Sentient Difference

Sweat. I awoke to the feeling of my body dripping with sweat. The reason? Most likely falling asleep in my fur coat seems most logical. I opened my eyes to see that I lay next to the long dead campfire I fixed up after my victory. I gradually got up and did my daily routine, stretching my muscles and making satisfying popping sounds of my bones. After feeling fully stretched, I quickly snatched my bloody stained bag of leftovers of yesterday’s kill. I nearly ripped it open as I began to pour out the gory meat, then feasting on it like a crazed animal.

The cold flesh sent the delicious sensation of bloody meat on my taste buds, still just as good as the last time I devoured it. After I gorged down the scraps of meaty food, I grabbed my spears, sheathed my ax, and slipped on my empty sack. Fully ready to face the outside world of light, I began my trek out of the cave and made my way down to the small river banks that rolled down the mountain. I stride down the dirt path slowly, enjoying the songs of nature’s music. The sound of birds chirping sent a lovely toon to my ear holes, while the buzzing of the insects kept their beat going with the rest of the wildlife. I found myself soon by the banks of the river, not too far from where the bird-lion hybrid was impaled into a tree.

I paid no heed to that stupid creature’s death, only focusing on what needed to be done. I began stripping myself of my clothes and hung them onto a nearby branch with my weapons. I was stained in the blood and grime of my late night feasting, giving off a noticeable odor to any predator nearby. I needed not just clean myself to make me less detectable or to be somewhat sanitary, but my very being told me I needed to cleanse myself of the weaker blood of my enemies.

But I then realized that I needed to take a dumb, badly. After sometime occupying a nearby bush, I slowly began dipping myself into the water. I had slept in by a few hours, enjoying my late night feast. Also the slow trek wasted some daylight too. By now, it was almost noon when I had finished brushing and scraping off the dry blood that stuck to my skin. I then rose out of the water and dried myself with big leaves from an odd tree. I then used the wet leaved to rid the stains of blood on my clothes, leaving bits of a light green stain that smelled like the forest, concealing my sent from other creatures. I smiled as I liked the odor that it gave off.

But then I smelled an all too familiar scent. It smelled just like that of the cave, and it was on the move. I quickly grabbed my stuff and stalked low in the brush, flowing the sent. I soon found the source of the small. There stood the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. It stood on two double jointed legs like I did. It also had a slim and graceful figure. It was scaled in moonlit white with light gray horns adorned on its head like a crown. I then looked briefly into its beautiful crimson blood eyes. Just by looking at its figure and soft features, I would guess female. She stood a bit shorter than me, looking young and elegant as a white rose in full bloom, practically glowing in the sun.

She wore a dull gray and soft blue dress with some satchels the hung on her shoulder. But I was quick to note on the huge long greatsword that sheathed on her back. It looked as strong and powerful as her beauty. She also had a pair of huge white featherless wings. After taking in the beautiful sight, I then began rise from my hiding spot and began to approach the lovely being, trying to look as unthreading as possible. She heard me and quickly looked around to see me with a shocked expression.

“What are you?” She muttered out, looking at me, unsure as what I was or to predict me as a threat.

“Nova 'Vadam.” I growled out in my native tongue, sounding gentle even with my deep voice. She seemed even more shocked as she heard my voice.

“You speak Ancient Draconic?” She said, gaining the tilting of my head.

“Do understand now?” Now it was my true to be shocked. She spoke in my tongue.

“You speak my tongue?” I asked astonished and relieved.

“Not too well, I... have drink that grants language.” She said, showing that she was rusty with this “Ancient Draconic” language. She grabbed a blue sparkling bottle and opened it.

“Drink little.” She said, I sipping the buzzing potion, feeling my mouth and lungs being enhanced and buzzing with the blue liquefied magic. She then took the bottle and quickly sealed it with the cork

“Do you understand me now?” She asked, now speaking in her language, sounding much more elegant and sweeter than before.

“I understand? I speak your tongue!” I said, speaking her language fluently; yet sounding deep and strong as before.

“Yes, I know, alchemy is a wonderful skill of mine.” She said, her smile shining like that of the sun.

“Anyway, my name is Sera Ruby. I didn’t quite get your name, mind telling me it again?” She asked, observing my figure. My mind melted away at her name, so soothing and lovely… But I needed to answer her.

“I am Nova of the 'Vadam clan, but Nova is just fine.” I said, trying my best not to lose my first friend in this strange world.

“Nova, such a wonderful name! I’ve never seen any creature quite like you before…Err, are you a species of Dragon?” She asked, observing me even more. My heart fluttered at the

“I am lost both physically and mentally.” I said truthfully, feeling guilty for some unknown reason, as if unable to answer her question was a sin.

“Oh… I see, I think I know of a potion that could revive lost memory. I think I have the ingredients at home…” She then began to mutter off into her thinking. My eyes widen at her mentioning she could bring back my memories.

“Is your home in a cave on that mountain?” I asked, pointing my finger at the cave I have been resting at. She came back from her thoughts and looked at where I was pointing at.

“Yes, it’s my father’s cave actually and- Wait… How did you know?” She asked, looking at me with raised scaly brow.

“I found the cave three days ago, I found the massive treasure and have been guarding till the owner comes back. But I’ve been mostly resting near the entrance and gathering food.” I said truthfully. She still held her puzzled look, trying to see through me and find any lies, obviously finding none.

“Why didn't you just take the hoard or even steal a bit of it?” She asked. I locked onto her crimson rose eyes as she did onto my thick, sickening yellow tree sap eyes.

“For the last two days my survival was first before luxury. And even if I was wall and safe, I have no reason to take the riches. When I saw the pile of gold, I saw not to be my own, but saw the honor of who owned it to have my respect. But when I found no one to guard it, I deiced to keep the treasure untouched in return for resting in the owners cave.” I said, locked onto those eyes of pure beauty as she looked into my soul, seeing nothing but the honest truth. She stepped back, realizing she was a foot away from my face and blushed slightly. She then gained her composure quickly and spoke again.

“You are definitely different from any dragon male I’ve ever met. Even if still wingless, you show no greed or lust as those dumb hatchlings.” She said, almost spat at the memory of whoever she had met.

“But no dragon has ever came upon a horde just to guard it till the rightful owner comes to claim it. What is the real reason that you didn’t just take anything from my father’s hoard?” She demanded, ready to unsheathe her deadly greatsword.

“Honor.” I replied, now standing at full height and showing my strength. She raised her scaly eyebrow once again, lowering her hand away from the sword’s handle.

“To steal is most dishonorable. If I wanted that treasure, I would duel the owner for the claim.” I said, seeming to convince her that I was no thief.

“Well then, you must be a real living Ancient or you're the best liar I have ever seen. Bot seem to be impossible to me.” She said turning around and began walking away.

“I am tired from my journey and want to relax. Do you want to join me or not?” She said in a teasing manner. I instantly began walking by to her side, gained a giggle and slight blush from the female dragon. She then began to talk to me at a steady rate, mostly about the variety of potions she had made with the ingredients of the forest. Some deadly, some helpful, and some for random things, but I paid the utmost attention in her words. While listening to her, I also analyzed my surrounding for anything that stood as a threat. But her words soothed my mind, dimming my sensing just to hear her beautiful voice and taking in her knowledge. She just kept talking and I listened as we made our way to the mountain.

“You know, you're the first to make it out this long to my ranting and to be still paying attention.” She said, taking note that I listened to her the whole way.

“I’m not sure what my father might think about you stay with us, but the fact that you're probably an Ancient One will definitely swayed his doubts and let you sat with us as long as you need. In fact, he should have been here a week ago, probably just caught up in something with his old friends.” She said, smiling as she thought about her father. But her face turned to sudden shock as she stared over at where the dead tree used to be.

“You… You cut down my mother’s tree.” She said, a tear already falling from her eye. I then felt a bolder of guilt fall as I realize that burnt tree meant something to Sera.

“I… I didn’t know the tree had such value. I am deeply sorry.” I said, truly feeling bad that I had broken her heart.

“My mother hatched me when the tree bloomed with its pink flowers. She said that she planted the seeds with a part of her soul…” She said, tears falling down her scaly cheek.

“When mom died, the tree was I had left of her... And you CUT IT DOWN!” She shouted furiously, puffs of smoke forming from her nostrils. I looked at her with a guilty gaze as she ran from me and began to cry. I stood there for a few minutes, her tearing cries becoming pain filled flames. I sat near the entrance, thinking that I would be burned alive if I entered. Hours passed, soon dimming down and she had turn the remaining old wood into dying embers and a pile of cooked ash. After the temperature had gone from burning forest fire to normal, I walked in to see that Sera was curled up in a ball, no longer crying from the lack of water in her tear ducts.

“I am truly sorry for destroying the last thing of your mother.” I will take what’s left of my stuff and leave.” I said, beginning to look for anything salvageable from her rampaging flames. She slowly got up from her spot on the floor and looked at me with her dry eyes.

“Don’t go…” She said in a mumbling whisper. I looked back at her, seeing that she looked scared.

“I don’t want to be alone again.” She said, rubbing her dry eyes. I slowly walked over to her and took her hand.

“If you wish me to say, I will.” I said, now being embraced into a strong hug. Not enough to hurt, but snug and firm. She began to mumble something into my shoulder.

“Thank you.” She said, letting go and looked up into my eyes.

“Thank you.” After she thanked again, she began to clean up her mess and she got dinner ready. Apparently, passed the treasure, there was a set of rooms that had a kitchen and lab just for her. Plus she had a huge room just for things she had collected, such as weapons and supplies ranging from leather products to metals and other materials. She had destroyed my dagger in her fit of crying, but the amount of supplies she was willing to let me use, I could make a new and better dagger and even make some extra clothes. But that was a time for latter, for now, we were eating gems.

She spent a good twenty minutes time preparing the food. She began smashing half a dozen fist sized gems and turning them into a fine grain mixed. She then added a wine bottle’s worth of something that should help give me some nuisance. She ended up making a pot of the stuff and filled a bowl with bits of green, red, blue gems with a strange yellow liquid mixed all together. I drank from the bowl, over whelming my taste and began feeling the overly sweet sensation of the cold soup. After I drank the rest of the bowl, she then began to prepare dinner at the table she had in the kitchen.

We ate and talked, mostly her telling the stories of her travels while I asked for more details or question on some of her poisons that I had taken interest. It soon came time that the sun began to dawn over the horizon. After dinner, she lead me to her room and gave me a soft fur blanket. I slept in the storage room on some hay while she attended to her bed. She was so kind and sweet it made my heart beat faster while in her presence. And I think she had the same feeling while being around me. I could feel a connection grow between us, a bond forming with the feel of something erotically grabbing my heart. I tasted the feeling again as I closed my eyes, now realizing what had taken over my mind. I had tasted love, and it was true to my heart’s content.