(Morning)

Sunlight broke into the window and through a crack in the curtains and down onto the sleeping forms on the bed within the room. Groaning one of the three lifted their heads from the bed before going over to the curtains, grabbing the red fabric with his clawed hand before lifting it to get a better look outside.

"UUUgggghhh," Turning his head back over to the bed one of the girls on it lifts her head rubbing the sleep in her eyes. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing wrong It's just morning,"

"Okay... can you come back to bed It's cold this morning,"

Closing the curtain to make sure more light doesn't come creeping in he turned back to her and walked over.

"Scoot over Sunset," Moving on the bed the yellow-coated pony hummed in answer before moving over.

"Heyyyy... Sunset you're kicking me,"

"Sorry Starlight," Sunset then laid down before the last of the trio got into the bed.

Clinging to his side the pony smiled feeling the warm scales of the dragon.

"Thanks, Spike..."

Spike looked down at her before smiling.

"Not a problem Sunset,"

(Dragonlands)

Opening his eyes after a dreamless sleep the werewolf naturally squeezed the thing he was holding but the usually smooth scales of Agape weren't what he felt. Looking down Jack looked down to see a familiar navy-furred bear in his arms, it took him to remember last night but seeing her cling to him the werewolf smiled before setting his muzzle on top of Juno's 'hair' fluff. Though he could feel something clinging to him and he didn't have to look to know those long arms of Agape holding not only him but Juno as well.

'If this is a dream... I don't want to wake up,'

Closing his eyes to get back to sleep the werewolf felt his mind slowly fade out.

*Knock knock*

His razor-sharp hearing snapped up with his ears hearing two light knocks on the door, lifting his head from Juno's head Jack looked towards the door. Carefully he snaked his way out of the grip of Agape and kinda performed an 'Indiana jones' instead of the golden totem and a pressure plate it was a sleeping bear and a sleeping dragon.

Juno moaned slightly at being disturbed slightly but went back down causing Jack to give a sigh of relief before going over to the door. Cracking it open slightly Jack was met with the familiar eyes of the dragonlord before he smiled and peeked his head out.

"Hey what's going on Ember?" Jack asked to which the Dragonlord had a slight smile on her face and something in her hand.

"Jack get dressed we're going hunting!" To his surprise, Ember lifted a leather harness. "Come on get some clothes on! When you're done meet me at the gate,"

Smiling Ember pushed the leather harness and the metal object into his arms before rushing off, Jack looked down at the harness before back to Ember with a slight smile.

'Alright then...'

(The palace gates)

Ember's leg bounced up and down while waiting for Jack to come out, donned in her leather hunting gear beside her normal golden dragon armor. Today she was oddly more excited than when she usually is when going hunting...

"Sorry for the wait Ember this thing was kinda difficult to put on," Turning her head with a smile Ember looked up to see Jack dressed and wearing the hunting harness she gave him, standing up Ember looked at the werewolf.

"It's fine! You look good Jack,"

Jack looked down at Ember's outfit.

"And you're looking like a badass Ryuko," The Lycan joked expecting Ember to get frustrated but she only smiled and blushed slightly. "Um... Ember are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" Ember smiled before grabbing something next to her. "Here I got this for you,"

Lifting a red cloth-wrapped object the werewolf took it in his hands confused slightly before looking at Ember who was smiling and he noticed her tail was wagging slightly too. She was really excited about him opening the gift, he looked down before unwrapping it, and to his surprise, it was an ax.

A traditional styled breaded ax, this one was much different than the ax he used a few days ago, that one was meant for the 'event' that day but this one Ember had given him was different. The shaft was made of a black wood most like out of ash ebony one of the natural trees of the dragon lands and was one of the strongest woods on Equis. Then the head of the ax was made of dragon-forged steel having a beautifully crafted piece with a cross-section on top of the ax held a small maker's mark with a dragon skull and anvil.

"Drybones made this?" Jack asked surprised by the old smithing drake mark.

"He did!"

"How I thought he wasn't doing custom orders," The werewolf asked to which the she-dragon chuckled slightly.

"Well, I kinda... 'asked' him,"

Jack looked at her with a 'did you really'.

"I had to convince him... I didn't force or anything you know 'commanded' him just had to talk him into making it," Ember told Jack before looking at seeing two small symbols engraved on either side of the blade.

"Wait... is that..." Looking up Ember held out Jack's old phone with a slightly ashamed look on her face. "You could have just asked,"

Taking his phone back and placing it in one of his pockets the dragonlord spoke up.

"Well Drybones need a reference for one of the symbols and if I would have told you... well, this wouldn't really be a surprise would it?" Ember explained to which Jack gave smiled at her.

"It's fine Ember just giving you a hard time but I like it,"

On the right side held the engraved symbol of Yggdrasil the tree of life and on the other was a symbol of the bloodstone, a gem inside the mouth of a horned dragon with wings of fire. Jack can understand why Drybones would need a reference for the tree of life but Drybones yet again hit it out of the park with his crafting skills the weapon was perfectly balanced.

Moving the Ax around his hand the Lycan turned to Ember with a sharp tooth smirk.

"So what are we hunting?"

"A Talon Snake," Ember said with a smile causing Jack to blink at the sound of the creature's name.

"You can't be serious,"

(She was serious)
(Later in the ash swamps)

The pools of black water boiled while the grey grass crunched under the weight of the massive body of the Talon snake, the giant was over forty feet long with a bunch of spikes on it's back and of course hints to it's name small yet razor sharp Talons on either side of it's body. Slithering across the grass looking for prey to eat this morning the snake's talons chattered together while the pointy-horned head of the snake watched for prey.

It stopped sliding forward before snapping hearing something causing it to stop completely including it's talons, a forked tongue flicked into the air smelling the beast's surroundings before catching a whiff of something. Looking up into the air only to see fire come down at it, moving surprisingly despite it's large size the fire missed the snake.

Looking to the air the Snake spotted a flying dragon in the air flying, hissing the Snake opened it's mouth before throwing it's head forward and shooting venom-filled spikes from it's mouth. Seeing the coming attack Ember quickly dodged them before coming down for another pass breathing fire around the snake and trapping the oversized snake to the tree line. The snake fixed it's gaze on the flying dragon it readied to spit more spikes at the dragon but soon it felt a sharp pain go down it's back.

Giving a roar the snake turned it's gaze to the snake's back seeing a strange creature latched to it's back using something to dig into the back of the great serpent. Giving a hiss the creature looked at the snake before it went to spit spikes at the beast but the dragon spewed fire at the back of the giant head of the snake.

Shrieking the snake was ready to strike out but the tool that the creature carried was pulled from the hard scales of the snake, looking at the beast who was currently jumping off it's back to the snake's head. Opening it's mouth, the snake ready itself to spit more venomous spikes but the creature threw something at it's face while in midair.

A small explosion hit it's face followed by a cloud of green smoke blinding it but the dragon flew for another pass spewing fire and setting off flammable gas in a blazing inferno. The snake's exposed eyes caught fire causing the snake to screech in pain but it was cut off as the fur-covered creature landed jabbing it's tool into the hard skull of the snake.

Trying to shake the creature off the Talon snake tried it's best to get the creature off but it had already dug into the snake's own skull before raising the tool into the air and bringing it down onto the exposed brain of the giant.

-

Falling to the ground dead the Snake stopped moving as Jack pulled out his new ax from the creature's grey matter, looking at the ax the werewolf threw the bits of brains off the ax before whipping it off on the dragon's scales. Giving a smile the Lycan looked down at the dead Talon snake, when he was a human he never hunted anything like this with Ember only smaller things but now he was this he could actually keep up with her.

"Good work Jack," Ember landed down next to him before Jack placed his ax onto his harness.

"Thanks, Ember... you weren't so bad yourself," Jack smiled holding out his arm before Ember tapped her own against his own.

"Nothing gets your blood going like a hunt in the morning," Ember stated causing the werewolf to chuckle.

"Yeah though I got to ask... why the sudden want to hunt Ember?" Jack asked to which Ember smiled.

"We'll, after all, that's happened I thought you wanted to blow off some steam also we haven't hunted anything together for a long time," Ember answered but Jack looked at her before lightly bumping into her.

"Come on Ember what's wrong?"

The dragonlord gave a sigh before turning to Jack.

"Jack? Do you like me?"

"Of course,"

"That's not what I mean Jack," The two looked at one another before Jack nodded.

"Yeah, I do,"

"But?"

"No, but... I like you a lot Ember," Jack crossed his arms not in a defensive manner but in a relaxed one. "It's just hard to say you know? I always thought you smack me upside the head or if I said anything,"

"Why would I do that?" Ember asked her hands out clearly confused by Jack's words.

"I don't know just that... look Ember I like you alright just too scared to say anything especially when I was a human! You are a freaking dragon that breathes fire! I was a weak human who could barely keep up with you when we hunt," Jack turned to the Talon Snake. "Besides the present day but still... look Ember I didn't think you want to be anything but a friend. You were a total badass and I was a pa-"

Ember slapped Jack across the face causing the werewolf to flinch in surprise but before he could say why the dragonness glared at the werewolf.

"Don't you dare finish that sentence," Rubbing his Cheek Ember looked at the werewolf before giving a sigh. "You know what? If you wouldn't do it I will,"

Leaping onto him Jack fell over with Ember startling him before kissing him, surprised the Lycan looked up before slowly melting into the kiss.

(The griffin isles border)

"Then that wolf then reached into the pony's back and pull his ribs out from behind him!"

"Holy gods really? You not just pulling my leg are you?"

"Hells no! That Wolf guy was no joke seriously why the fuck did those ponies want to create an enemy not only with the dragons but that guy?"

"Wait the dragons actually broke off their agreement with the ponies?"

*Nods*

"By the crowfather... I think that's why those new rumors are going on about,"

"What rumors?"

"Hold on you knew about that execution but not the rumor about King Leo breaking off from the alliance too..."

"But isn't our king not that big in the politics for the rest of the clans?"

"Yeah, but we hold the main military... if we go they all go and they know it,"

"Dang... is there anything else new you heard?"

"Not really no but we- hold on waiting a minute,"

"What?"

"Do you see those?"

"I don't see... holy shit... light the beacons,"

"What?"

"I SAID LIGHT THE BEACONS!"

Author's Note

Well, another chapter isn't as long as the last one but hopefully, it's good too...

Some Ember and Jack are spending some time and maybe even slowly being to form the 'pack' perhaps we'll see I can't really say anything without spoilers. Plus Jack has finally got himself a bearded ax! Besides his unity knife, Jack finally has a weapon after losing his sword.

Also some context on Spike's own relationships... our boy deserves some love and is not treated like a man-servent.

But what I wonder is happening in the Griffin Isles? What got the raven-clan so shook up?

Hmmmm...

Can you guess? The answer though... wouldn't be so obvious.