Kingdoms of Ohm: The Lonely Dragon #1 ✓

Warm Mornings

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I found sleep to be the savior of my busy day.

Whenever my mantle was passed to the night guards, a pleasing feeling would enwrap me and lull me away to my caverns. Call it fatigue, if you will, but to a dragon this was freedom, the greatest of all kinds. Weary, tired, and sore, I'd drag my armored tail into my humble abode, and settle against the plumes of moss and leaves glistening in the moonlight. Some days I'd take off my metallic armor if I had the energy to. Other nights I'd simply collapse without warning.

This was one of those days.

And, in the cool, dark shadow of the rock, I succumbing to the rumble of the volcano writhing quietly beneath me, and fell asleep.

Unfortunately, I didn't recall much of my dreams that night. It was short-lived -- whatever dream dragon entitled to me clearly forgot his or her job. Oh well.

In the east, an ancient flower bloomed over the horizon, its golden radiant petals stretching like flames across the rich blue sky. A warmth, unlike any other, soaked the mountainside of Az'hark in a wave of blood-orange, melting away the snowy ice caps and the frost-like mist that gathered at it's base. Simple puffs of white rub against the fading stars above, and a sweet scent (like a warm summer's dew) seeps into my lungs, marking the start of a new day.

I soon felt movement beneath my upper wing; another dragon had ruled over the will to sleep to start anew. I hadn't... which, unbeknownst to me, was a bit annoying. A couple of paces sounded from it's claws -- shifting to and fro -- before clicking over to me, a single talon resting on my shoulder. I felt an electrifying breath burn upon my blue scales, all before a soothing, cold lick roused me from my own slumbers. Grumbling, I turned away slightly, only to feel yet another tickling lick stroke against my snout. I chuckled.

"Mrrawr..." I slowly opened my eyes as another lick grazed across me. "You're frisky this morning."

"Well..." The light-blue dragoness rumbled back in amusement, her scaly snout greeting me with one last lick. "It is a holiday after all."

I purred once, flexing my bare wings out to relieve myself of the tension cramping within, then yawned rather loudly, my pristine fangs glistening in the sun. Blinking twice over, I turned to my side, noticing the gear I wore now neatly stowed away to the far right of the cave. Both nostrils flared up in surprise.

Huh.

"You were asleep when I returned from my shift," Nayre snorted, smiling over to me. "Still armored, too. So, I did the honors of taking it off for you."

"Oh..." I blinked. "I... did not realize."

"Tired, weren't you, my love?"

"Very," I exhaled. "I feared my wings would fall off because of how much I flew that afternoon. Xikori put me to work!"

The dragoness scoffed, noticing the inflamed scales on my joints. "I see that."

"But I am more surprised that I didn't feel you when you did help me."

"You know I'm a professional," cooed Nayre, who drew another lick across my snout. "But about your armor..."

"My armor?"

She then raised a single claw at me. "It needs a wash. I only took a sniff, and it ruined my snout all night!"

"Really?" I raised my brow playfully at her over reaction. "Was it that bad?"

"Kantar would agree!"

I flared my nostrils, inhaling my musk and grunted. "It smells more like victory to me," I said slyly, slowly shifting toward her in my hunter pose. "The epitome of a hard working, masculine dragon-"