"All travelers have dealt with harpies at one point or another. Harpies are wild, erratic, crude and brutish in their attempts to capture. Vampires are cunning. Vampires are quick and clever. Vampires can adapt their plans. Thankfully, the road to Dragonperch does not pass through feral vampire lands. You can take comfort it this."
"Thank goodness," Cormac sighed. "It's going to be enough of a challenge to get to Dragonperch." He yawned. "I should turn in."
"Sera'ken." The horned one said. "Sleep well."
Morning came, and breakfast was shared between the two groups. Afterward, they said their goodbyes and parted ways. "They were nice." Astien remarked.
"They were nice," Cormac said. "They even gave us some of the fish they caught." He smiled. "Glad you could join me out here. It's been rather boring sitting out here alone."
Astien smiled. "I've been feeling a bit better. I guess I really did need some rest."
The days wore on as the two rode to see the drakes. Finally, they found themselves at the base of the road up Dragonperch Mountain.
Cormac pulled his cloak tighter around him. His heart was pounding as he looked up at the rocky structure. "Almost there..." he muttered. "You feeling alright?" He asked Astien.
Astien nodded. "I'm fine, but you look rather scared. Are you alright?"
"I'm about to ask the Father of Drakes about how I'm able to do this," Cormac said as he brought out his claws for a moment. "I've never heard of a half-drake and I doubt any body else has, let alone how drakes deal with half breeds." He ran his hands through his hair. "Of course I'm nervous."
Astien took Cormac's hand and have it a reassuring squeeze. "I know Seroteth. He's a very understanding man. I'm sure you'll be fine." He turned his gaze to the road ahead. "Now, lets get going."
Cormac nodded and koshered the horses forward on the path leading up the mountain.
Astien sat beside Cormac, his hands on his belly. His baby was feeling rather fidgety today. As they wound up the path, Astien took a moment to explain. "Many pilgrims come up this path. Up ahead, there will be two drakes. They sort out the pilgrims who have no business going any further from those with an actual need to speak with them."
Cormac nodded. "So the worst that can happen is us being turned away. Good to know."
As the drake guards came into sight, the carriage slowed to a halt. Two drakes stepped down from their stone perches and approached the carriage and its passengers. Astien cleared his throat and put on his most official voice. "Hail, drakes. You may not remember me, but I am Astien Tymnas, and-" Astien was cut off as the two drakes began saying something to each other.
Cormac looked to Astien with confused eyes while he bit his lip to try to calm his nerves.
The drakes were screeching and squawking at each other in their odd drake speak. After a few moments, they stopped, and began to walk further up the path, motioning for the pair to follow.
Cormac had the horses pull the carriage forward, following the drakes.
As they travelled upward, they passed by stained glass windows in the mountain. At the end of the road, there was a cave in the side of the mountain. At either side of the entrance were statutes, elegant carvings of drakes. The two drakes walked into the cave as Cormac and Astien disembarked.
Inside the cave was a den of drakes. Many, many drakes. Every time one turned around, there seemed to be a drake sitting where there hadn't been one before. There were many rooms splintering off from this main one. There were instances of elegant, even regal decorating. Large rugs of the finest materials, silk tapestries, chandlers of the loveliest crystals, and so on. It could have easily been the home of some sort of royalty, were it not for the fact that it was a cave.
Sitting at a desk on the other end of the room was a man, the only one among the many drakes. He noticed the duo, and stood up to greet them. He was wearing dark blue, velvety robes, befitting of the highest of nobility. Truly, the dragons' servants commanded great respect. He had lavender colored eyes, but they lacked pupils. He had claws, well sharpened and maintained. He was a bit taller than either Astien or Cormac, though not by much. And most noticeably, he was pregnant.
Drake-Father was sporting an enormous belly, one he cradled lovingly. If Astien looked large, this man was bursting at the seams. But perhaps it was all relative. Given the number of drakes, as well as the man's title, it was a safe bet that he was carrying another drake, and who was to say how big a drake is while in the womb. And the man was also larger than either of the two.
He stood up and walked toward Cormac and Astien. "Astien! Hello, my friend, it has been some time." He laughed and places a hand on Astien's belly. "I see I'm not the only one growing their family. Astien smiled.
"Hello to you too Seroteth." He said.
Seroteth looked at Cormac. "And pray tell, who is this?" His face went blank. He sniffed the air. "...and why does he smell like one of us?"
(Sleepy tiems)
"I....I am Cormac...I'm from the...The green valleys to the west..." Cormac stammered. He kept his body rigid in an attempt to stop it from shaking. He could feel his throat tightening and his heart pounding within his chest. "I...I mean...My mum..."
"From the Green Valleys..." Seroteth's eyes lit up. "Your mother, who was she? What was her profession?"
"Moira," Cormac said as calmly as she could. "She was an escort." 'Escort' was putting it lightly.