“I’m going to head home, make sure my ma and pa know I’ll be back in a week or two, grab some supplies, then we’ll get going,” Ralph said. He just hoped he could get to his little farm house without anyone from town seeing him, because that could mean trouble. Surely everyone was looking for him, so he would have to exercise the utmost caution.
“Alright, I’ll see you soon,” Kayzer replied, wishing Ralph goodbye. He would have accompanied him, but he was too tired, and it was far too dangerous for them to be seen together. So, he would wait here, rest up, find somewhere close by to make a camp for the night.
Chapter 2
Ralph made the journey home as quickly as his legs could carry him, but he was getting very tired. When he did get home, his mother was sitting up in the kitchen by candle light, and she stood up as soon as she saw him. “Ralphie! The carnival’s tent burned down! I was afraid that you were hurt! Why didn’t you come straight home?” she demanded as she went over and gave her son a hug. Ralph hugged her back, then gave her a kiss on the forehead.
“Sorry, Ma. It’s kinda a long story,” Ralph replied feebly.
“Well, you’re home now. That’s all that matters,” she said, giving him a kiss and then a pat on the back. “Next time, though, rather than have your mother worry herself into an early grave, come back home right away!”
“About that, Ma,” Ralph said, taking his mother’s hand. “I’ve got somethin’ to tell ya. Okay?” he said, and his mother looked at him curiously. “When I was at the carnival, I saw some of the guys that worked there treating this . . .” Ralph hesitated. He was going to just be honest with his mother, as she had beat it into him that lying was no good for anything but hurting people. This was one thing that he didn’t feel like he could tell the truth about. “This kid. They beat him and whipped him, and kept him in a cage.” His mother gasped at this, and he went on. “I’m going to take him up to the mountains, because the people there are known for their hospitality. Someone would adopt him, and he’d be safer there than in an orphanage,” Ralph explained.
“I see,” his mother said softly, then nodded. “Well, it can’t be helped. I was sorry for Old Barnabus when I heard that his tent burned down, but if he’s treating his performers like slaves, then it serves him right! Let’s get you some supplies together,” his mother said, then the two of them set to packing a backpack. Once Ralph had all the provisions he could carry, he left his mom after giving her a kiss and headed back to the forest clearing where he had left Kayzer.
Kayzer had certainly kept himself busy while Ralph was away. He found a nice cave not too far from the stream that looked perfect to spend the night in. He checked it was empty before going back to the clearing, as he knew Ralph would meet him there. Still, Ralph wasn’t going to be here for awhile, and Kayzer needed to let his dragon body heal.
So, Kayzer morphed into his human form, to which looked like a twenty one year old man. He was tall, about six foot one, with a toned slender body and long brown hair that came down to his belly button. It was rather wavy and messy, but he didn’t mind. He was more interested in taking a bath and getting cleaned up. He stepped into the stream, shivering as the cold water glided against his body, then started to wash up, glad to feel himself being cleansed in the clean water. When Ralph had arrived, he was still there.
“Did you get everything you needed, Ralph?” Kayzer asked as he cleaned his arms.
When Ralph saw a human in the clearing where he had left Kayzer, he was quite confused. He even was concerned that possibly the carnival workers found Kayzer and took him back, which very well could have meant Kayzer’s death. Yet, the man spoke with Kayzer’s voice.
“Who are you?” Ralph asked, ignoring the man’s question and posing one of his own. Kayzer looked confused for a moment. He brushed his hair to the side for a moment and looked at Ralph with a rather bewildered expression, but it soon clicked to him why Ralph was acting so strange.
“Oh, it’s me. Kayzer. I didn’t tell you I had a human form, did I?”
“No . . .” Ralph replied hesitantly, not really knowing how to take that. The man just said it so matter of factly, too! As if it were obvious that dragons had human forms! Ralph had no idea. “Well, then, to answer your question, I did get everything. I only brought one sleeping bag, though, because I figured you wouldn’t need it.”
“Oh, well, don’t worry about me. I should be fine. I can make a fire, and it’s not that cold this time of year. I found a nice cave not too far off we can spend the night in. I’ve even put firewood in there ready to go,” Kayzer said, then got out of the water, revealing pretty much everything to Ralph. As he had just changed from his dragon form to his human form, he didn’t have any clothes to wear or change into, so he was completely naked from head to toe, and he didn’t seem to mind at all. “Shall we get going?”
Seeing Kayzer in all his glory gave Ralph pause for a moment. He was just letting it all hang out, quite literally. Ralph wasn’t expecting that, and his eyes were glued to Kayzer’s body for a moment before he regained control of himself and nodded. “Yeah, we can go,” he said, then followed Kayzer’s lead to the cave. He was having a hard time not staring though.
Kayzer happily lead the way, taking the short walk from the clearing to the nice secluded cave, which only took about five minutes to get too. He hadn’t even noticed Ralph staring at him. If Kayzer was honest with himself, he wouldn’t have thought it was a big deal being naked near another male, it’s not like it was something they hadn’t really seen before, as far as he was concerned anyway. So, there were certainly no awkward feelings from his side, and when he got to the cave he happily sat down by the firewood, and started making a fire with some rocks, as he couldn’t be bothered changing back into his dragon form. It took far too much energy.
Though surprised with Kayzer’s easiness in walking around in the nude, Ralph didn’t say anything to him. Once they got to the cave, Ralph rolled out his sleeping bag and put it on the ground. He felt bad thinking of Kayzer sleeping on the hard rock, though. That couldn’t be very comfortable.
“Hey, Kayzer, are you sure you want to sleep on the ground? It’s kinda hard,” Ralph said. Kayzer would probably wake up all stiff and sore, and Ralph didn’t want that. Of course, he didn’t know what the best solution was, but there had to be something.
“Well, there’s not much I can use for bedding. I would usually go out and hunt for something if I didn’t have any with me, but I’m not fit to hunt right now. So, the floor will do,” Kayzer replied, though didn’t seem too bothered by it. He’d had to do this before, so it wasn’t a huge hardship. It might be a bit cold but he would live with it. He had his fire now and that was warming him up nicely, he’d just be sure to keep it going.
“You know what? You can sleep in my sleeping bag with me. I don’t want you to have to sleep on the floor while I have a nice cosy place to sleep. It just doesn’t seem right,” Ralph replied, though he wasn’t sure he’d be able to sleep all that well with Kayzer’s naked body beside him. Still, his mother taught him better than to just leave someone to suffer if it was within his power to help, so help he would.
“Are you sure? Do you think i’d fit?” Kayzer asked, as he didn’t know how big sleeping bags would be, he’d never really used one before, he tended to just have a blanket, but he was happy to give it a shot.
“Yeah, you’ll fit,” Ralph replied, setting down his bag and unhooking the sleeping bag, then lying it out. Though it was meant for one person, as long as you didn’t mind being close, two people could fit inside rather easily. Ralph was just wondering how he would fair. Kayzer just watched, though he was unsure if he should approach. He had never slept so close to someone he had never known, but he knew he could trust Ralph. The man had saved his life, so he would go along with his wishes and give it a try.
So, Kayzer left the comfort of his fire and went over to the sleeping bag, taking little look at it and playing with the flap for a minute, then looked at h
is friend.
“Is it bedtime now? Or shall we stay up a bit longer?”
“I’m tired, so I’ll go to bed. If you’re not tired yet, you don’t have to,” Ralph answered. It probably would have been better if he could have gotten off to bed before Kayzer, so that he didn’t have to be right next to him while he was trying to get to sleep. That would be much easier, but probably wouldn’t happen.
“Well, I have nothing to stay up for. It’s probably best for an early night, we can leave at dawn and get a good start at getting to the mountains,” Kayzer suggested, and waited for Ralph to get into the sleeping bag so he could join. He didn’t realise how awkward Ralph felt like that, as Kayzer didn’t even think there was anything too wrong with this, nothing to feel embarrassed about anyway.
“All right, that sounds good,” Ralph said a bit uneasily, then climbed into the sleeping bag and made himself comfortable. This wasn’t the most ideal situation, granted, but he wouldn’t be able to sleep knowing Kayzer was trying to get through the night lying on the cold, hard floor of the cave. Kayzer soon joined Ralph inside, managing to squeeze himself in and settle down inside the sleeping bag.
“Well, this is a tight squeeze,” Kayzer chuckled, as there really wasn’t much room to wiggle here.
“Yeah, it is a bit tight. Better than you being cold and sleeping on the ground, though,” Ralph said, trying to distract himself now, because he was more than a little uncomfortable right now. He was even starting to get an erection, which was just about the worst thing that could happen while he was in such close quarters with Kayzer.
“Much better,” Kayzer chuckled, as it was much warmer in here than on the cold floor, though, he could feel something poking into him, and he wasn’t too sure what it was, it was strange though. “Umm… I think something is poking me… I don’t quite know what it is though. Can you feel it?”
Ralph immediately felt his face flush. Great. Now he was really at a loss for words, and he was sure that Kayzer would run away or something if he found out what really was poking him. “U-um, no. No, I don’t feel anything. We had better head off to sleep. No sense staying up all night,” Ralph replied, and turned over on his side so he was facing away from Kayzer.
“Alright,” Kayzer yawned, getting himself as snuggled up as he could before he closed his eyes and tried to get himself to sleep. Sure, it was indeed quite a tight squeeze for them both, but this was much better than a hard floor or a cage, so it really didn’t take long for Kayzer to drift soundly to sleep.
Ralph was not so lucky. He could hardly sleep, because he couldn’t stop thinking about having Kayzer’s naked body lying right there next to him. He was gorgeous no less! Ralph couldn’t very well take advantage of him, though. No, that would be wrong. Completely and totally wrong. Yet, he wanted to at least try. He couldn’t find the words though, so in the end he just didn’t.
Chapter 3
When morning came, Ralph woke up and yawned, but it seemed like his boner never went down. Great. That was just what he needed. He didn’t even want to get up, honestly. Instead, he just remained in the sleeping bag, hoping that his erection would die down so he didn’t have to walk around like that. Not that he had to worry about Kayzer too much at first light, he managed to sleep through it, despite wanting to leave at dawn. It had been awhile since he had a decent night sleep, so he certainly savoured it.
It took him an extra half an hour before he did wake, and when Kayzer woke up, he yawned and stretched, almost forgetting Ralph was even there.
“Oh, good morning! Sleep well?”
“Um, I slept okay, I guess. I’m used to sleeping in a bed,” Ralph replied, just to cover up the real reason he didn’t sleep all that well. He didn’t want to go into that, or have Kayzer suspect anything.
“I suppose this must be strange for you,” Kayzer said, as he did sympathize. This shouldn’t be something that Ralph had to put up with, he was only doing it for Kayzer after all. “You know, if this is too much for you I can make my own way to the mountains. You don’t have to leave your home for me, even if it is only for a little while.”
“No, no. I will see you to the mountains. It’s only a week’s walk, and then you can meet up with some dragons. They will take care of you from there, right?” Ralph asked, trying to steer the conversation away from considering him leaving. He wasn’t going to leave Kayzer after helping him escape from the carnival. If nothing else, he had to make sure to see Kayzer to the end just for the peace of mind of knowing that he was safe again.
“Well, as long as they’re from my clan they will,” Kayzer said, then got up out of the sleeping bag and stretched properly, really needing to after being in such a limited position for long. His whole body was stiff, so he stretched out casually, just enjoying the moment of freedom until they got moving again.
Ralph tried not to stare as he saw Kayzer stretch, but it was easier said than done. He definitely couldn’t get out of the sleeping bag for a little while yet, not now that he had seen that.
“Well, is there a good chance we can find people from your clan? Or will they have moved away by now? It’s probably been a while since you were captured,” Ralph said. If they couldn’t find Kayzer’s family, Ralph didn’t know what he would do. He couldn’t just take Kayzer back to the farm. At least, he probably wouldn’t be able to. He didn’t really know though.
“I’m not sure, as long as we find the right mountain we’ll find my clan. It shouldn’t be too bad, as long as I’m not too far from home,” Kayzer said, though he didn’t seem worried at all. If anything, he was just hungry, and wanted some food. Anything to get them started on their day. “Are you getting out of that sleeping bag or what? It’s already past dawn.”
“I know. But, I'm just so comfortable. It won't really hurt to stay here for a little while, right?” Ralph replied weakly, not knowing how to adequately excuse himself.
“Umm… I suppose not,” Kayzer replied, as he really couldn’t think of anything to make Ralph get up. “Well, I’m going to go and get some breakfast and water, do you have something I could use that could hold the water?”
“Yeah, there’s a canteen in my bag, in that side pocket,” Ralph replied. He almost got up to get it for Kayzer as a force of habit kind of thing, but he managed to stop himself.
“Thanks,” Kayzer said, then went to the bag and grabbed the canteen before heading out to the stream to pick up some fresh water for the day.
Once Kayzer was out of the cave, Ralph slipped out from under the warm embrace of the sleeping bag, then he got everything put away and packed up, and also set out a change of clothes that he had originally brought for himself for Kayzer. He couldn’t have Kayzer walking around naked anymore! It was just too much of a hassle to hide his arousal, so he wasn’t going to do it.
It only took about five minutes for Kayzer to return with a full canteen, and he certainly looked rather refreshed as well. Being out in the wild again had definitely done his body and mind some good. He was finally able to breathe and not worry, though he had to admit, he was a little surprised when there was just a random outfit lying on the floor upon his return.
“What’s with the clothes on the floor?”
“Oh, I brought some extra clothes so I thought I'd let you wear them. You know, so you don't get poison ivy, or have some protection if we walk through a thorny patch,” Ralph answered. He had spent the time waiting for Kayzer rehearsing something to say to him so that it wouldn't be too weird when he said that he had clothes for Kayzer to wear.
“Right, thank you. I appreciate that,” Kayzer said, and smiled and got to work putting on the clothes. It did make him feel a little more protected from the elements feeling the fabric against his skin, as well as the fact it was keeping his body warmer too.
“No problem!” Ralph replied, perhaps a little too happy about Kayzer getting dressed, but he was so worried earlier that there might be a mishap that he was just glad to not have such a temptation in front of him. “Are
you ready to get going?”
“I’m ready! Let’s go,” Kayzer said, putting the canteen back in the bag and waiting by the door for Ralph to join him
Ralph grabbed the bag, then he began walking. He knew the general way to the mountains, thankfully. What wasn’t so fortunate was the fact that it was a week long journey, and something about Kayzer just got Ralph all stirred up in the best of ways. He wasn’t quite sure how to deal with his emotions.
The journey was a long one. They had to walk miles south with very little rest, and a lot of detours around the woods. There were predators stalking these parts, so they had to be careful and quiet, and keep themselves going in the right direction so they weren’t running around in circles. They couldn’t afford delays, not with Kayzer in his current condition. He couldn’t fight off a wild bear let alone another big lizard.
The two men were only able to catch a breath at meal times. They rested for breakfast, two hours after they left the cave, then for lunch when the sun was at its highest peak, and finally at dusk when they physically couldn’t walk anymore. Kayzer had changed into his dragon form at the last hour of daylight and managed to hunt for two wild deer and brought them to their cave for the night to cook. Kayzer liked fresh meat, and he wasn’t too fond of living off berries or any of that vegetarian rubbish.
So, he dragged the carcasses to the cave and got a fire going while Ralph got water and set up camp for the night. The smell of the smoking meat was just divine to Kayzer as he changed back into his human form and cooked up the venison for dinner.
“You want some of this, Ralph?” Kayzer asked as he stripped the meat from the fire.
“Yeah I do! I’ve been living off of berries for long enough!” Ralph said excitedly as the supper was being cooked. He missed being on the farm and having gravy and dumplings and meat at dinner time. Now they ate whatever they could possibly find to fill their stomachs, and sometimes that wasn’t a lot. Two deer were a mighty fine feast, though, and so he was happy to plop down beside the fire and help Kayzer tend to the cooking. He had to keep his mind off how starved he was from the long journey.
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