Call to Adventure: Chapter 11 (Patreon)

Amongst Good Company

After spending months on my own, waking up to the sound of bleating goats was a strange, but welcomed, change of pace. As awareness returned to me once more, eyes still bleary and body sore from yesterdays excitement, I found myself laying atop a bed of pine leaves and straw. It was no foam bed but compared to what I've been sleeping on all this time, it was a far more luxurious fare.

Stretching, I found my back free of sores and kinks. "God, this is amazing," I groaned out as sat up and rubbed my eyes, yawning as tried of my sleepiness. I might be somewhere safe but I still had a long day ahead of me. As I opened my eyes however, I found that I wasn't where I expected myself to be.

"What the?" I whispered in confusion as I looked around, finding wooden walls frame by thick straight beams around me. The first light of the day streamed in through the large windows as the cool winter morning air pushed on the large doors in front of me. Looking up, a well built if patchy roof atop, shielded me from the elements. This was not the undergrowth of some hidden grove, "This is a barn."

Why the hell was I in a barn? Looking around, I saw farm equipments that I was all to familiar with. Thick leather gloves, horse shoes and hammers, a bell hanging by one of the post, and even some unlit lanterns hanging by the wall. The place didn't even look that old. Not a single sign of rot could be seen in these walls.

For a moment, I just sat there, confused as the sound of goats echoed outside. Who could have made this building. As I asked that question, I froze as a horrible realization washed over me; Who made this building… somebody had to have made this building.

With my heart pumping inside my chest, I looked around, ears straining as I tried to pick up the sound of people but I would hear nothing. Things were looking good but I still couldn't shake of my fear. Cautiously, I picked myself up before stalking out of the barn. I needed to investigate.

Making sure I wasn't making too much noise, I crept outside. As my head poked out of the barn however, all I'd find were giant goats, Ramsey herd, milling about and minding their business. From mature goats chewing on cad or digging on the snowy soil to young kids prancing without a care in the world all while not a single hair or hide of a human could be soon.

As I sighed out in relief, I found myself strangely feeling a bit disappointed as well. It would be dangerous for me to see one so young but I was human once. My melancholy however wouldn't last long as a familiar bleat greeted him, "Baahhh!"

Turning around, I found Ramsey limping towards me with his head still high. With my tail whipping around excitedly, I greeted him, "Ramsey! You old goat," before I walked up to him. The old bastard still bore some scars from yesterday but he carried himself like a champion, refusing to lay down as he stood before me. Grinning, I then said, "For an old goat, you're a tough son of a bitch, I'd give you that but maybe you should lay down for a bit."

Ramsey snorted as I saw what I swore was a smile on the goats lips, "Bah!" With a stomp, he strutted forward, head reared and playfully butting at me.

"Ok! Ok!" I laughed, pushing him away as a I sat down, "Didn't meant to offend you,"

The old goat in turn let out a triumphant bleat as it held its held high before sitting down beside me. Turning towards me, he then gestured at wings before bleating questioningly, "Bah?"

"Oh this?" I asked, stretching my wings only to cry out in pain as I fell over from agony, "Shouldn't have done that," I hissed out with a strained voice as I laid there, refusing to even move a single muscle, "It'll heal," I assured him as I tried to get up. It should heal, I hope. I had worse after all.

Ramsey however would not let me up as he pushed me back down gently. "Bah!" Scolding me, he then got up before giving me a look.

"Fine, I won't move," I grumbled, annoyed at my current condition. I forgotten how badly I injured myself from yesterdays fight. I threw everything along with the sink against those wolves and I was down a functional wing. Without it, I was effectively a sitting duck. I was back to square one.

Watching him walk off into the woods, I found myself alone with my thoughts. "Well this sucks," I muttered, annoyed at my current state. I needed time and food to heal, one of which I was already lacking as my stomach would all too kindly remind me as it grumbled and protested beneath me.

Without his wings, he might just have to contend myself with rodents. "At Least Squirrels taste good?" I said to myself though I wished that I'd have something more delicious and substantial. Unbeknownst to me, it seemed as if someone was listening to my prayers.

"Bah!" With a muffled bleat, I heard my friend call out for me. Turning, I felt my spirit sore as the giant goat came back dragging with him something delicious, the corpse of the giant wolf that had attacked them both from yesterday.

It looked even bigger now that I could see it up close. While Ramsey was bulkier, the Dire wolf was larger. From head to toe, he was taller and longer than Ramsey. Even with the top of its head missing after Ramsey brained them. It was still a fearsome looking creature, rippling with powerful stretched over its lean form, but it was a dead creature. More importantly however, it was breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack for my tiny form.

"Ramsey you beautiful bastard, I swear I could kiss you right now" I whispered as Ramsey reared back with an offended look on their face. Laughing, I replied, "I'm not you old goat but it's mighty tempting with that wolf corpse…"

Giving him a flat look, Ramsey then started dragging the wolf carcass away. "I kid! I kid! Come on, don't make me chase you damn it!" I chuckled as I crawled after him. Thankfully for me, he listened and I was left with the best meal of my life.

-x-x-x-

I wasn't one to indulge on food back when I was still human in fear of getting fat once more. As a dragon however? I felt like I could indulge as much as I wont. Pulling my blood snout out of chest of the wolf, I turned to Ramsye and thanked him, "I really owe for this one Ramsey. I swear I'll make it up to you one day."

From giving him shelter to giving him food, he had a lot to pay for. "Bah," his friend replied, waving him off. Something, he'll have to pay even if his friend doesn't want it. Maybe not now, maybe not later, but definitely in the future.

"Don't worry about it Ramsey," He assured him as the sun started to peeked over the towering heights surrounding the valley. As I ripped a large chunk of the meat, ignoring bits of fur as I swallowed it whole, I then said, "You know Ramsey, you're not bad for a goat.

Turning towards me, Ramsey gave me look before nodding as he bleated back in reply, "Bah.

"We definitely had a rough start but I think we patched it up," I told him, earning a nod from the goat. It was almost comical how the two of them started off. He chased me up a tree like I owed him money then he saved me when I fought a Frost Troll and just a few days after that, I saved him from some wolves.

The fact that they now seat together as friends was just a testament of how wild their days have been. There there were, just two friends, a growing dragon and a large goat, sitting together as we both had our breakfast.

Glancing over to Ramsey, I then noted, "Oh huh, funny thing… I've been calling you Ramsey all this time," It only occurred to him now that he hasn't actually asked his cervine companion what his name was. He was pretty sure that the goat understood him though he wished one of his ancestors at least considered learning Goat speak. "Do you have a name or anything?" I then asked.

Ramsey snorted, giving an equivalent of a shrug as he replied, "Bah."

I frowned as I considered what he nodded as he replied, "So not Ramsey then," However, he was met with a vigorous head shake as the Goat snorted and pawed on the ground. His name wasn't Ramsey but he… liked the name?

Blinking, I looked up at him before asking, "Wait, you actually like Ramsey?" He wasn't quite sure but he was getting this feeling from him. This time, the goat nodded. Smiling up to the goat, he then said, "It's a good tell you that," Thus, Ramsey will be the name of his friend.

Leaning toward him, Ramsey then poked at the side of my head as he gave me a questioning bleat, "Bah?"

"My name?" I asked as I brightened up, smiling as replied, "Oh that's…" Only to trail off as I frowned. My name… my name didn't feel right for myself. Was I still me? I felt like I've asked this question before but even now, the answer still eludes me. Who am I? I… can be anybody.

Puffing up my chest, I then introduced myself, "You know what, just call me Shiro," Shiro was a good name, a proud name, and one fitting for myself; a white dragon. My friend however did not like it.

With a deadpan look on his face, Ramsey bleated back, "Bah…"

I cringed back, feeling all red faced at the goats accusation. Maybe the name wasn't too good for me, perhaps a bit too presumptuous. I wasn't some hero or powerful being, I'm just me. Humming to myself, I then suggested, "Jack?"

This time, the response was more visceral as he snorted and bayed in disapproval, "Bah!"

"Oh come on, how can that be worst?" I questioned him. Jack wasn't that amazing of a name but it was a serviceable. "Plenty of good people were named Jack!" I argued but my friend looked unimpressed. Pouting, I then fired off the first name the came to mind after those two, "Fine, Laurance."

Ramsey gave it some considering before nodding in approval, "Bah."

"How the hell are you fine with Laurence but not Jack?" I shouted back in frustration. Why would he pick Laurance over Jack, "You know what, this is stupid. Fuck you," I hissed out as I turned around, refusing to look at Ramsey stupid face.

A moment of silence would stretched between us before I looked back, hoping that he'd finally see some sense. I was only met with a smug look and a simple bleat, "Bah."

I raised my clenched fist and shook it at him before I deflated, he made a good point. "Ok, Laurance is a good name," I replied accepting my new name. Laurance wasn't too bad of a name for a dragon I suppose.

A/N:

Got distracted with this. Back to my other stuff for now. I'll probably make a interlude after this if I ever got a chance to write for this again. It's about time I show some people for this fic.