"Gah, I'm bored..."

Therony stretched out on his couch. The Guardian dragon yawned to further prove that statement. His crown of five white horns dangled off the armrest used as a pillow.

Now it was winter still and to find him out of his room, let alone on the top floor of his home was an amazing fact of his own. However, the reason behind that statement lurked close by. The foot tall dragon thrusted his hands up and stopped the incoming pillow from smacking him on the very colorful snout.

"I don't need to see your aura silly. Mind link." He continued to stare at the red ceiling of his cave, well much as he could while holding the pillow up.

"Right." A silver dragon head jumped into his view, forcing him to replace the armrest with the pillow. "But I do agree with you. It is slow today..." His friend Acortesha stayed on his created world to help him cope with this trying season. For many days they have driven his muses to the point of insanity that is when they have not gone and gotten themselves into trouble elsewhere. Unfortunately for both of them, Therony's trio was gone for the day and the weather made Cyrasis unpleasant to travel via their wings. "...Or is it just you?"

"Low, low, low." Therony stuck his tongue out; outside of a few days his mood has been very much upbeat as it would the rest of the year. "Alright. That settles it, we are going traveling."

Acortesha swung around to the front of the couch. She loomed over him, being a good five feet taller than the Guardian right now; three with him draped over the couch. "Traveling?" Her purple hair drifted off to the side leaving her blue eyes exposed.

"Yesh, why not? It's how I found your world. It started with me going to random dimensions..." Both of them went silent briefly, they knew through their permanent connection what Therony went through before he tumbled onto Preonus. "Unless you have a better idea I think it will do us some good instead of sitting here like couch dragons, besides randomness seems to work well for us."

In one quick move he hopped off the sofa then onto her back, one more hop placed him on the floor in front of the shut off TV. "Meh, I'll be moving couch if you want..." Therony instantly transformed, rising in height until he topped off in his half form' normal height. The nimble bladed tail swung around his waist, acting as an unneeded belt for the blue pants his magic crafted. "Otherwise let's be off, unless you're forgetting something?"

His warrior shrugged with her wings, her violet tail tuft flying to and fro behind her. "I'll hold you up to that." The Guardian's portal opened up, revealing a world on the other end neither of them saw before. They started the long away between the two linked worlds, both curious as to what would greet them.

"Come on out, Shadowscale!" a human yelled. He looked around for his shadow draconian self, but didn't see him. He fixed his vest and said, "Fine. I'll look for you." With that being said, he dashed forward and leaped over a bush.

"Ow," a black scaled draconian said as the human collided with him. "Jeez Drake, you really should have a little more patience," the draconian said as he stood up.

"Where is your sense of fun Shadowscale?" Drake said as he leapt to his feet. Shadowscale smiled and said, "You're right. Now that our little game is done, I think I am going to take a nap. See you in a few hours." Shadowscale stepped into Drake's shadow and slowly disappeared into it. As soon as the draconian vanished, Drake shook himself, feeling strange from the re-connection to one of his draconian selves.

Drake's ear twitched as he heard something different. "Hmm, wonder what that is? Might as well go find out," Drake thought to himself as he summoned two wings made of fire. He crouched down and leaped into the air. He hovered in the air for a few seconds before pin-pointing where the noise came from.

He smiled and flew through the air, heading towards where the noise came from. After a minute of flying, he came across a dimensional gate looking portal. He landed on the ground, stumbled a little from a poor landing, and looked at the portal. He took out his gloves and put them on as he started to walk over.

The duo exchanged idle chat as they strolled to the end of the dimensional portal. Their brief chat ended in the typical 'Shadow would probably kill us.' Tesh frowned.

Rawr... Rawr A black shark poked from her pocket. The silver dragoness had neglected to bring the magical bag that he often rode in but the enchanted Pocketshark had managed to squeeze himself into her jeans pocket eager for an adventure.

"Of course fish face would come with us." The white eyed the shark.
Tesh shrugged. "I actually didn't have a hand in this." She paused dramatically. "But then again, you do know me." Her blue eyes slanted side to side as if she were paranoid.

Therony chuckled. The light mood of the day seemed to carry well into the portal. He was glad just to be away from the cold and it seemed that Tesh was as well.
Both dragons reached the end of the portal at the same time and stepped out in unison. Tesh scanned instantly catching the human that took a step toward the portal's end. Her silver ears flipped forward.

"Hello." Therony waved at the human.

Rawr? Again Pocketshark wanted a word in the conversation. The shark wriggled from his pocket and did a half flop to the ground.

The human stood still watching the shark. Instead of attacking as logic said it would the shark remained still. One big eye studied the human before the animal started to chirp harmlessly.

The two dragons remained motionless as well, both stunned.
Then the female spoke with a rolling accent. "It seems that Pocketshark likes you."

"So it would seem." The human looked up from the shark.

Therony snorted. "So I'm the only one who has an issue with the thing?"

Tesh waved a hand idly swatting away the white dragon's complaint before picking up the shark by the tail. After returning the shark to her pocket she offered a hand to the human. "Name's Acortesha, but Tesh or Tesha will do. I answer to any of them."

"Drake." He took her hand and answered simply.

"This grumbling dragon here is Therony." Tesh pointed out using the hand she swatted the Guardian away with seconds ago. Although it was an act and his warrior knew it right away, the natural white made it pretty convincing. His silver eyes remained fixated on the ground instead of their company, several inaudible words leaving his multicolored snout.
Why is it that trash disposal hates only me? Just one of the many thoughts roaming inside his horned skull. However, another shifted to the forefront.

Drake himself.

His secondary vision easily separated the familiar hues of Acortesha and her pet lurking in her jeans pocket. But the human...

A human's aura differs from dragons. The lifeforce of a human pulse in tune with their heartbeats, some faster, some slower but it always followed their heart's pace. Dragons and their various kin remain constant, breaking away only when they draw close to death.

Drake's was solid. Magic? Or maybe a shapeshifter like Tesh...
"Well Mr. Duck. Perhaps you can help us out." The Unseen bard's portal closed behind them with the sound of a shutting door.

"Drake." The human spoke up.
"Sorry. Drake... I'll take the second puzzle first. Can you tell us what world this is? It will help out in the long run. Perhaps give us poor visitors a tour or something." Therony scratched out that nickname, plotting another.

"Is he always like this?" Drake's eyes jumped to that of the half form beside Therony, who only nodded, she grew accustomed to the Guardian's various shifts in demeanor. It just grew on most folks, ones that didn't try to kill him anyway.

"Well, this is Algriga," Drake said as he spread his arms. "And please, if any of you two can read minds, don't try to read mine. If you do, you will be bombarded with the thoughts of several draconians. And trust me, it is really unpleasant," he stated in a firm tone.
"As for a tour, I would be glad to give you one. We can do this two ways, either a tour from the air or from the ground. Which would you rather prefer?" he said, looking over the two dragons.

As Tesh and Therony discussed with each other about which option they should take, Drake grew bored. He flicked his wrist and summoned a ball of blue fire. He tossed it from one hand to another, playing with it. As it passed from one hand to the next, it took the form of a different element. He ended when the ball was pulsing with living shadows.

He looked up and noticed that the sphere of shadows caught Therony's attention. Drake smiled and said, "What? Haven't you ever seen a half-dragon before?" He flicked his wrist and the ball of shadows simply disappeared into thin air.

Holding out her hands as if she were weighing something Tesh paused. "Air or land, air or land." She stopped when Therony did.

A human that played with fire, wait a half dragon? What else did this world have? "How about the air? It's always quicker when you fly."
Drake nodded after his elemental display.

Tesh faded to a transparent mist true to her shape shifting nature and she reformed in her natural full dragon form. She turned to face Therony. I'll fly.
Instead of answering Therony claimed his perch on Acortesha's neck.

"I guess we're ready, Drake." Therony nodded once he had gotten comfortable.
"Okay." Drake answered as wings of pure fire formed again.

Tesha eyed the wings. Bet that comes in handy...
You have wings, silly... Therony chuckled in her mind.

Acortesha nodded happily, before leaping into the air. Once she was happy off the ground she hovered, waiting. "After you, tour guide."
Rawr. The shark sat just behind Therony.
The white did a double take behind him then shook his fist.

The human/half dragon shook his head. He launched himself into the air behind the platinum dragon.

"Uh, since we can't mind speak you, how will we communicate over the wind?" Acortesha questioned.

"As strong as you are Teshy... rather not chance this." Suddenly, Therony hopped off and glided to the ground. The red, white and gold wings caught a favorable wind. It was a simple choice. Either the shark or the Guardian could stay on Acortesha. Both of them up there would only cause problems for her, that or a huge headache.

Drake and Acortesha lowered down as well, just within hearing range of his voice.
"As for the other problem. I can solve it."

Rawr??
Therony's snout bristled a bit. That crazy chirping and roaring shark had to interject its two doubloons into it. "The Shadow Dragon." He uttered softly.

Tesh picked up the friend's idea. He could carry all of them easily. Drake would only have to talk to Acortesha and he could merely follow along through their bond or remain close to her location if he chose to fly still. Sure, it meant Therony would have to remain vocally silent until the tour was over but he was now quite curious about this Algriga. Draconians and half-dragons did exist on Earth but, heavily shunned by full-blooded dragons. None on Cyrasis, although the Dragis were a close link to them. He didn't have that prejudice for he had no encounters with any until now. So Drake's per to earlier question the answer was no he did not.

They waited and Tesh rose to where she figured to meet Therony's tough head when he changed. But as he did transform, saw the mist rise higher and higher until doubled where she remembered. Both of them used a semblance of mist as they did alter forms, for Tesh it was the first mastered form. Therony's was a given birthright cursed. The heavy black smog extended out with a creeper's feel, however unlike his usual change. It was far more quickly.

The now ten horns on his head down to the rune covered bladed tail. The Shadow Dragon's form took root on another dimension, another world. His lone trinket on his front right leg, that metal manacle with the purple gem expanded as he did. Therony's jade balance runestone now the size of a window sunk deep into the bend just above the manacle.

He bared a toothy grin at Pocketshark who chirped a temporary squeak of defeat before turning serious. He reached Tesh's mind taking great heed in Drake's warning, for telepathy was his lone way of speaking now. Two radiant scarlet eyes focused on his warrior.
Well, this should solve our dilemma. Let us depart.
Far more serious, he stiffly waited for them.

Drake watched with amazement as Therony changed into a shadow dragon. "Huh, he kind of resembles Shadowscale a little bit," Drake said to himself. He saw Therony turn his head towards him and he noticed that he was making everyone wait for him. "Oh, I'm sorry," Drake said as he flew towards Therony. He rose over Therony and made his wings disappear.

He landed on Therony's back gently and said, "If we head north, I can show you some ancient ruins. They are really interesting." Drake sat down and would watch Acortesha sit down in front of him. Pocketshark looked back at him and Drake said, "What are you looking at?"

Pocketshark chirped and Drake smiled. Therony looked back, and once everyone was settled, he flapped his wings and took off into the air. As Therony headed north, Drake said, "There are many breeds of dragons here in Algriga. There are elemental dragons, dragons made of magma, dragons made out of ice, bone dragons..."

As Drake named off all of the dragon breeds in Algriga, he could sense Therony was getting slightly annoyed. Wanting to get Therony's interest, Drake said, "Oh and there are also dragons that are made out of time itself. I have only met one, but that was when the dragon was about to die. She was really nice; she gave me one of her scales. I made it into a necklace because I wanted to always remember her."

Drake took out a purple scale that was tinted with silver and gold when the sun hit it. It had glowing draconic runes on the back (underside of scale) that glowed blue and green. "What is interesting is that the runes translate into any question you have in your head. Mine was, 'When does the beginning end and the end begin'. She was really happy that I stayed with her when she was dying. We got to watch the sunset, which was her final wish," Drake said.

He looked down and became really quiet, remembering that memory made him really depressed.

Tesh watched his gaze fall as his memories took a darker turn. Her gaze then shifted to the scale he'd told about. Her thoughts instantly connecting with Therony, as she couldn't with Drake, It was nice what he did.

She reached up and placed a comforting hand on the human's shoulder.
Therony tilted his wings down toward the earth as they neared the ruins. He circled the ruins and Drake pulled himself from the memories. "Land and we can explore."

"Meet you guys there." Tesh hopped off Therony and glided down landing outside the ruins.

Drake watched her fall half the distance before changing to the mist and simply landing on two feet. She was smaller than the half form she was before. He tilted his head to the side. "Does she always do that?"
Therony looked down and nodded once.

The Shadow Dragon landed on the ground and, once Drake had met the ground with his own legs, changed back to his half form.
Tesh looked up at them both and waved true to her foot tall nature, before resuming her height equal to theirs. "It took you guys long enough to land." She gestured to the ruin behind her. "Pocketshark's been dying to explore."

Therony crossed his arms.
Drake looked around. "Speaking of... where is the little fish?"

The silver's eyes widened before she spun a 360 looking for her pet. "I- uh..." She sniffled.
Therony ran a hand down his face. Bad things happened when they lost the shark.

"Maybe he already went into the ruins?" Drake threw out hopefully.