The Forgotten Zodiac

Boko's heart sank. He wasn't big and strong. He was made for running and avoiding attacks, not delivering them. And it would be harder, because he couldn't permanantly hurt anyone...his claws ripped through dragon scales like butter! He'd have to be extra careful not to hurt anyone badly. But he was determined to do everything he could; he slowly had a plan forming in his little mind, a plan that would help him get by this trial.

He could only hope that he was matched with someone more his size.

Leonen was still looking extremely smug, and he sauntered over to the drakeling and the dragoness, who were still curled close to each other. "Looks like you're going down here, nethra," he growled, turning away again.

Shiya whimpered and tucked herself down between Boko's forelegs, her back-spines brushing his underbelly.

Boko held himself tall regardless, and only lowered his head to lick Shiya's ears. "It's okay," He murmured. "I'll fight to the best of my ability. Oh," He twisted his head around, biting the release clasp on his fake wing, letting it drop off. "I don't want that broken. I need it for the last challenge. It might put me at even more of a disadvantage, but...I can do it." He nodded once or twice, confident in himself. Then he rested his chin on Shiya's head, smiling. "Don't worry."

Shiya crooned a soft note, feeling completely at ease under the drakeling. Like she was safe here. She nuzzled under his chin, extending her tongue gently to caress his silver scales. "I'm not worried," she said quietly, her blue eyes bright and innocent as she stared up at him. "I know you'll protect me." She extended a claw and pulled the fake wing close, holding it as carefully as she could.

The Elders parted at that moment, and Mithor stepped forward again.

"We have decided the matches," he said. He went on to name off several pairs of the males, all of which were evenly-matched. Until he got to Boko.

Who was paired with Leonen.

Mithor looked disapproving as he said this pair, and behind him, several of the Elders exchanged sly looks. It was clear that Boko had been paired unfairly, behind Mithor's back.

Boko tugged at the grass with his claws, staring at Mithor in disbelief. Leonen was literally the largest Dragonling here. Boko's tail was completely still, signaling his nervousness. But he sighed and licked Shiya's head again before sliding away from her and walking to his much larger opponent.

He did his best to hold himself tall, his ears flicked back and his excitement gone.

Mithor caught Boko's gaze, signalling his own confusion, then mouthed "Good luck," before lifting his head and announcing the order of the fights. Leonen and Boko were third in line, but before the first pair started, Mithor gave a warning. "Remember, this is a show of strength," he warned. "This is not a serious fight. This is, more or less, your chance to impress the female you might very well spend the rest of your life with. This is not a chance for you to kill someone. That's not what this second trial is about. Fight well, and fight honorably."

The first two fights passed in such a manner. They got rough, but nobody got hurt, and several of the girls seemed impressed with the skills demonstrated there.

Now, however, it was Boko's turn to fight.

As he and Leonen stepped into the ring, the larger dragonling spoke from the corner of his mouth. "I am going to make you look so bad in front of Shiya," he hissed. "You're going to wish you hadn't set a claw near her."

"If I'm going to lose," Boko chose his words carefully, his tail shivering as he held his frame low to the ground. "Then I'm going to lose with dignity, at least." He muttered in return, then glared up at Leonen. "You won't show anything by winning, at that. I'm weaker than you by a longshot...what will it prove for you to beat me? That you're a big bully, that's what. You don't win anything from beating me up."

"I don't care," Leonen snarled from the side of his mouth, facing Boko and giving the usual low bow before the fight would start. Boko mimiked the movement. "These Elders won't care. They're too old and...easily influenced. I'm going to crush you, and I'm going to enjoy it. Your daddy isn't here to stop the fight, after all." His lips curled back, revealing his sharp, crooked teeth, then he rose up to await Mithor's signal.

Boko straightened up at looked up at Mithor, holding his head high. His tail was flicking around again, his eyes focused on Mithor, but out of the corner of his eye, he kept a careful eye on Leonen. He said nothing further, his piece given; he tensed every muscle he could and readied himself to lunge away at a moment's notice.

It was good that he was prepared. The second Mithor's fire burst from his mouth in signal, Leonen had leapt for the drakeling. Boko skittered away, however, and the two started to circle each other. Boko was at a severe height and strength disadvantage, but he was a lot smarted than Leonen.

Boko immediately put his plan into battle. He darted forward, quick as lightning, and wrapped himself around Leonen. He twisted coil after coil around the large dragonling's neck, and started to constrict his airways. He wasn't attempting to kill him, not at all; but he knew full well that he could knock a deer out in a few seconds using this method. Why not a dragon? The trick was keeping himself tight enough to not let Leonen try to claw him off.

Leonen snarled and thrashed about, then was quick to let out every last bit of air he had suddenly. The result left him just enough room to throw his wings out, pushing Boko's coils back enough for him to leap free, skidding to a halt nearby. He snarled, shaking his head, and there were several cheers from the dragons on his behalf. He now knew to avoid the coils.

Boko tumbled to the ground, scrabbling away before he could be pinned. What now? He looked around desperately, then realized where he was standing. Duh! Under the fear of invading Drakelings, he had dug several pits for injured dragons to possibly hide. Underneath them was one of those pits. Boko just had to dig down in the right spot, then get Leonen to fall into it...

But he couldn't dig down. Leonen's fire would surely chase after him. Boko didn't want that; the heat would surely knock him out. Or perhaps Leonen would start stomping on the ground in anger, compressing the loose dirt above and causing a cave-in below. Boko wouldn't be too hurt from such a thing, but it would definitely take him several minutes to dig himself out.

No, Boko decided. He couldn't do anything like that. He'd have to...think of something else. However impossible it seemed. For the time being, he circled Leonen, not allowing the larger dragon to get behind him.

((So, if you really, REALLY have to kill someone, you can kill Carlyle, which will kill Zelana with him, because as he's dying, she'll hold him and beg for him to take her with him, and his spirit will sort of enfold with hers and pull her with him, and they'll be together in the afterlife, where they'll kiss before fading away together.

And I'll probably kill Naybrin, if you really want death.))

Shiya watched anxiously as the two stalked around each other, her eyes wide and fixed on Boko. Leonen charged the drakeling, but Boko leapt clear, making the dragonling angry. He used his wings and sped toward Boko, ramming into him and bowling him over, both snarling and snapping at each other.

Shiya ducked against Lutrez, shaking.

((Well, I HAVE been thinking about killing him, anyways. o3o Maybe at the end of this book, where Welk dies. Naybrin would transfer his life-force into Welk and grant him life again while the First King would die. I have another way to go about it, but that would be good too.

I won't do it, of course, if you don't want me to. xD I don't want to do it, most certainly.))

Leonen screeched and clamped his teeth shut over Boko's leg, kicking out and trying to flip the drakeling over, their teeth grating against each other's scales.

Shiya cried out in concern, and Leonen's voice hissed into Boko's ear. "And once you're out of the way, I'll have my way with your little girlfriend," he spat. "If I can't have her, nobody can, much less a worm like you."

Leonen wailed and backed away, holding a paw up to shield his eyes from the bright light. He hopped about, blinded temporarily from the brightness that the fire had emitted, and that gave Boko his chance to attack.

His coils lapped the stunned dragonling, tighter than ever. Leonen had no chance.

Mithor was quick to call "Match to Boko!" and break up the fight.

She made a soft squealing sound and rubbed her back against his belly scales, enjoying every second of his closeness. She extended her tongue and licked his chin gently, moving her tongue around so she could lick his throat too. One of her paws rested over his, and she tilted her head back so he could lick her neck in return. Touch was a dragon's greatest source of comfort and joy, after all. They were an extremely social tribe, and had touch gestures for nearly everything. A nip on the ear was either a playful thing or a reproving one. Touching tongues was a kiss, and for mates, if either one were to nip along the other's back, that was a sign they wanted to mate. Dragons liked to snuggle, too, and this was no exception as Boko curled all around little Shiya, who nuzzled right up to him.