Zaroth asked confused, wondering if this was going to become more convoluted than need be. He was just as equally confused as the rest of them as Jake walked over to were the dragon lay and pulled back its scaly lip.

"Not even a month old; those look like they're no more than two weeks old," pointing to the dragonlings, "so the nest must be a large one to house various younglings, food must be abundant, or someone's feeding it to sustain this large of a nest," Jake said, memories of how the Dragon Kings would feed people to the dragons under their control. Some were willing sacrifices others were slaves fed to their dragons to help them reach their ideal size for them to use them. "The nest must be off in that direction, and their mother shouldn't be too far behind with that many hatchlings under her wing."

"What's your plan then?" Marda asked, joining in on the conversation.

"Right now? Going to use that," pointing to the dragon corpse, "to irk the mother to come off her nest, much better than fighting her in it; hopefully, what we encountered were all that was left, and the rest took off to parts unknown. Otherwise, this might get tricky, even for me," Jake uttered, relaying the severity of the situation they found themselves in.

"Do you need all of it?" Marda asked, not eager to waste that fine of meat just to taunt a dragon.

"Just need the head," Jake answered, Bard wasted no time removing the head from its neck.

"Alright, everyone, let's get the small ones in that wagon, and let's get the large one in the other one," Zaroth spoke, taking charge as he ordered his men about.

"Jake, do you really need to irk a dragon?" Holly asked; since she had no great strength, she kept out of the way as Marda, Bard, and Zaroth's men wrangled the dragon's body onto the wagon.

"Yep, if she's nestled in this deep, then only displaying her children's bodies like this is the only thing that will get her off of it with young about, especially if she's still laying eggs," Jake said as he rose a stone spike up to waist height. The wet, sickening crunch filled the air as he impaled the head onto it before rising it another four feet.

"I see. Is it always like this?" Holly asked as the two of them went to help finish gathering the dead.

"Nah, dragons, unless really young, like here, tend to be loners and easier to contend with than a horde of mini fire-breathing flying monsters!" Jake said, flashing Holly a smile as she giggled at that.

"I have to admit I thought we were all going to die when that dragon came diving in," Holly said, holding her dragon bone staff that Jake had made for her close to her chest.

"Yeah, that's dragon's fear; it's how they paralyze their normal prey," Jake stated, seeing how she was listening to every word along with everyone else.

"And what was that thing you did?" Mark asked; he had no idea what it was but knew mana was involved, given what he felt coming off Jake's body.

"My version of their roar operates the same way as their does, but mine just pisses them off a lot, obviously," Jake answered, gesturing to the wagon as they walked along it as they headed back to camp. "You have to play into their vanity to get the reaction you want out of them."

"When its ma gets worried and comes looking for it, just how pissed off are we talking?" Bard asked, trying to prepare himself for the real fight to come.

"You know the question you asked earlier?" Jake asked, getting a weak nod from Bard. "Just imagine a look ten times worse than that and a hundred times larger with a flame breath that can be sustained for minutes instead of seconds."

"So what you're saying that was only the warm-up?" Marda asked, looking down at Jake, who nodded along.

"I wouldn't put it past it to send out the older ones before it comes up itself if we're lucky," Jake said, his mind racing, knowing they were going to need more gear to deal with the threat.

"Jake, I'm out of arrows, I wasn't expecting there to be so many. I might be an elf, but I'm not suited in using my own mana as arrows and maintaining my agility. What are we going to do?" Shion asked, moving up to his side.

"Worry not, if arrows are what you need, my House will be glad to supply you with an ample supply," Zaroth said, knowing the kills they made would be supplying their food stores. He already had barrels at the ready to get the meat on salt while jerking the rest of it to replenish their meat supply. "I'll make sure the men gather what arrows we have on hand and send someone out to the closest town for resupply."

"Jake, what are you doing?" Shion asked as the sounds of merriment filled the air as the bonfire showed no signs of dying, noting the litter of bones strewn about.

"Making ballista bolts in case dragons attack the camp with the large bones of the more adult one," Jake said, pointing to the ones he's completed. "Made some arrows for you, too; those would be best against the dragon. Normal arrows might now not get through its scales with your bow; those, however, will," he uttered reassuringly. "Also, Adam is working off his meal." His hand waved to his son as Adam was in the middle of his push-ups. He was clearly taken by surprise when Shion just kissed him out of nowhere. His arms moved on their own as he began to kiss her back, and she was very receptive to it.

"Thank you, Jake, I know you could have killed that dragon easily. After reflecting on the moment, you were holding yourself back for us so we could know what it's like to actually fight a dragon or swarms of them. Don't stay out here for too long," Shion said in a sultry tone. "We have a dragon to hunt tomorrow. Thank you for the arrows, Jake; I promise I won't use them until we find the dragon," she said, taking the bundles of arrows back to their tent. Her grin was evident on her face as she ambled back to their tent, swaying her hips just for him as she heard Adam's innocent giggle at her display.

"Adam head off to bed," Jake said, stopping in front of their tent. Once Adam slipped inside, he went off to find Zaroth.

"Jake, Jake, Jake, what am I to do with you if you get me used to eating dragon all the time," Zaroth uttered, lounging in the folding wooden chair he had brought along after he granted Jake admittance into his tent.

"I don't know, hunt them yourself for your daily need," Jake countered, getting a hooting laugh out of Zaroth.

"I can see Drisara chaining me to the house just to keep me from getting myself killed, but I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts. So what can I do for you, Jake?" Zaroth asked, gesturing for Jake to join him for a drink.

"Just came to inform you I made some ballista bolts out of the long bones of the larger dragon, so should a dragon attack the camp, don't rely on the normal ones; use those to kill it, but aim wisely since there was only enough to make eight of them," Jake said, seeing the grin on Zaroth's face at the fact he might actually be able to fight a dragon, or at least order the men that would be doing the fighting.

"I'll make sure the men know, and their stored in a secured place," Zaroth stated, pouring Jake a drink.

"I'm leaving Adam in your care while I seek out the nest," Jake said, standing in the middle of the entrance to their camp.

"Jake, are you sure it's wise to go alone? You know we would be more than happy to join you in this," Shion said, with the others nodding along.

"No, I need you five here to protect the camp should they attack while I'm gone. Plus, it's safer for me to go alone than with a group into a dragon nest just to scout it out," Jake said, seeing his friends didn't like that idea. "Plus, you need to practice with the net," he stated; he had fetched it from his home last night. His mind wouldn't get the image of Shion's naked body from his mind when he climbed into bed last night, only to find that she had combined their bedroll, and she slept naked. Then again, this all started because of that reason. "Those will be crucial in fighting the dragon we're here for."

"Don't worry, Jake, I'll get the hang of them before you get back," Marda promised, giving her friend a nod.

"Adam, behave for your mother and Zaroth," Jake said fatherly, peering down at the boy.

"Yes, Father," Adam nodded. "Be safe," he whispered as he hugged Jake goodbye.

"I'll be back as soon as I can to plan out our attack once I know what we're getting into," Jake assured the six of them before he took off.

His breath was coming out in clouds of fog as he knelt on the ledge of the cliff. The snow covered peaks loomed over him as he had spent two days getting to the area. He used his magic to spy into the nest from afar. What he saw did not fill him with glee. It was far worse than he thought as he saw beings he thought had gone underground to avoid going extent from the purges that were going on after the last of their Kings fell to him. His jaw tightened and set as he noted the makings of another Dragon King. He fought one war with them he wasn't about to do so again. Jake pressed his lips together as he noted the humans in cages just sitting there screaming for release as they waited to be offered up to the dragon as its snack.

He knew they wouldn't be able to kill the dragon and protect the people at the same time. However, the war taught him some very dark and painful lessons; sometimes, sacrifices are needed. Since there was no use in him heading in there alone, he opened a doorway to his home and entered it, heading for the one place that held an item he hid away, given how it was spoken about in far too numerous stories about his exploits during the war. He made no bones about the resemblance of a certain jagged crown from a certain game from his Homeworld. Although, he didn't need to worry about trademarks since they didn't exist on Yardrat.

His fingers flexed as the set's combined magical effects surged through his body like old times when the last piece was added. His footsteps echoed off the walls as he descended the stairs into his basement. If he was going to ask his friend to join him in aiding the captives, he could at least give Zaroth a better chance of returning home since he didn't bring his main armament with him since Zaroth would stay in the rear and out of danger. The floor boards were easily pried up as he designed them to be. The velvet cloth peeled away as he unwrapped a weapon that hadn't seen the light of day in over two hundred years. There sat Kailee's, his first wife's, trishula; he remembered how she loved it when he gave it to her before their journey to put down the last Dragon King after her old one had broke in their last battle.

"Hope you don't mind too much, Kailee," Jake whispered to his departed wife as he carefully removed her spear from its resting place. The door to his house closed behind him as he prepared himself to stop another rising of a Dragon King, even if it meant him dying in the process.

"Jake?!" Shion uttered, confused as he just walked out of their tent like he hadn't been gone for the past two days. Her eyes zeroed in on the item on his head as the tales of old played out in her head.

"Gather the others and meet me at Zaroth's tent; it's bad, so prepare for the worse. We move out as soon as possible," Jake said, walking off without another word. He found Zaroth looking over the camp's defenses, seeing the surprise on his friend's face when he didn't see him returning to camp.

"Jake..." Zaroth's eyes moved rapidly to and fro as they studied the crown he was wearing as the stories of the man that wore it ran through his head. "You're the Hero of Lingala?!" he blurted out loud enough to cause the work within the camp to stop. He knew why Jake didn't age like a normal human; he just didn't know about this. Elves old enough to know the name or well-learned knew of that name and the stories that floated around him. Then his eyes took stock of the trishula that rested on Jake's right shoulder. His eyes widen at the sight of the legendary weapon that helped to bring the end of the rein of the Dragons.

"Yeah," Jake uttered, scratching his cheek and seeing the looks on his friend's faces. While they didn't know what that title meant, they could at least tell it held some significance due to the way Zaroth was acting. "Listen, can we not dwell on that," he spoke, trying to move this along without bringing up his past.

"You just want me to brush off the fact I'm friends with the man that killed the great Shiron, the ice dragon of the last Dragon King? Sure, okay... are you daft!" Zaroth shouted. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"This right here is the reason; people make far too much out of that feat. Anyway, that's not why I'm here; we have trouble," Jake said seriously.

"Jake, what are you talking about?" Mark asked; he knew what that name meant. He had a feeling there was more to Jake when he first mentioned the name Shiron. His master had told him numerous stories about the Dragon war. Stories from his childhood as his master recounting the times he was hiding beneath his bed in his home as the city he was in was besieged numerous times during the century long war.

"The reason there's so many younglings here is because dragonkin are involved," Jake said, noticing the shock in Zaroth's eyes.

"You sure, Jake? No one's ever seen a dragonkin before," Holly said, stepping forward, not realizing the magnitude of the title he had been given by the people of Lingala.

"No, our friend here knows perfectly well who and what dragonkin are not to make that mistake. Okay, Jake, tell me everything you saw," Zaroth said; his blood ran cold when Jake detailed everything he saw.

"Why, I need you to free the captives while the six of us take care of the dragon and the dragonkin. If we fail to stop them another Dragon King will rise, I will not allow that to happen, not again," Jake said firmly. "Since I don't want your wife after my head for the rest of my life if something happens to you, and since you don't have your own spear, you may use this one," he stated, holding it out to him.

"Jake, are you sure... I mean, I'm honored and all but..."

"Yeah, Kailee wouldn't have minded, I think," Jake said with a nod. "Don't do anything heroic; just provide cover for the captives until you all are back here."

"Of course, Jake, this is a fine spear," Zaroth admitted, feeling the ancient magic that flowed through it on his fingertips.

"I know, now choose fifteen of your men to come with us, and the rest protect the camp while we're gone. We move out in an hour," Jake said, stating the urgency once again.

"We'll be ready, Jake," Marda said, looking at her long-time friends. She prayed all of them would come back alive. However, she knew in their line of work death was a constant companion.

"Adam, what are you doing?" Jake asked as he strode into their tent, seeing Adam hurriedly packing his bag.

"I'm going with you, father," Adam stated proudly.

"No, you are not," Jake turned his attention to Shion when he was about to say the same thing to Adam, "Adam, honey, I know you want to help us. Want to fight beside your dad," Shion said, her voice taking on a softer tone at how hurt Adam appeared to be. "Adam, this will be very dangerous even for us. I'm not saying this to hurt you, but this isn't a fight a squire should be a part of."

"But I can help! I know I can!" Adam pleaded with the two of them. He felt his lip quivering, thinking they were leaving him behind.

"Adam, it isn't about if you can be of help or not; where we are going is not for children to be in the middle of," Shion said, her voice taking a hard tone. If it wasn't for the knock on the tent pole, they would still be arguing with one another.

"It might be wise to bring him, Jake; I'll keep him at the very rear when the time comes, I promise you that," Zaroth said, holding up the tent flap as he peered inside. "The camp won't be safe enough for Adam if something were to happen. Best to bring him along, plus it be good practice for him guarding the captives on the return trip," he stated, seeing something brewing behind his friend's eyes.

"Adam, you will follow my exact order, you will not dawdle, we are facing dragons, you cannot be slacking, am I clear," Jake spoke forcibly, not to belittle the boy but to instill the seriousness of what they were about to do.

"Yes, Father," Adam spoke, sensing the tension his father was under.

"Put these with your packs; you'll need them; a lot of snow where their lair is; you should tell the others," Jake said, peering over at Zaroth as he held out their fur-lined cloaks he had grabbed when he got the other items.

"Right, I'll inform the men," Zaroth said with a nod before going to add a few thick cloaks to his bag.

"We have two days of travel ahead of us, so be watchful of everything," Jake warned before leading them onto their fate.

Two days later...

"Zaroth, wait here; when you see it's safe, you move in and save the people, Adam; you wait back here, understand?" Jake uttered, looking down at his son and resting his hand on Adam's shoulder.

"Yes Father," Adam whispered as they hid in the shadows as dragons flew over them.

"We'll hit them hard and fast to keep them off their toes so we can keep the captives as unharmed as much as we can. Mark if you see any tunnels in the main chamber, seal them. It's important that you do so and quickly, or we will be over run by the dragonkin," Jake said, giving out his years of experience fighting the dragonkin. "Holly, see to the captives, heal them if need be so they can run with Zaroth and the others once they get them free." Seeing her nod in determination as her grip as he unbuckled his sword belt and handed it to his son. It would only get in his way when fighting the dragon with his ōdachi. "Adam, I leave my sword in your care," he said, noticing how Adam held his weapons tightly to his chest.

"Jake, won't that limit your fighting ability?" Shion asked, knowing how odd he looked with the great sword leaning against his shoulder. His answer was four conjured swords appeared to hover near the top of his back, near his shoulders like the fangs of a monster ready to send them into the flesh of its enemies as his five wands lofted out of the pouches that lined his belt.

"No, my fighting ability will be just fine. Once I unsheathe this sword, do not stand in front of me, or you will die with everything it slices," Jake warned, just in case they had forgotten. "I know this isn't the quest you all thought you signed on to when we first started out. But I reassure you this is a far more perilous situation than simple dragon hunting. I know we can stop them before they can grow the dragon to the point of its destructiveness to wipe out kingdoms with a single attack."

"We understand, Jake; this just shows all of us how serious this situation is if you're willingly being less shady about your past because of it," Mark said respectfully to a master mage standing before him.

"Let's do this, everyone," Jake said with finality.

The hum of Shion's bow as she fired off arrow after arrow, taking down dragonlings and dragonkin alike as they fought their way through the encampment they had created from the crater-like bowl the surrounding mountains made. Jake's conjured blades shot around the area killing dragonkin alike or those that couldn't escape into the tunnels before Mark sealed them up. Marda's hammer cleared out swaths of dragonlings with each swing as they pushed deeper into the heart of the nest.

"Living in the night," the sword's scabbard skittered across the ground as the red dragon released its challenging roar, ""'Neath devils" torn asunder," seeing the looks in his friend's eyes as he began to sing out of nowhere. His mana swirled around him as the real battle had just begun as the dragon was finally roused enough to determine they were a threat it needed to kill. "You call on me to solve a crooked rhyme." A mystical web of blue flame came flying down as the shamans began their counterattack. However, it was short-lived as Marda's hammerhead came slamming down onto the ground, releasing its cone of cold canceling out the shamans' spell. "As I'm closing in," his foot caught one of the few remaining dragonkin; most were smart enough to break for the tunnels when the fighting first had started out. His conjured blade found its home in its head as his singing continued.

"Imposing on your slumber," bolts of energy fired off from the tips of his wands as he laid down covering fire for Bard as he did battle with one of the car-sized dragonlings. The instrumental for the song played in his head as its one of the few songs he entirely remembered from his Homeworld. "You call on me as bells begin to chime." Jake's voice called his friends to him before the clap of thunder was the only thing that warned them as a large bolt of lightning slammed into the ground, destroying the hastily constructed defenses and those that were manning them.

"What the hell are you singing at a time like this!" Shion shouted over the sound of battle. She only saw it for a second as a solid arch of the essence of death flew off the blade of Jake's ōdachi as he took aim at the dragon itself, only to watch as its young took the blow. While it killed everything it touched, nonetheless, it failed to reach the dragon.

"Square hammer," Jake answered; the palm of his hand was on the spine of the blade as he deflected blows aimed at him without swinging his sword. "Song from my Homeworld," he said, cutting through the two ranks of bodies that were charging towards him. "Shit, fire in the hole! Everyone behind Marda!" Jake warned as he saw the signs of the dragon getting ready to use its breath attack. Who didn't waste a second in slamming the base of the conjure shield he had given to her into the ground, putting her shoulder against the back of it as Jake enlarged it so they all could survive the attack. He and Bard kept them off of them as Marda was indisposed.

"Jake, do that thing you do; otherwise, we will not hold out long enough to kill that lizard!" Marda grunted as she felt her footing slipping as the dragon pressed its attack.

"Oh blood calls to blood, strings are taut, thy control is compressed in the soul," Jake chanted his spell, transferring his buffs to his friends. He noticed Marda's grin as the surge of strength flowed through her limbs as she got her footing back. Marda released a taunting shout as she shield-bashed the group of dragonkin and dragonlings, making enough room for Bard and Shion to make their move, taking out numerous dragonkin in one go.

Jake felt his mana running low. He had already burnt through two mana potions, and he only had one left due to using up the others on his first trip, keeping his presence as concealed as he could. As his friends took on those that remained, Holly kept up with her buffs and casting her own attack spells when she had to. Mark was there keeping her protected as Jake walked forward through the throng of magic, swords, and flying arrows, more so on their side than their enemies. His glowing irises burned in his mana; his fingers drummed along the hilt of his sword as he stalked toward the would-be King. The tip of his sword plunged into the ground, conjuring a spear and sending it flying toward the man who thought to be King while he took off running towards the dragon after he had retrieved his sword. He didn't need to see if the would-be King was dealt with. His flying, impaled body was enough for him to know the man was dead.

"Shion, Bard, take the left wing, Marda, Mark the right; I'll keep it entertained," Jake uttered, smirking at the dragon as it eyed him down. He knew it was a female dragon since, like most creatures in nature, the females were larger than males. He kept himself one step ahead of the snapping jaws of the dragon as others went about their tasks of hobbling the dragon. However, Jake thought he would do something to ensure the dragon stayed on the ground. "Riika," he spoke in the dragon language, grinning evilly at how its eyes dilated as its upper scaley lip rippled in its boiling anger after it got over the shock of a human speaking draconia (dragon language). As it lunged to snap him up in its jaws, to rid itself of the pest before it, Jake wasn't going to allow that to happen. As he leapt into a roll as he came out of it. His sword arched through the air, catching the dragon a little before mid-neck, and sliced through it with ease thus ending the dragon's life as its head landed in a sickening thud before its body followed after.

Once they saw their mother dead on the ground, the dragonlings that were well enough away to make an escape did so. Shion allowed it since she was out of arrows, and she wasn't about to ask Jake to conjure her a bow or Mark since both seemed rather tired. She sighed in exhaustion, as did the others as Mark and Holly collapsed to the ground due to their own depletion of their mana. The only mage of theirs that was still standing was Jake, and even he was showing signs of fatigue.

"Here, nibble on this. It will help restore your mana." Zaroth's voice carried on the wind as he held out elven tarts to Mark and Holly, who took them with their thanks. "Jake, you should have one too, looks like you need it," he said, holding it out to his old friend.

"So Jake," the crumbs of his tart dribbled down his chest from the flaky crust, "who's this Kailee?" Mark asked, already feeling his mana starting to recuperate.

"She was my wife," Jake said truthfully, seeing his friend's eyebrows, minus Shion, inched upwards at the mention of the word wife. His eyes ran the area, remembering what Mark had asked of him before they started out on this quest. The remains of dragonlings and the dragon itself, he knew they had enough to outfit themselves in their hard-earned dragon armor.

"What happened to her, if I may ask?" Holly asked, seeing the shadows of his past playing out across his eyes.

"She died fighting Shiron," Jake stated, trying to forget the sight of watching his wife's body being ripped in half by the dragon and her horrid screams. Yet, no matter how long he lived, that image would never leave him.

"Now I get your fixation on pissing them off so much," Bard uttered, nodding along like he would do the same thing to other dragons he fought if that had been his wife.

"So you think we have enough to outfit all of us?" Marda inquired; she couldn't wait to try out her new armor.

"Should be. It will take a bit, but yeah, I do think you have enough," Jake nodded.

"Father?!" Adam came rushing forward after not hearing a sound from them, fearing the worst. He halted, surveying the dead dragonlings around him. His arms tightened around the scabbard of his father's sword, wondering if he would ever be able to be like his father. Amazing! However, his eyes quivered when his father looked more tired than he thought Jake should. Which caused his little legs to carry him toward his father; the closer he got, the better he saw his father getting that only made his legs move faster. Not knowing it was because Jake was straining the reach of the gems influence when they fought the dragon. "Father, are you okay?!" he asked, worry in his eyes.

"I'm fine, Adam," Jake said softly as he placed a hand on Adam's shoulder. "You kept to the rear, correct?" he asked as his mentor, not as his father, knowing he needed to see if Adam could follow instructions even when he knew Adam wanted to be in the thick of it with them.

"Of course, father, I only came forward when it was too quiet, and I was scared that something had happened..." Adam started to tear up, only to have his happiness burn them away as Jake lightly ruffled his hair.

"It's fine Adam, see, not even a scratch," holding out his arms, "cool huh?" Jake uttered, holding out his arms, trying to lift Adam's mood.

"So what's going to happen now?" Zaroth asked; he knew they would be staying behind the moment he saw the carnage.

"It's going to take a bit to gather up the regents about," Jake said, calculating the amount of time it was going to take to skin and quarter every dragonling and their mother.

"Good, I and many others will return for that," pointing to the dragon's head, "so I may show everyone the threat to them is over," Zaroth stated, although he did notice that his friend didn't share that same sentiment. However, he was wise enough to not voice his question to his friend. "Will four days be enough for you all to have what you want sorted?" he asked, seeing his friend in thought before Jake nodded.

"Should be enough to break down the corpses and get everything in order," Jake answered, nodding along when Zaroth told him he and his men would escort the captives back to their camp, where they could venture back to their own homes from there. Holly had worked tirelessly to heal everyone to the point they wouldn't struggle to flee when she left them to join the rest of them in their battle. "Don't get used to the spear; the moment we're back, it goes back into its slumber."

"You fiend! You'd deprive your friend of this exquisite weapon! You'd hide it from the world where it wants to shine!" Zaroth belted out in laughter at Jake's look. He normally would get out of him when he showed his friend a little of his 'weird,' as Jake called it.

"Have I ever told you that you're one weird elf," Jake uttered with a smile as he waved goodbye to his friend.

"Jake, if you let me, I think I can help with the dismemberment," Mark said; he had seen Jake use the technique to get the quirks down.

"Wouldn't mind a hand," Jake admitted, knowing it would be taxing on his mind if he handled it all over four days.

"The rest of us will get camp set up for us while you two handle all that," Marda said with a grin as she spread her arms at the chaos they had caused.

Four days later...

Wagon wheels whined as it slowly rolled down the mountainous path it was on, and the dragon's head wobbled in the rear as they descended slowly down the slope. Jake was the last one to leave the peak as he looked back at the blood-soaked land. He pondered if this was it or did they just prolong the Dragon King's resurgence. Not a prospect he was eager to face. He hoped the skins he had strung up drying out would be ready by the time they returned to his home. He looked over at his friends as the path widened out, pondering if they would join him if it came to that or if he should fight them alone, at least at first.

His gaze was drawn by Shion as her hand rested on his arm. "I've watched you long enough to know what you're thinking... I hope you're going to go looking for signs, aren't you?" Shion whispered low as Adam walked in front of them.

"I might," Jake nodded.

"Then you won't be going alone," Shion said sternly.

"Oh?" Jake mused, watching the breeze lifting the strains of her silver hair.

"Mmmhmm, you think Adam will let you go alone?" Shion asked, slyly bumping his shoulder. "But you're resting before you head out, right?"

"Well, yeah, going to take months to create the dragon armor you all want," Jake retorted with a knowing smirk. "It will probably take that long to sniff out where they're operating from."

"Then that just gives us proper time to grow deeper in our roles as man and wife," Shion cooed, her new dragon bone arrows jingled in her quiver. Ever since the end of the battle, she's kept an eye on him. She hoped he had recovered fully from the fight. If they fought another dragon, she was going to make sure he wore his sword.

It took them two more hours before the sight of their camp came into view. The captives they rescued had already left for their own homes, only the few men left there could be seen ambling around the camp. A camp that was in the middle of being broken down since the quest was over, and Zaroth had already been gone from Emberglade for too long. Plus he needed to show the other nobles the dragon threat had been finally dealt with. Nonetheless, they also needed to know that the dragonkin were on the move once again after two hundred years. Zaroth handed over a scroll he had hand-written so they could give it to Marlin when they returned to Theliondel. Zaroth soon departed with his men after that, knowing he would be seeing his friend in a few months as winter began to inch deeper into the season. With their own gear stored in the back of their wagon, with Heliotrope hitched to the wagon they headed off to Eslar. Once they were within the canopy of the trees, Jake opened a doorway to his home, leading them all through it.

There they rested a bit, watching how Jake handled the now-dried skins as he gathered them all together with Marda's help with the larger ones. While they were there, he went ahead and measured every one of them to ensure the armor would fit correctly. He knew they would have to come back to ensure the armor moved correctly and, if need be, altered to correct any pinching that occurred when they wore the armor. The next morning, after Adam's morning laps with Jake right there beside him, doing three more laps than Adam usually did since Jake saw Adam's ease with handling the four laps he normally did. He even upped Adam's push-ups, sit-ups, and squats another fifty knowing Adam would need the muscles to move easily in plate armor when Adam was ready for that. Even Bard joined in just to show Jake he wasn't the only one with muscles, as he had caught Shion's eyes running up and down Jake's chest. Although it was sly, it was enough for him to keep notice of the look. It wasn't lost on him at how Marda was eyeing his own naked chest.

"Jake, did you always have those?" Holly asked, pointing at his muscles; it wasn't hard for anyone to see how Shion was lusting after the man before her.

"Yeah, I'm a battlemage, after all. Be a little silly if I couldn't move in my armor," Jake uttered, flexing his pecks, making them dance, given how much staring Shion was doing. Who's face grew hot because she knew he was messing with her, causing her to look away. Once he and Adam were clean and smelling fresh as much as one could in the world of Yardrat. Jake opened the doorway into Marda's and the other's home back in Theliondel.

Adam rushed through it, eager to see the town once again. Plus, if Adam was truthful, he wanted to rub his new life in the faces of the people who belittled him the years before Jake came into his life. He smiled up at his father when Jake handed him five silver coins and told him to go entertain himself while they were at the Guild and to return within two hours. His little hand waved at him and Shion, who were far more parents to him than his own ever were. Once he agreed to behave himself, he took off racing for vendor row and also to see Mrs. Matty once again.

Marda and Bard sounded their triumphant victory as they entered the Guild Hall. All those there that day stared in shock and were surprised at the sight of them. All thought they would die at the fangs of the dragon. Once they got over their shock, they surged from their tables and hollered out their thunderous cheers at the sight of their long-time friends. The noisy lot drew Marlin from her office, who quickly joined the merriment at the sight of the six of them. When Mark handed over the scroll Zaroth had given them, they watched how Marlin read it. Her head snapped over to Jake, asking if Duke Regis was actually there with them during the hunt. Jake told her he was only there in a support sense, yet agreed Zaroth was there and should be telling the nobles the dragon is dead.

"Then we must have a feast!" Marlin exclaimed; however, Jake backed out, telling her he had to get Adam home, but Shion could stay.

"No, betrothed, I shall be heading home with you," Shion stated, knowing she couldn't keep her libido tamped down for much longer. She needed the release, and Jake was the only one able to do so.

"Then let's get your reward," Marlin nodded. With their reward given out Jake and the others regaled them all of how their hunt went.

Marda's very large tankard waved around in the air, sloshing its contents all around as she detailed their first encounter with the dragonlings and the one they all thought the quest was about. To how Bard told them all, he almost shit himself when they faced their real target as it roared its challenge. Telling them all, if it wasn't for Jake stepping forward and taking on the dragonkin, something he noticed got Marlin's attention but no other before they scattered to their tunnels. Their tale went on even when Marlin pulled Jake away, getting him to tell her everything that happened on that mountain. Jake shared her worry that they hadn't seen the last of the dragonkin. He agreed if she heard anything about them and a quest arrived because of it he would take it on without hesitation.

Jake was never going to allow another Dragon King to rise. Even if it meant him dying in the process, he would still do it. He had seen the horror first hand they were willing to levy on innocent people. Never again. His fist clenched in his determination, not that Marlin saw as he said his parting words. Shaking Bard's forearm (as was the custom), Mark bowed his head to a superior mage as he told Jake he would take the words in the book Jake had lent him to heart. Holly ushered for the three of them to return quickly. Marda thanked Jake for helping with their quest and for when they were fear-stricken when they first faced a dragon. Jake told them all he would be in contact in a month or so when he should have one of the suits finished. He did tell them if they needed his help that Mark knew how to contact him if they needed an extra hand. That didn't mean Shion would be staying home with him. Jake knew she would be back on the road within the week.

"You know Jacob," Shion spoke, her voice soft as it floated on the air, causing Jake to turn his gaze towards her as they went to seek out Adam.

"Know what?"

"That I'm growing very use to the idea of us being married, and I know you, I haven't made it easy for you, I did undress in front of you for a reason," Shion purred, hoping the image of her naked body that always adorned their bedroll flashed in his mind. "However, if we act on how we feel that ends our chance to end things cleanly, you understand?"

"So you're saying if I want to hear those cheeks of yours clapping," watching her eyes widen in shock at how crude he was being, "this has to become official, at least in a sense, this will turn into a marriage, did I understand that correctly?" Jake asked, getting a weak nod out of her, still befuddled by his tone of voice. He pondered if he equated the look on her face to her picturing how that would go. "Don't I need to hear your answer?"

"Y-yes," Shion uttered, feeling her mound throb in anticipation.

"I see..." His index finger tapped, appearing to be in deep thought, "then I will have to see how a dark elf moans after Adam falls asleep," Jake said, causing Shion to stop in her tracks as Jake just walked on with a smile on his face.

"I have your word, Jake?" Shion asked, knowing he knew what that phrase meant.

"You do," Jake answered. Only to be yanked back by Shion; her lips burned with her passion as she savored the true meaning behind his words.

"Let's go find our boy," Shion stated with a proud smile on her lips as she strode forward, not caring about the onlookers. "Come along, betrothed; we mustn't keep Adam waiting," she uttered heatedly as she peered over her shoulder, telling Jake to follow.

After not finding him in the eastern part of the town, the two of them moved south, and there they found Adam staring down a group of boys while Adam stood protecting their latest victim due to Adam's absence. They were going to leave it alone when it appeared to them it would be an even match. His son's opponents seemed to have other plans, so they thought they would even out the odds for his son. The two of them had the aggressor's friends pinned to the ground, watching the boy's mind shut down when they just appeared out of nowhere.

"Adam, do as you see fit," Jake stated, instructing his son to use his own judgment with the skills he had learned from him.

"Yes, Father," Adam uttered, taking what his mother had taught him when grappling with enemies: get them off balance, and you own them. His former tormentor soon learned the boy was left gasping for breath on the ground. After that Jake and Shion just stood out of the way while Adam dealt with his past.

Adam's laughter filled the air as Jake carried him on his shoulders as they passed through the southern gate. Once they were well enough away from prying eyes, Jake opened the doorway to their home. Where he had a great deal of work ahead of him.
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The End.​

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