This story will be a welcome revival to a lot of people, it is the result of a commission on my Patreon, who deeply wanted to see this series return. So here it is

We return to the coastal village of sea-staring James and the wily sea dragon Azorm. Azorm gradually begins to... befriend, the village while his motives remain a mystery...

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The Eye of the Storm 3

“I’d like to thank you all for coming” Frederick spoke before frowning a touch “that said had you not I’d considered you particularly foolish…” he sighed, scratching at his chin. This was such a mess. They never needed to gather so formally, they had had to gather in the warehouse… cobbled together a little more firmly than the rest of their homes, built between the cliffs and the high rocks on the right of their bay to shelter it. He swore nearly half of those gathered still had a slightly stupefied expression. The aftereffects of the dragon’s slime.
“If I may, I will begin with what we know, and what we need to decide” he took a moment to collect his thoughts “yesterday… young James who joins us, was swallowed by the dragon who calls himself Azorm… why, supposedly as a strange form of dragon friendship… Since then he has swallowed and returned the only fishermen who tried to sail past him, and gifted us with fish he caught”
“If you can call that gifting” someone spoke from the back, and Frederick raised his hand “granted. Now, we have one decision we must reach. Whether we accept the dragon’s desire for friendship, or try to drive him away”
He paused to let the words sink in. It was quiet, the wind whistling off the sea outside. “Now the risks of both are obvious. The first point we cannot ignore is that we likely have little chance of fighting this creature, except to bloody his nose and hope he decides we’re not worth the trouble. We also cannot ignore that the sea is our livelihood. Whatever relationship we forge with this creature, we cannot have the waters of our bay become hostile. As of yet, we do not know whether he intends to stay locally regardless of our choice… and it is unclear whether the choice we are truly being given is to be his… friends, or be his dinner”
“I think he means it… when he says he wants to be friends” James spoke up, and Frederick nodded down to him
“It is worth remembering that all who have met the creature judge him to be sincere… but now… James, you told me before the meeting you spoke with him again… now would be the time to add what you know to our discussion”
The tension in the room was choking. James couldn’t even enjoy his first gathering with the adults, couldn’t enjoy that he was here while those two bullies of his had to stand around outside. He liked Azorm… he had been the first to meet Azorm… and in some ways he worried he had been the one to lure Azorm. “I spoke with him” James mumbled lamely “he, seems friendly. I think he really means it when he said he wants to be friends” he hesitated, looking to Frederick for assurance before drawing a breath “but, when I spoke to him, he, seemed very confused by some things I said… I, I don’t think he sees digesting us as a bad thing, or even unfriendly” he grimaced as a murmur ran through the crowd “he said, he’d ask permission before digesting anyone he called an… outside friend, and called those he ate… forever, forever friends”
“The beast is crazy” someone shouted from the side
Frederick raised a hand again “thank you James” he looked around the room “first facts and testimony, then judgements. Clearly the dragon does not think as we do… however, our doctor raised some good points to me. There are ways we, and the dragon can benefit from each other without him ever eating us. I would be tempted to believe he means it if he says he would require permission…” he grunted “however, if he thinks differently we also need to consider very seriously what he considers permission to be, and perhaps most crucially whether he will consider permission given by those under the effects of his slime”
A silence descended through the room again. Some of those who had been exposed most recently to the slime left on the fish offering had stopped giggling.
“We know the dragon likes to swallow people, we know he gives them back. We know he has a pouch inside him coated in this… ooze, and we know that ooze simultaneously turns people giddy, while filling them with, a sense of euphoria” Frederick rolled a shoulder “I cannot speak from experience, but the universal response is that the effects of this, ooze feel exceptionally pleasant”
A warmer murmur spread the crowd. Curiosity.
“It’s important to consider that the creature considers being swallowed a sign of friendship, and submitting to being swallowed, may even be a condition of friendship” he glanced to his side “before we become too, enamoured with the stuff… our good doctor has some, insights”
He moved aside, to allow the older man to ease onto the platform. The doctor cleared his throat “I cannot say I have much experience with dragons, nor influences of these sorts, but, in my earlier days of schooling I heard of the effects of drugging substances… alcohol is probably the most relatable. Its effect is to… stop the brain, acting” the doctor hesitated “which can be hard to understand since it makes your thoughts run more rampant… but if you consider, that to react one way, your mind must say no to acting in every other way you can imagine, it begins to make sense. This dragon’s body seems to release a drugging substance in the slime of that stomach pouch. It brings, a deep pleasure, and mild impairment. Remarkably mild, really, except in heavy doses. The substance does seem relatively benign, but we must be aware of the, inevitable side effects. They are almost always primarily the opposite of the drugging effect. Alcohol turns the mind off, unchaining thoughts. When it wears off… the mind cracks down” he sighed “if the pattern holds true, the side effect of this one may be, unhappiness. Which may encourage you to return for more. I do not wish to theorise past what I know at this point, but… I would like to make plain that this substance greatly concerns me. I fear it holds a very deep purpose in the dragon’s actions”
The doctor moved aside, and Frederick nodded to him “so… if I may summarise. We are uncertain of the dragon’s mindset and intentions, but we do know he has become very intently interested in us. We can accept his offer of friendship, putting us squarely in whatever plans he has. We will surely all end up within the creature, at some point, and will need to ensure we remain in control and are wary. However, there are some immediate benefits. A sea dragon to guide out boats, to bring us fish, to act as guard against more of his kind perhaps. A dragon for an ally, but also a dragon right beside us, one swallow away from being food not friends… potentially. Or, we can reject his offer. That option might offend him, might see him refuse to leave and need to be forced… it could bring us in direct conflict. Now, we could flee inland, but that would mean losing the village, losing lives. The negatives of that option are particularly dire and sudden. There is also a chance he may not attack, but simply remain close, considering us food, not friends” Frederick rolled his shoulders uncomfortably “the choice is difficult. Either way might be good, either way might be bad. I’m sure we’ll all have our opinions on the lesser of the two evils. I suggest we vote now”

James sat on an overturned boat, looking out over the calm night sea. In the morning… Azorm would be back to hear their choice. He exhaled a breath.
“Alice is looking for you, James”
He looked up. Frederick was just beside him “oh… yes, she worries. I’ll head home soon”
“Thinking about the vote?”
“Wondering if it’s the right choice”
“Aren’t we all” The boat creaked as Frederick joined him “nineteen to six. I would have had my misgivings either way, but I am glad it was not close” Frederick exhaled deeply “if you don’t have, even five percent majority on either side, can you really say one side is dominant? I’d have felt sick telling the dragon our verdict if it had been within that… actually, within that I’d have refused to. I’d have told him we were undecided. You need to accept that reality for more than an equal split of votes. You can lean to one side of the boat without it tipping one way or the other”
“Did you vote for the side that won?” James mused
“mmm, I did, as a matter of fact” Frederick admitted “not that I have strong feelings either way… my greatest concern for tonight anyway was, that we’d be undecided”
James sighed “may I ask, why you voted to agree to his deal?”
“I’d love to tell you I had some revelation, some deciding point to tell me it was right” Frederick admitted “but I don’t. I thought of the worst case. If we let him stay around, the worst case takes longer to happen, and is likely slower when it does. We’ll simply have more time to see it coming and figure it out. In the end, I’m undecided… this option buys us more time. If he’s hostile, we can still flee our homes… only this way we’d have time to prepare, and he might not have time to catch any of us… and if he truly is hostile, to flee would be the only option”
James nodded slowly “that makes sense… sounds sensible when you put it that way. But I just worry”
Frederick patted his back heavily “because you like the dragon, and are worried you’re wrong about him?”
James looked up “how…”
“I’m experienced… I felt similar with my lad’s mother… not, that I’m calling her a dragon” he chuckled faintly “just, I know that look. Be it dragon or anything… sometimes you just can’t be sure what is going on in someone’s head while they’re acting nicely. Try not to let the uncertainty eat at you… go home, sleep, keep sharp. If you worry, then turn it into vigilance. You have spoken with the dragon more than anyone… he seems to have focussed on you. If anyone will see a turn in his mood coming, you might. You, will tell me, won’t you?”
“Of course,” James murmured. He meant it, but… he wasn’t at all confident he’d see such a thing coming.

James barely slept. He turned in his bed as his face burned, so long since he’d had to deal with, being too hot. He felt dizzy and worries about Azorm kept drifting through his mind. In one dream the dragon coiled onto he shore, crushing homes as he became larger and larger… in another he came out to find the dragon small and turning on a spit as he was cooked… his mind roiled over who to worry about. He didn’t register it was morning, and the loud splashes and thuds outside were real and not a dream, till the familiar tang of sea air drifted in through the cracks in their house, the scent excited in the morning sun.
The realisation he was awake sobered him from his daze quickly. It meant Azorm was right outside. He threw on his coat, cursing as he struggled with an arm, stumbling through the door into the main room of the house. His sister was absent, so he stumbled outside into the bright sun. And there was the dragon. Head, long neck and shoulders hefted out of the water, the bay behind stirring with the excited weave of the rest of the colossal dragon’s body. The muzzle was blunt and regal, long with the weaving pair of tendrils lingering to the sides, near his nostrils. Eyes bright and playful. Looking down upon those gathered in the early sunlight to see this, important moment. James moved to the side of the crowd to keep a good view of Azorm… not that the dragon would be easy to miss.
Frederick stood once more uncomfortably before the large reptile. He could see the flare and contraction of nostrils with every breath, the shift of the underjaw as the tongue moved within. The dragon had swallowed seven times since he pulled up on the beach. Whether he liked it or not, Frederick had noted every time. And unless he was getting paranoid, he swore the frequency had been increasing as people gathered. James’s words the other day had made one thing clear to him. The beast was not naïve to the idea that humans were edible.
“There are more of you than I thought” Azorm crooned into the silence, head turning, slow movements, observing the gathered little land beasts. Beneath the waves, his tail was drifting, slowly, excited, agitated… resisting. Such a bounty from one cast of his bait.
“Azorm…” Frederick felt the name in his mouth… it still felt, strange “we have thought about your, request and, it is our decision to, accept your friendship, however, I would like to make a few points clear”
Frederick had to stagger back a step as the muzzle dipped to his level, drifting close. He got a disturbingly good look at the water dragon’s needle teeth as Azorm grinned “you have? I’m so glad, I dearly wanted to have you all as my friends…” a deep, purring rumble like waves crashing on the shore echoed over the crowd “and I will listen, of course, friends do listen to the needs, of friends”
Reluctantly Frederick petted the wide snout before him, it felt like what he should do, even if, the large predator unnerved him to his core “We would like to know whether you intend to stay here, and what exactly you intend to do with your new, friends… you have asked a very strange request of us, particularly given your… disposition towards devouring us…”
“mmm” Azorm mused to himself, considering the little alpha at his snout… one lick, one swallow, all it would take… still… “The rocks here are pleasant, the waters are to my taste. I will be staying, near my friends” he grinned a little “I wish to be friends, because I decided to live here. It is good to be friends with your neighbours, yes?” he looked off a moment “but my intentions you say? I intend to eat, swim, make you all happy. I’ll bring you fish if you’re hungry, keep you warm in the stomach I have for friends, two, or three at a time will do. I intend, to spend a lot of time, with my new friends”
“I see… I will make it clear… you are not to… swallow us, unless we are willing, do you understand? You, will not lick us off our boats, or pluck us from the shore… do you understand? If you really want to be… friends with us, you’ll respect our wishes”
“Of course,” Azorm smirked to the little alpha, and saw it quiver, just lightly “and you will respect the wishes, of any little friends who decide they would like to never leave the warm pleasure of my insides, yes?”
“If they truly, truly desire it” Frederick mumbled, looking behind him. This was a point he knew not how best to address “I would ask that you allow them to tell us of their decision, personally… and allow us to try and change their minds”
“That is fair… so long as I may try and convince them they will like it” Azorm’s tongue licked along his chops “mmm, I’m hungry, I shall hunt. I’ll return later, friends”
“Now, wait” Frederick called, but already the dragon had flopped backwards into the water, splashing the shore and crowd, diving back beneath the water. The shape and echo of his movement showed in their bay for a few moments, but then he was gone, and the sea was still but for its own whims.
“Well…” Frederick sighed, brushing his hand down his shirt. He looked around to those gathered, frowning a touch
“What do we do now?” a sizable man, the stone smith mused into the silence
Frederick shook his head “I’m sorry, everyone, but I have moved far beyond what I am comfortable with. I know wood… I can make a boat, repair a boat, build a wall, carve a fishing pole. I don’t feel comfortable speaking for everyone as far as this is concerned. Our majority vote was to play nice with the dragon… I think we all need to decide what our own approach with the beast is. My opinion, we need to wait now. Wait, watch, see if he keeps his word… and try to go back to normal best we can. The sea is still the sea, there have always been dragons in it, sometimes a dragon eats someone. There is one living, a lot closer to us now… I hope we’ve made the wise choice. Our food comes from his territory, the sea is his sanctuary and where he can strike from. Maybe this is just how one needs to deal with a local sea dragon… I don’t know” he shook his head “I have orders to fulfil… I’m going to my workshop. If you want my services, you know where to find me. If you want advice on how to handle the dragon… I’m no expert there”
Alice cleared her throat softly “you’ve done a lot for us, Frederick… I’m, sure I speak for everyone when I say, we appreciate you, stepping up to speak while we stand in shock… perhaps while you’re here we, should decide on some things. I want to know if, I should be scared if it wants to swallow me”
There were mumbles of agreement to that one, and Frederick rolled a shoulder “I’ll be turning down every offer it makes to… make me happy in its stomach, I’ll say that much. Will that annoy it? Will that keep me safe from some plan? I haven’t a clue…it could be either or. I’ve had my fill dwelling on it. If you trust the beast and are curious to this sensation… don’t let me stop you. I’ve made my choice, you make yours”
The crowd dispersed as he left, some muted discussion. The atmosphere was quiet, that expectant, tense sort of quiet, like holding your breath when some small noise got your attention. The village felt like it was waiting for something, something that hadn’t come. James remained where he had stood, looking out over the water. The dragon had come… and gone. And, everyone was to just get on with their day, like normal? Maybe that was it, he considered. It felt like so much had changed, but there was nothing to do but continue on
“James” he looked up to see Alice approaching him, her hands were, twisting lightly against her stomach “are you… going out to the rocks again?”
The question was so familiar, but it sent a chill down his spine. What else would he do with his day. Did he want to encounter Azorm again? Would he, if he went? Was he scared of, another snap from the sea “I suppose I am…” he murmured, feeling to his hip “my pouch… I’ll come home with some shellfish, maybe I can catch some crabs” he looked to his sister with a faint smile “I might not, go as far out on the rocks today”
She nodded quietly, the way she looked to the ground and, remained so still, he felt she wanted to say something. He waited, and eventually, in a quiet murmur “I, don’t want you to, let the dragon eat you again”
“I didn’t intend to” he noted faintly. He felt that was true, but, when it asked it to himself… he had no answer, one way or the other. It felt, too strange a question
“I see…” she sighed, brushing down her coat “I, heard the others, those fishermen the dragon grabbed, talking… joking, about, wanting to be eaten again”
“don’t worry” James smiled a little, widening it as much as he could, for her “I’ve got the dragon on my mind, but I don’t know how I feel about it just yet. I’m not running off to get eaten, just clambering around on the rocks as always… and I’ll be careful. I know he’s around”
“Take care, James” she finally said, nodding to him, and moving for their home. He sighed. She was worried… he knew it, she ought to be. He was worried too. He cast another look out over the water. One by one the boats were beginning to drift out. There was none of the usual haste. He couldn’t blame them. Every day, there could be a sea dragon passing by. Now they knew there was one, right below them.
With effort he tried to push Azorm from his mind and wandered down the path for the wide stretch of rocky shore. He doubted he’d be putting his hands into the water today…

The village was remarkably lonely down at the shore when the boats were out. Those who made nets tended to do it where they were comfortable, up near the houses where they could talk. Other professions worked out of their homes. Which was why Marcus and Frazer found themselves alone down by the shore, finishing the boat that was their project.
“I’m sick of this” Frazer complained, shooting a look up the shore “This boat is taking forever”
Marcus eyed his younger brother and followed his gaze for a moment “the freak kid already left. Quit procrastinating. Besides, he might set his pet dragon on you”
“Lucky twerp” Frazer grumbled “even I’m older than him, and he gets to make decisions with the adults”
“You’re the same age”
“I’m a month older” Frazer challenged “besides… what does he know, he got himself eaten… wish it had just kept him down”
“Maybe it’ll do it next time, he keeps going out to the rocks like that” Marcus grunted as he rolled his tool along the wood, a strip falling off “wanna bet his childish rock hopping lured the thing in? If the beast goes crazy it’s his fault”
“I’m still annoyed we’re not supposed to talk with it” Frazer looked out to the water in the bay “father is so scared of the stupid thing… you heard it speak, it sounds like a kid… a stupid kid”
“Makes me wonder though” Marcus noted “maybe we could make it do what we want, make it our pet dragon… and I want to try that dizzy stuff the adults had”
“The freak got to try it too” Frazer added with venom
“I don’t hold it to myself, little friends” a deep, cooing voice brought both to a standstill, before backing off. Rising from the sea came the dragon’s snout, body submerged, only the upper jaw in view, enough to see the beast smirk, and its ears flick
“I’m not scared of you” Marcus asserted, folding his arms “you go away… dragon, don’t mess up our boat”
“I wouldn’t dream of it” Azorm mused, keeping himself, very low… they were spooked, he could see… they trembled, they acted brave. He could smell it now, much closer. They smelled like the alpha… the alpha’s two pups… wonderful. No wonder they barked at him, instead of yipping and fleeing “I like those floating things… I want one of my own”
“You wouldn’t fit” Frazer pointed out
“To play with, not sit on” Azorm rumbled, eyes flicking between them “I saw this one, on the sand not in the sea, so I came to look, and, heard a little of what you said. You want to feel the happy I gave to the older humans? I can arrange it… one step past the teeth, a little swallow, and you’ll be so happy. I’ll bring you back up, of course”
Marcus exchanged a look with his brother, they were hesitating. Azorm grinned to himself, teeth showing only to the sands “I apologize, I shouldn’t have offered… it must be scary for little humans, although… that other one, quite sweet on the tongue, he got very cosy” He saw the tension spark through their frames; sometimes, listening worked very well.
“I’ll go in right now” Frazer took a step closer to the snout “get me away from this boring boat”
Azorm’s snout rose, as his jaws parted, the insides were soft, pink, the tongue long and thin inside his deep mouth. The two brothers hesitated. The tongue eased forward, showing the deep throat behind, a hot breath gusting out over them. Inside, the fleshy world pulsed and moved, alive.
Frazer grunted, and strode in after a moment, haughty as he stood in on the tongue, wobbling “now what do I…?”
The jaws snapped, the other, backing a step. Azorm shot the young landbound one a little wink, as he rolled his tongue back, gathering up his treat. He swallowed, and sighed, parting his empty jaws “your turn?”
“It’s safe, huh?” Marcus asked, though he got no answer, and, with a look around, stepped inside after his brother.
Azorm clicked his jaws shut, and quickly pushed his paws to the ground under the water, drifting backwards and re-submerging himself, turning to swim back to deeper water. Inside his mouth, the land beast flavour spread nicely. He rolled his tongue to this one’s side, face, scooping it back as he bored, swallowing it with a single firm pulse of his muscles, mindful of it as it sunk, like the last one, making sure, it got directed to the correct stomach. He yawned under the water once his new friends were on their way, smiling to himself, a forepaw pressing to his belly plates where they rested. Already he felt them in there… feeling around… maybe they panicked, or second guessed… it mattered not. The happy slimes would surround and immerse them… two more he had claimed to the dizzy joy… and they would be perfect. It only made sense really… small bait caught big bait… for the biggest fish.

James grunted as he leapt across a crack in the rocks, landing with grace, mindful of the bright, slippery plants. He’d fallen onto those rough and jagged sea torn stones enough to know how painful a mistake a misplaced foot was. Tired from his exploring he took a moment to breathe, standing tall and looking over his surroundings. There were some more rockpools further out, and crevices like the one he had crossed, but which met the sea. Little critters got washed into those often enough. Crabs would be good, even the fishermen didn’t jest if he brought back a big crab. His little bag was already swollen with periwinkles. Slimy to look at, normally rubbery to eat, and a nuisance to get out of their shells… but, busy hands distracted from empty stomachs, and food was food.
Still, his eyes drifted out to sea. The endless expanse. Somewhere out there, and surely not so very far, was Azorm. He felt a flinching anxiety when he thought of the beast. How long he’d watched them from afar, marvelled… and Azorm was, a regal, beautiful creature. But he’d never been under any illusions to the danger of those dragons. Most people tried not to even think about them. He didn’t trust Azorm’s intentions. It was a bitter admission to himself, and it could stand in his mind only a moment before being buried again. He really wanted the dragon to be nice, that would be the best thing to ever happen to him, to his village. So badly he wanted that. Yet. A dragon lived in a direr world than his. If he didn’t find food, others would feed him that day. A dragon didn’t have that security. Wouldn’t that mean the beast would be even more intent on not letting prey get away. A shiver ran James’s spine. He was prey, and Azorm had let him go, brought fish. Something wasn’t right. That was the problem… but he didn’t know why.
The task of hunting for crabs started to feel a lot nicer than worrying about Azorm, so he pressed on, scampering expertly across the rocks, closer to the edge, closer to the sea. Would he even know if a dragon was there… he’d touched Azorm under the water before he saw the dragon.
“What are you doing?”
James froze, turning and… there was the dragon, as if thinking about the beast had lured it. Azorm was mostly in the water, but as James watched, the head of the dragon settled on the rocks, a half yawn before a single forepaw rose, digging into the stone to support the dragon.
“You startled me” James noted, looking down the dragon’s neck to, where the water consumed him. In the rippling water, the dragon’s shape was broken up so well, and the matching hue made the beast difficult to see. He’d thought the dragons on land were more dangerous being able to fly, till he really met a sea dragon. The water was a better sanctuary than the air. The dragons grew bigger, and could hide as they fled, and as they hunted from their advantage. He shook off his surprise, and remembered the question “I’m trying to catch crabs”
“What are crabs?” Azorm mused
James sighed. Maybe he was just making excuses, but movement of a dragon in the water had to be clearly felt… any crabs might be hiding now, so he abandoned the idea for now, and approached the settled dragon “you don’t know? You live in the water”
“Are they small?” Azorm asked “I don’t notice things too small to eat, or that live close to the shore, normally”
James sat on a smoother rock that jutted up above where the water would reach, looking to the dragon “they can get bigish… nothing like you of course. They’re… they have lots of legs, normally walk on the bottom I guess, big claws, pincers, one on each side”
“Oh, nippy-nips. Annoying things” Azorm snorted “I found this lovely big beach to doze on once, in the sun, and one crawled right up my nose and started nipping, took ages to snort it out… bleh” He lifted his head slightly, looking around the rocks “your kind eats them? That’s good”
“Sometimes we do” James felt a hint of a smile at the dragon’s, sudden vigilance “I haven’t found any today… only little shellfish”
“mmm…” Azorm settled again “there are bigger nippy-nips in the deep, deep waters. Maybe I’ll bring you one if I see it. I hated them when I was young, they’d nip my whiskers when I wanted to play with them, it hurt so bad…” the tendrils flexed and coiled in the air for a moment “I’d enjoy seeing you eat it”
“Little spiteful” James noted, though when the dragon said nothing to that, he went on “anyway, are you hunting me, Azorm? Why are you here?”
“Watching you” Azorm admitted easily “I ate well before… I am not that hungry, I’m having more fun watching you. You leap and jump around… your world looks fun, and strange to me”
“My world?” James looked off… the opposite direction to his normal musing. The trees, distant hills “you mean the land?”
“mmm” Azorm looked off “I’d never trade the sea for it, but it has an interesting unknown to it… does it just keep going, with no water? Is it all… dead and rocky in the middle?”
“I don’t know” James mused, the idea, striking him “I’ve never left the village… I know no more about the inner land than I do the deep sea”
“Oh” Azorm seemed disappointed, but shrugged “oh well, I’ll never see it. But I though you might… maybe you’re, coastal creatures… like nippy-nips”
“Maybe so” James mused “my village is… most like me, live much deeper. But then, we tend to live beside water, so… maybe”
Azorm yawned again “my friend stomach is nice and filled… makes me sleepy”
“Oh…” James looked to the waters… somewhere under there, the stomach had… people he knew in it… “I don’t know how to feel about that”
“Do you want to go back in?” Azorm asked
“a little” James admitted quietly. He’d been feeling happy, all of yesterday… his good mood had been, irrepressible. Today… today he just kept feeling more dismal and quiet… or he had, he was starting to feel a little more himself “It, felt nice, but I don’t remember much of it”
“Kept you in a while” Azorm agreed “Longer you are in, longer you are happy, less you remember. You little ones just, fall asleep”
“Have you had, human friends before us?” James asked, curious, though his curiosity spiked when Azorm didn’t answer. The dragon hummed a faint note, for a long minute
“Sort of… yes” Azorm finally said, settling his head to his paw, tendrils twisting slowly at his claws
“It didn’t end well?”
“You guess right” Azorm huffed “I don’t want to talk about it”
“Who did you, swallow? They are going to be ok, right?”
“mmm, don’t know you all yet” Azorm yawned “They will be in for a while, but they will come out, happy, then I will make more of you happy”
James nodded slowly “are you going to try and eat me?”
“Not today, tomorrow perhaps” Azorm looked to James, his eyes were, deep, entrancing, a strange, beautiful blue… not, quite like anything James knew “you are a special friend. The first one, and you look at me differently. I can see it”
James nodded quietly, watching the dragon. Azorm was so pleasant, so friendly, cute even. And astute. Childish as the dragon seemed, Azorm, had a sharp eye. James noted that firmly into the back of his mind. He wasn’t sure he believed that the dragon didn’t know who was in his stomach.
“I should let you hunt” Azorm concluded “but, I will bring more fish for my friends tomorrow. You will not need to hunt as much”
“Can you really spare it?” James asked directly “you need to hunt, like us. You’re a big dragon, but a boatload of fish isn’t small for anything, is it?”
“Good hunting right now” Azorm answered “very good hunting. I hunt all day when I’m not here. I’m eating well”
“Ok…” James noted “strange, our hunting hasn’t improved much”
“Deep” Azorm explained “deep shoals, lots of fish, big fish, heavy, yummy, delicious and wriggling. The others will come soon”
James sat up a little more “others… you’re not talking about fish, are you?”
“No” Azorm shook his head, and pushed off from the stones “the others are coming very soon”
“Wait” James called, but already the dragon was under the water. The others… it was soon time for the dragon migration… was that why they passed through off the coast… following some, feeding frenzy? Maybe the dragon’s words meant only that. He hoped so. But it was a reminder of a worry that had been plaguing him. The sea dragons had never really noticed them before. They saved food and waited in their bay when the dragons passed. But how would Azorm’s presence change that. It was a question he wasn’t sure he’d like the answer to…

“Andrew?” Frederick moved into the stonemason’s doorway, peering into the, sturdy house. It was probably the longest standing building in the village. It made sense… considering the mason spent most of his time repairing or building houses, it wouldn’t help anyone if his own crumbled.
The man was chipping at a smaller piece of stone in his hand, looking to the entry before putting his task to the side. Unfinished and poorly shaped for now, next to a line of little statues. Frederick looked to them, just briefly. A reasonable hobby.
“Andrew, have you seen my boys?”
“Not since this morning” Andrew looked to him puzzled
“Same story all around” Frederick grunted “I’d dared hope they’d come here to discuss when you’d be starting on a house… close to my last resort”
“Sorry, haven’t seem them”
Frederick nodded to the large man and stepped back outside. The evening was getting cold. The boats were moored, the dinner had been served. That was when he had noticed their absence. He’d never known them to miss a meal.
One possibility glared at him… though he had explored everything else in hope. The dragon… they would have been working by the water after all. He couldn’t help his concern. A dragon was anything but safe, though he had the consolidation that the beast hadn’t hurt anyone yet, and, did make people disappear to that, safer slimy pit inside it. With luck, that was all… that was probably all.
He trudged to the shoreline, alone, down to where the boat they had been working on rested, stroking a hand to the wood, and looking to the sea. How to find the dragon…
“Azorm” he called to the water “do you watch me… are you, lurking?”
His words faded into the night, the water was lapping to the shore. Slowly he turned to leave, before a disturbance rose from the sea. The luminous dragon eyes peering out at him, before the head rose into full view
“You really were”
“I thought you might be looking for your pups” Azorm noted, looking around for a moment before fixing his gaze on the man before his snout, bringing it closer still “they are safe… they did go in willingly”
“I’ll take your word for it” Frederick crossed his arms… he didn’t like the proximity. Warm dragon breath billowed to his cold face “I can believe it…”
Azorm chuckled a deep sound, rippling the scales of the throat “I will let them out tomorrow”
“You’ll let them out now” Frederick asserted “don’t play games with me, dragon. And don’t try to intimidate me. I want my boys, in their beds, tonight” Frederick met the dragon’s eyes… he found, he really wasn’t afraid… the dragon wouldn’t kill him, he felt sure of that... quickest way to sour the whole village against him, and hard to explain if he disappeared.
“I like them in there… I’m not finished with them” Azorm crooned “you could join them inside? You’d feel so happy and nice… and you’d find them, quite alright”
“No” Frederick pushed “I will never let you swallow me dragon, not of my own will”
For a long moment, Azorm stared at the little alpha before his muzzle. Then he exhaled “I believe you” his jaws parted, slightly, tongue raising, before the teeth spread. For a moment, Frederick faced the savage pink view of the deep, the undulating, and rising fleshy tongue, and the sight of two… strange, twitching valves beneath the tongue. Before their openings clenched tight, and a cloud of mist sprayed into the air from them, immersing him.
Azorm clacked his jaws shut, rumbling faintly, and watching… it worked nicely. The human stumbled, the eyes went, dizzy, before it collapsed against the fun plaything the young ones had been building. He licked his chops, clearing the sharp flavour of the mist from his mouth, humming as he pushed off, and began to sink back into the water “have a nice sleep, alpha… you’ll feel so very happy in the morning”