The Forgotten Zodiac

((It's fine~))

Mithor jerked away, throwing his head back in a startled move. "What? What?" he said, glancing around as Lutrez and Boko giggled. "Are we under attack?"

"No, no," Vaira said, bending her head forward and licking under his chin. "We're fine. We just had some questions about the upcoming mate ceremony. See, Boko wants to join in. Lutrez is too small to join, so we thought Boko could fill in the spot instead. What do you think?"

Mithor blinked at her, then looked down at Boko and tilted his head. "Hmm. I don't see why not," he said with a shrug. "I'm just not sure how well the elders will take to the idea. Some of them still don't believe that Boko should being living with us as a 'dragon'." He scratched his muzzle with his long claws, then said "I'm certain we can make them see reason, though."

"I'll do just as good as any dragon!" Boko said hotly. The elders had never taken kindly to him. He was glad that the oldest ones, Naybrin and Mithor, liked him. "And don't worry, Lutrez, you'll be able to do it next year." Boko purred. "Thanks for giving up your place for me."

"Of course. It's the least I could do." Lutrez smiled happily, then said under his breath, "Watch out for Leonen and his gang, though..."

Boko nodded, flicking his tail about. He then nosed Vaira's pouch, sticking his nose in to check on Shiya. She was fast asleep and his only purred more at that, though he did back out to leave her to rest.

Vaira bent her head and exhaled over her pouch, then said "Come, Mithor. Let's go speak to the Elders now. I'm sure we can convince them." She lowered her head down to Boko and Lutrez, saying "Will you two be okay for a little while? I think it best if you wait outside while we speak to them. In fact, I should probably wake Shiya..." She turned her head to her pouch and whispered into it, saying "Shiya, honey, I need you to wake up now..."

The little red-and-gold dragoness' eyes flickered open, then she slowly slid out of the warm pouch, moving over to Boko and curling up next to him.

Boko easily slid himself around Shiya, blowing his fire over her; Drakeling fire was weak and pathetic compared to dragon's fire. For her, it was just like a larger dragon exaling on her. There was very little difference, really...

"I should head back now," Lutrez said quietly. Boko nodded, waving a farewell to his friend as the small dragon flew off to return to his mother and aunt.

Shiya shivered and nuzzled under Boko's chin, sighing. She licked his nose, feeling grateful for all of his kindness, then heard the whoosh of wings overhead and quickly curled under Boko in fear.

Leonen, a large, ugly sort of green-colored dragonling, had landed nearby with about four others at his side. They zoned in on Boko like hawks.

"Shiya, what're you doing with this idiot?" Leonan rumbled, his voice already fairly deep for an eighty-yearling. "Don't you know that I'm going to be winning your mating rights in the ceremony?"

"I-it's n-not m-mating r-rights," she stammered, trembling mightily. "I-it's like b-boyfriend and g-girlfriend..."

"That's what you think," he sneered, licking his thick lips with his pink tongue. "In fact, let's practice how the ceremony will go down. Move it or lose it, drakeling." He loomed over Boko, glaring down at him.

Boko flicked his ears, lifting his head. He flicked the end of his tail, tightening his coils around Shiya. His tail was long when stretched out to its fullest; when he was done, Shiya was encased in a coil pot of silver scales with a torn wing for a lid. Boko opened his mouth and said one word, "No," Then he spat a mouthful of fire at Leonen. Of course, just as it didn't hurt Shiya, it hardly made the large dragonling flinch. It was more akin to...a spit in the face.

Leonen bellowed and plunged onto his hind legs, claws and teeth bared. "You're going to pay for that one!" he shouted, slamming into Boko and growling angrily. Boko was smaller than him, so Leonen was quickly able to tump him over, dislodging Shiya from his coils. She squealed in fear and tried to run away, to frightened to fly. One of Leonen's friends knocked her over with a well-aimed swipe, making her squeal her soft squeak in fear as he jumped on top of her, keeping her pinned to the ground so she couldn't get away.

Boko scrabbled about for a hold on the ground, keeping his body low. He suddenly lunged up, lightning quick, and clamped his teeth around Leonen's neck while grinding his claws down the dragon's scales, which caused old, shedding scales to clatter to the ground. He could dig deeper, but it was more of a warning than anything. A reminder of the scar Leonen already had due to Boko's teeth and claws.

Boko jumped back, snarling. "I'm going to participate in the ritual too," He snapped. "And if you think for a second that I'd let you muscle your way onto Shiya like that...you're dead wrong." He snarled with a tone that hardly belonged in his mouth.

Although he was hardly intimidating, being so small.

((FIXED))

Leonen staggered backwards, laughing suddenly. "You? In the dragon ritual? Ha! I think I'll laugh! You honestly don't think the Elders will let you enter, do you? You're a drakeling. You could never hope to measure up to dragon standards! Shiya is my future mate, not some lowly drakeling's. She'll warm up to me, you'll see." He turned away, gesturing at his friends, then they strutted away, looking just as pompous as ever.

Shiya was curled up in a heap, sobbing. She was so small...ever since Leonen and his gang had started bullying her, she had started losing weight, very subtly.

Boko felt himself filled with fury as he looked at Shiya's sobbing frame and Leonen's retreating rear. Furious, all-consumning rage built up inside him. He felt it boiling and burning his throat, constricting his tounge, pressing on the roof of his mouth...

Smoke leaked from his nostrils, and suddenly, he knew exactly what he was about to do. He darted forward and let it fly; a burst of fire that wasn't like his others. Fueled by hate and rage and the drive to protect others, his orange flames had turned silver and burned white hot. He roared as he let it out at Leonen's tail; it set the grass ablaze underneath it, the flames were so hot. But alas, Leonen was already too far away...his silver fire hit nothing but air. So he pointed it upwards, blasting it into the sky until it exhausted him. He finally gave up and returned to Shiya, grumbling.

"I'll show him...I'm getting into that ritual, Shiya. I'm going to show him that he can't just take you like that. I'll make him pay for that..." He looked down at her sadly, licking her head and neck with his black tongue. Then he paused, asking quietly, "Why does he think he can do that, anyway? How long...Shiya, how long has he been treating you like this?"

She pressed close to him, still crying, and decided her secret would be safe with her closest (and one of her only) friends.

"Ever s-since m-momma passed a-away," she stammered. "Th-that was a long t-time a-ago...and I g-guess they th-thought I was w-weak or s-something, because I-I didn't have my mom anymore...they just...s-started and n-never stopped..." She pressed her narrow face into his chest scales, sobbing quietly.

Boko curled his claws around the back of her head, feeling numb as hate flowed through him again. But he forced it down, not wanting to hurt Shiya unintentionally. He pulled away from her and touched his muzzle to hers. "They'll stop. They will. They can't bully love out of you...they can't force their way into being your mate, either. Ritual or not. I'm going to win. I'm going to beat them all, and I'm going to prove to you - and them, too! - that you aren't alone." He nuzzled her over and over again, curling around her protectively. "I'll fight for you, Shiya. Even...even if, somehow, I don't win. They'll have to kill me to get anywhere close to you, from here on out."

He paused for a moment, then started nudging her towards the cave where he and his mother and father slept. "Come on. I'm going to keep you safe. Mommy won't mind if you sleep in here with me. You need sleep. We have a big day tomorrow, after all." He shivered with excitement at the thought, but he covered it up by twisting around and rolling onto the ground in front of Shiya. "You okay?" He questioned, looking up at her.

"I...I'll be fine," she murmured, gently licking his muzzle in quiet joy at his words. She believed him. She believed he wouldn't let them hurt her anymore. "Please, I want to stay with you. I...really want to. See..." She glanced around, then slowly revealed her next secret. "Daddy...daddy is getting really, really old. He...he's started to forget me. Whenever he does remember, he's not concerned if I'm not there. He just...thinks I'm out playing with you all, which I am, but...even when he remembers, it's like he's still forgotten. Ever since mommy died..." She sniffed, then pressed close, tucking herself down against him.

Boko sighed a bit. He knew about that bit, at least a little. The old man never recognized him...never payed him much mind, and never seemed to care. "Well, I remember," He nodded, on fire with passion to protect and help Shiya as much as possible. He wasn't quite sure why, but something about her...he just couldn't stand to see her unhappy or upset or...anything like that. "I remember, and I'll never forget, Shiya. Come on," He led her into his home, making her lie down and bringing her boiling-hot water, a bit of food, and even a few shiny jewels to look at. Then he curled up around her again, settling his chin on her shoulder. "I'll do anything you want me to. All you have to do is ask. You're like a sister to me...but...but better. So just sleep now, Shiya...eat, drink, then sleep."

She blinked her blue eyes up at him, tears still leaking down her cheeks, then she slowly nibbled at the food and took a few long drinks from the water. She breathed out a bit of steam, then tucked her nose down under his chin, her tears stopping slowly. How could she possibly keep being upset when Boko was so willing to protect her and take care of her? She let him wrap his coils around her, sighing and slowly dozing off.

A moment later, Vaira and Mithor approached the cave. They spoke in hushed tones, then Mithor departed and Vaira entered the cave, smiling wearily at the sight of her son and the little dragoness.

Vaira sighed softly, then curled herself around him and began running her tongue over her beloved child's scales. She loved Boko more than any dragon mother could ever hope to love their little one, for she would never be able to have her own children. He had been her hope, her dream, her only chance to have a family. He was her baby, regardless of species. In her mind, she could be a drakeling, or he a dragon. She didn't care. He was her little one and would always be.

"They refused to let you participate," she whispered, not questioning why Shiya was there. She was like a daughter anyways, and Vaira had long known that old Aldun had begun forgetting his child. "Elisra thought it would be okay, but the others...well, they thought that a drakeling shouldn't be allowed to 'encroach' on our traditions. Pah. They don't yet understand that it is a new age for both of our kinds. They still can't stand when some of the drakelings visit or when dragons go to meet their new friends in the caves. Senile old fools..."

She sighed, then said "I know. That's why me and Mithor are going to help you. You don't know what to expect, but we're going to help you prepare for it. Except..." She too glanced at his wings, giving a soft moan. "...the final part is the Skydance. Once you've passed all of the other rituals, you would be left with the Skydance. By then, you would know who your partner would be. If she accepted, you would both fly up into the sky, at a point that will be marked by other dragons. From there, the two will lock claws and plummet together. If they trust each other, they'll only let go at the last second. It's one of the hardest tasks, because a lot of dragons have died before. Your claws can become tangled, or you could not pull up soon enough..." She exhaled, then said "But...you can't fly..." She crooned her sorrow, nuzzling Boko softly.