Fantasy The Same, but Different

[Renia]

Blake tugged the collar of his jacket a little higher about his neck to be sure that the golden scales at his throat were covered. The dratted fabric was too loose and kept easing down to reveal his secret, which meant Blake had to constantly readjust it. In a crowd this large, though, he doubted anyone was paying close enough attention to a random stranger to notice or care if they had dragon scales. But that certainly did not mean that he would welcome the gawking if they did.

He was beginning to think that coming here was a huge mistake, though. He had been curious as to what a city full of people would be like. It turned out that it was noisy, smelly, and busy... and not much else. How could creatures live this way, he wondered.. with no space to themselves and no privacy, and laws he could not even understand. Maybe he should just try to find a way out of here. But... which way was out?

His focus shifted to trying to find a way out of the maze of streets and stalls and bustling bodies, and his hand fell away from his neck as he tried to push his way through the crowds. Which allowed his tell-tale patch of golden scales to peek over his shirt collar and catch the sunlight, shining brightly enough to invite attention indeed.

 

[Mutt]

It had taken Ren all day to reach the market inside the city from the farm miles out. He hated taking the wagon; it was the slowest mode of transportation available to him. He preferred his horse, Runner, it would've have gotten him to his destination so much more quickly. As it was, the sun was high up in the sky singling that it was just past noon. All it all it wasn't bad timing or a bad trip. No robbers or broken wheels to slow him down and the horses seemed to be in a decent mood for travel. There wasn't much he could complain about, so he kept his small smile on his face and made his way to the stalls.

It took him a while to find the one merchant he was wanting; there was so much to look at today, wears and baubles he had never seen before. He spent close to an hour looking at old dusty books and scrolls, chit-chatting with a withered old man behind the counter. He ended up spending a little of his own coin to pick out a book about herbs and creating various potions from the plants. He stopped for lunch shortly after, a simple meal of bread and cheeses before he moved on.

He paid no heed to the questions about the blue tattoos he had on his upper right shoulder. People and their myths about "dragons", it was very silly, really. He explained about his tribe and how each member got something to match their personality, it mostly quieted down any chatter. It didn't take too much longer for Ren to get distracted again. There was a semi-large crowd in the middle of the road, after pushing his way through the throng of people he saw most of their attention was on a boy in the middle with something glowing from around his neck. He wondered what kind of expensive jewelry the man must have to attract these many on-lookers.

 

[Renia]

It was bad enough to be completely lost in a cluster of milling bodies, but to have them stop and gather around him was unbearable. For a moment Blake wondered why the people had stopped so suddenly. But it took very little time to realize that they had all turned toward him. With a grimace, he lifted his hand to his neck, and his fingers predictably brushed sharp scale edges rather than fabric. He had to fight the urge to begin his transformation. If he took his true form here, half the city would be destroyed in his escape. But with so many other beings watching him in this tiny body, the dragon felt more like prey than he cared to admit.

Dark brown eyes flashed dangerously as he attempted to cover his scales and step back. But he merely bumped onto those behind him, and found the circle of people around him growing more and more solid by the moment as more crammed in to see what the forming crowd had found. Blake did not know how to diffuse the situation. A combination of fear and annoyance mixed dangerously within him, a bomb ready to explode. And Blake felt himself begin to panic, felt his teeth and fingernails begin to sharpen and lengthen. He managed to catch himself before the grew too noticeable, hindering their growth into something far less menacing than they could become. But he saw no reason not to send the crowd a warning to stay back. A low, threatening growl formed in his throat, loud enough to be heard over the murmuring watchers. Like a cornered beast, Blake was poised to react at any moment. There may be a swarm of them, but nothing was a match for an angered dragon.

 

[Mutt]

Ren was more focused on whatever was making the stranger glow than the stranger himself. It gave off such a beautiful glow, he wanted to touch whatever metal showed if off. Fingering the coins in his pocket he wondered if he could buy it off the man's neck.

It took someone bumping into him to break his daydream. He was swallowed by a new rush of people, pushed away from the front of the group towards the middle. It almost felt like a mosh, he briefly wondered where all these people came from. The constables would probably be making their rounds soon to break up the disturbance, this large crowd couldn't be good for traffic or the merchants who were still trying to hawk their wares. He was already starting to back out of the throng of people, he certainly did not want to be here when the enforces came. Staying out of trouble was his main goal, even if he wasn't actively doing anything. His father had already strictly warned him to keep his nose to the ground and out of any trouble. Ren really wasn't too keen on stable duty again.

He was half turned away when he saw the stranger's cornered body language and tortured expression. What really startled him was the growl that seemed to come from the middle. Ren didn't see any kind of dog around the area; perhaps the circus was in town. Either way, this man seemed to be extremely distressed. Pushing his way through the crowd he called out, "Hey man, there you are! Been looking for you all day long!"

Grabbing the man's hand, he pulled him through the mass and down one of the side streets, out of the way of prying eyes. Nobody seemed too interested in following them, so he assumed it was safe to rest here for just a moment. Bending over, hands on knees, he took in several breaths of air before looking back up. "Sorry for grabbing you back there, but you looked rather uncomfortable. My name is Ren, by the way, let me know if you need anything. I'm finishing up in town so I can't stay too long."

 

[Renia]

It was as though the people around him either did not hear his warning, or simply did not fear him. They continued to press forward, closing in around him until Blake felt he would be overwhelmed. They all seemed to be very interested in his scales. What were they going to do, exactly? Tear them from his neck? The first to try would lose a hand!

But suddenly the group broke for a young man who fearlessly approached him. Blake was not very accustomed to humans, but even he could read the friendliness of the smile the man gave. The words made no sense, but the confusion kept Blake quite docile when his hand was grabbed and he was pulled forward. Following almost obediently he found himself slipping past the mob that had nearly engulfed him, and soon they were hidden within an alleyway, out of sight of the onlookers and out of danger for the moment.

The poor human seemed exhausted, by the way he leaned down and gulped air.. or perhaps that was only a human's way of dealing with stress? He knew so little about their kind... But hearing the man's explanation, Blake offered him a small, tight smile. "Thank you. If you had not escorted me from that situation I fear the outcome might have been grim."

He began to open his mouth to ask Ren if he could tag along with him if he were about to leave the city, but stopped short when his eyes found the sight of blue scales revealed on the man's right shoulder where his shirt was skewed due to leaning down as he was. Blake raised a brow at that. Another Dracoling? He could have scoured the land in search of one of his own kind and never been able to track one down. How was it possible that he had simply run into one?

"I could use some assistance in leaving this place," he finally managed, a bit distractedly. He was still trying to comprehend that he was speaking to another of his kind. "You seem to know our way around... as well as how to get out of tough situations. It looks as though you are quite accustomed to being amongst humans and the like, but I'm afraid I have rarely left my cave. May I travel with you?"

 

[Mutt]

Ren gave him a cheerful grin. He wasn't sure how the stranger would react to him suddenly grabbing his hand, but he seemed to appreciate the save. He could already hear the crowd starting to dissipate as whistles and shouts filled the air, the officers doing their job. He hoped that no one would search them out or stop them on the way out, a confrontation wasn't really in his plan for escape. He was prepared to give some instructions for the back alleys out of the city when the question caught him off guard. He was slightly confused on why this stranger lived in a cave. Perhaps he was a hermit?

Clapping him on the shoulder, Ren started to leave down the path, the opposite of which they entered in from. "Sure! My tribe wouldn't mind welcoming a traveler for a little while. I can show you around here in a few days when things settle down. My horse and wagon isn't far from here. It is a bit of a ride, though, so I hope you aren't too hungry."

 

[Renia]

Blake followed the stranger along the alley, grateful that another Dracoling was so willing to help him out. He felt much safer with another of his own kind, for whatever reason. It was not like he had met any others since leaving his nest. But still, it almost felt like the world was a little less lonely, just knowing another Dracoling shared the immediate vicinity. He was also slightly curious... He had only meant to ask if he could travel with Ren until they made it out of the city, but Ren had thought he meant longer than that. And Blake was becoming intrigued with following him. Mention of a tribe.. could he mean there were Dracolings living together somewhere?

But he stopped short when his new friend mentioned a horse and wagon. Blinking, he raised a brow. "Why do you travel with a horse? They are so slow at crossing long distances... Wouldn't it be faster if we flew?"

 

[Mutt]

The walk past to his mode of transportation was in companionable silence. Ren didn't try to push conversation, seeing that Blake seemed to prefer the quiet walk.

He reached out to the snout of his nearest horse, petting and cooing to it. The pair seemed equally agitated; their nostrils were flared and their ears pinned back hard against their head. He briefly wondered if the aura of Blake still being spooked might have tipped them off, but dismissed the idea rather quickly. It was probably due to some wondering children wanting to pet and play with the horses' manes. It didn't take too long for them to be calmed down.

Ren turned to his friend after the mention of flying. What on earth could that possibly mean?

"I'm...not sure what you mean, friend. Horses are the only mode of transportation I've heard of. I certainly don't know what you mean by flying," he gave a chuckle.

 

[Renia]

Watching Blake with the beasts was almost mesmerizing to Blake, who had never seen a horse so calm before. They were creatures of prey to dragons, and although Blake typically only hunted deer in the forests around his home, he had seen plenty of wild horses. And they had a keen nose for his kind. He was fairly surprised these had not already bolted away. How was Ren able to calm them down? Blake had to admit, for animals, they were certainly beautiful creatures.

His gaze widened as Ren denied any knowledge of flying. Dragons were practically born knowing how to fly! How could one of his own race even jest at it being impossible?

Surely Ren had to be joking... Or... Perhaps Ren had not rescued him because he had recognized him as a fellow Dracoling? Had Ren not seen his scales after all? Perhaps that explained it... He did not know that he was with another Dracoling and felt he had to protect himself. Blake smiled reassuringly. "It's alright, friend. I noticed your scales earlier, when you bent down in the alley. They are quite a beautiful shade of blue, I think they are a far more interesting color than my golden ones. But if you do not wish to transform and leave your animals behind, I understand. I do not think that they will allow me near them, though.. Perhaps I can just follow along behind the wagon."

 

[Mutt]

Ren took a small step backward away from Blake, trying his best to keep his expression as neutral as possible. Was he maddened by the plague? He didn't look ill and he did mention living in a cave. Could he just be so far into delusions that he thinks he can transform and fly? And the mention of scales? He knew at least he was referring to his tattoos, that he could dispell any kind of strange thought about those.

He ran a hand through his blonde hair, taking a deep breath. There could be a risk taking Blake down to the village, if he was sick the whole tribe could fall down to sickness. But he knew what his father would say if he didn't bring him back with him. He was more afraid of the earful he would receive than any kind of repercussions.

"Scales? I'm sorry...you must be mistaken. These here are my tribal tattoos," he lifted up his sleeve to show off the impressive marks. "I'm not sure what you mean by transforming but you're more than welcome to sit beside me or sit in the back with my wares. You don't have to walk the entire way, my boys here do tend to pick up the pace."

 

[Renia]

Mystified by the other's responses, Blake decided that perhaps he was pushing too far in trying to get Ren to admit he was a Dracoling. The man was so against revealing his own nature that... Blake actually wondered if the man knew what he was at all. Well, if Ren chose to live believing he was an ordinary human, perhaps it was not his place to change that. But Blake was not going to pretend to be anything other than what he was. Not with Ren, at least. The man /had/ saved him, after all.

"Your animals will not let me near them, I'm afraid. I will have to walk, or fly.. though that could end up frightening them as well." He sighed. "I know you do not believe me, but I can prove what I am. Look," he murmured, pulling the collar away from his neck to fully reveal the bright, golden dragon scales at his neck. "It's a mark of my race. When we become humans, there is always a patch of scales to remind us of our other form. You can touch them if you like... They are most certainly not tattoos."

 

[Mutt]

"Nah, don't sweat it. The beasties were probably spooked by some of the children running around is all. It isn't the first time I've had to calm them down from a trip into the city and it certainly will not be the last." Giving a pat to the monstrous black horse, he hopped into the driver's seat to his wagon. How anything managed to scare his monsters in horse form was beyond him, just about every child was afraid of them and most adults wouldn't anywhere near them. He reckoned it was some kind of toy snake or something else that made loud noises that set them off edge. Making up his mind, Ren dismissed the idea of Blake's presence scaring them. He wasn't about to make the poor man walk miles and hours out on the road when it would be easier for them both to share a ride.

"I'm not sure how you'll be flying, but the seat up here next to me is mighty fine I'm telling you." Learning over he took a closer look at the spot Blake was pointing at. He mostly ignored the "becoming human" part and focused more at the spot before him. It looked almost identical to his own but in a rich golden color. The pattern seemed a little off as well, but every ink artist had their own flare.

"Sorry, I'm not really allowed to touch another's marking. That is usually reserved for married couples," he replied, a tad bit uncomfortable. "If you're really dead set on walking, we best start up our pace now if we want to reach home before sundown."

 

[Renia]

This Dracoling was in complete denial... Blake shook his head in wonder that anyone could fool themselves so completely. There was an excuse for every bit of evidence. Well, save for one, and he was unsure of whether transforming when Ren did not even foster the slightest possibility that dragons could exist would be too much shock for the man. He had the distinct feeling that it might be.

Glancing at the horses, he found them both to be eyeing him, and they tossed their heads in instant nervousness, snorting and pawing the ground with powerful hooves. No, he was certainly not going to be permitted near those creatures, even if Ren saw their nervousness as completely normal. So Blake decided that there was no other choice but to walk. Perhaps it would be better to part ways here, though? He'd only agreed to follow because he had been excited to meet another dracoling, but a dracoling who did not know what he was... it was a bit uncomfortable to have the man believe him insane.

Still, he found himself beginning to walk along with the wagon toward Ren's tribe. Perhaps he was simply curious as to how a dracoling could exist among humans without being found out, to the point that he fully believed himself human? Whatever it was, he felt his journey was not yet concluded. Besides, if anything went wrong, he could always fly home in an instant. So there was no real reason to avoid seeing this through.

 

[Mutt]

(So sorry, thought I replied! I'll get a reply tomorrow when I get up!)