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![[NMA]Of Dragons and Dracology: Aetherios - Vol I](http://d.furaffinity.net/art/danaers/1650598879/1650598879.danaers_aetheriospaw_fr_fa.jpg "Click to change the View")
[NMA]Of Dragons and Dracology: Aetherios - Vol I
A question often posed to me pertains to dragons and morality. "Danathius, how can you revere dragons so? They are EVIL," some have asked me. And I think that's a perfectly fine -- and rather interesting -- question to ask. The reactions I get from asking my counter question are priceless, and they always vary, ranging from astonishment to anger. The counter question in question is simply "what makes you think a dragon is evil?" I can hear the answers now. "They kill, they murder, they slaughter, they eat, they burn!" Again, all very good and valid points, but they all share the same problem: they are of a very oro-centric mindset. That isn't to say that dragons aren't orin, aren't people. They absolutely are! But you have to think of their actions from a dragon's point of view. Many children have drowned unfortunate ant hills in water, just to see how the insects would respond. Does that single action make those children evil? Certainly not. But from the perspective of the ants, they most assuredly are. One culture's values and beliefs may not always translate to another, but rather than dismiss and devalue those views, I would seek a way to understand them in the hopes of eventually reaching a state of mutual respect between my culture and another. Also, I just really love dragons.
So, imagine my surprise when a dragon of Aetherios's power and stature contacted me! The Ashen Lord himself... It was an offer, simply put, I knew I could not refuse. I quickly made the preparations and hastily teleported from my sanctum. I arrived at the teleportation gate that had been included in the letter, only to be personally greeted by Aetherios himself. The sight of the huge, black-scaled behemoth was nearly enough to make me swoon, but I tried my best to maintain a level composure. I do believe the toothy smirk that met my gaze saw straight through my facade, however. It may have been my bright red cheeks, or perhaps it was my nervous stammering, but whatever the reason, I had earned this draconic king's attention, and I wasn't about to squander this opportunity to get to know Aetherios better. Embarrassingly, the intelligent elder dragon was well aware of my escapades, and I knew so little! Fortunately, the black-scaled monarch had already planned for this little oversight.
We started our exchange over a lovely cauldron of fine tea. It was a rich, sweet and fragrant blend, that paired well with the traditional additives of cream and sugar. Our discussion quickly turned from tea to magic, and how delightful it was to speak with another highly experienced spellcaster. As expected of a dragon, his proficiency for spellweaving was astounding, superb and beautiful to witness. Many cultures, including my own, state that dragons were the founders of magic, and it's easy to see why this belief is perpetuated when witnessing a dragon cast the most complicated spells with the least amount of effort expended. It's truly a spectacle to behold...
After hours of discussing spells and incantations, we finally settled on discussing some of my writings. The keen king had noticed the finer details to attention I had included in some of my observations of draconic anatomy, and he was willing to let me document him. I didn't hesitate a second longer than necessary before I started on the task. Aetherios had quite a unique design on his scales. Most of them were thick, dark as soot and ash itself. The scutes and plates on Aetherios's underside were light gray in color, similar to thin wisps of smoke in the air. I have no doubt in my mind that the royal dragon's hide was nigh impenetrable with how heavy and well-fortified those scales and scutes were. Two brilliant, and lovely, stripes of gold ran down the back of Aetherios's neck and back, all the way down to his tail tip. Upon closer inspection, the stripe was also accompanied by a banner of lighter, black scales, exactly the color of the night's sky. And within that band? Stars. Many, small spots of gold. It was like viewing an arm of a galaxy unfurled and spanning across the dragon's body. So enthralled was I that I failed to notice Aetherios's next move.
A loud thump rocked the ground beneath of me. When I looked up, I saw the dragon's massive hindpaw upturned and situated before me. A knowing smirk flashed across the elder's toothy muzzle, and he flexed his thick fat toes, making them dance just for me. With a heavy swallow, I gathered the resolve to scale those mighty toes and come to rest on the beast's broad sole. Getting situated on the soft underside of that paw, I sank into the plush, padded sole, leathery skin indenting and conforming to my shape. The fat, supple pads were soft and supple, pleasant to the touch, with enough yield for a human such as myself to become embedded within them without suffering any major injuries, unless Aetherios decided otherwise. Heat emitted from the leathery pads was comforting, and fortunately not enough to burn bare human skin. I took a deep breath and inhaled sharply through my nostrils, drinking deep of the scent that roiled around the dragon's wide sole. The aroma from the sole was an earthen musk, with a subtle hint of ash and natural masculinity. It definitely wasn't an unpleasant scent... I swear, the dragon's sole was so comfortable, that I could have ended up taking a nap right then and there...
An absolutely lovely commission
aetherios and I purchased from 
rimentus, who is always a joy to work with! Please be sure to give rimentus your love and support! He definitely deserves it! You can also favorite and comment on his submission here: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/43846455/
Artwork © rimentus
Aetherios © aetherios
Danathius © Me
So, imagine my surprise when a dragon of Aetherios's power and stature contacted me! The Ashen Lord himself... It was an offer, simply put, I knew I could not refuse. I quickly made the preparations and hastily teleported from my sanctum. I arrived at the teleportation gate that had been included in the letter, only to be personally greeted by Aetherios himself. The sight of the huge, black-scaled behemoth was nearly enough to make me swoon, but I tried my best to maintain a level composure. I do believe the toothy smirk that met my gaze saw straight through my facade, however. It may have been my bright red cheeks, or perhaps it was my nervous stammering, but whatever the reason, I had earned this draconic king's attention, and I wasn't about to squander this opportunity to get to know Aetherios better. Embarrassingly, the intelligent elder dragon was well aware of my escapades, and I knew so little! Fortunately, the black-scaled monarch had already planned for this little oversight.
We started our exchange over a lovely cauldron of fine tea. It was a rich, sweet and fragrant blend, that paired well with the traditional additives of cream and sugar. Our discussion quickly turned from tea to magic, and how delightful it was to speak with another highly experienced spellcaster. As expected of a dragon, his proficiency for spellweaving was astounding, superb and beautiful to witness. Many cultures, including my own, state that dragons were the founders of magic, and it's easy to see why this belief is perpetuated when witnessing a dragon cast the most complicated spells with the least amount of effort expended. It's truly a spectacle to behold...
After hours of discussing spells and incantations, we finally settled on discussing some of my writings. The keen king had noticed the finer details to attention I had included in some of my observations of draconic anatomy, and he was willing to let me document him. I didn't hesitate a second longer than necessary before I started on the task. Aetherios had quite a unique design on his scales. Most of them were thick, dark as soot and ash itself. The scutes and plates on Aetherios's underside were light gray in color, similar to thin wisps of smoke in the air. I have no doubt in my mind that the royal dragon's hide was nigh impenetrable with how heavy and well-fortified those scales and scutes were. Two brilliant, and lovely, stripes of gold ran down the back of Aetherios's neck and back, all the way down to his tail tip. Upon closer inspection, the stripe was also accompanied by a banner of lighter, black scales, exactly the color of the night's sky. And within that band? Stars. Many, small spots of gold. It was like viewing an arm of a galaxy unfurled and spanning across the dragon's body. So enthralled was I that I failed to notice Aetherios's next move.
A loud thump rocked the ground beneath of me. When I looked up, I saw the dragon's massive hindpaw upturned and situated before me. A knowing smirk flashed across the elder's toothy muzzle, and he flexed his thick fat toes, making them dance just for me. With a heavy swallow, I gathered the resolve to scale those mighty toes and come to rest on the beast's broad sole. Getting situated on the soft underside of that paw, I sank into the plush, padded sole, leathery skin indenting and conforming to my shape. The fat, supple pads were soft and supple, pleasant to the touch, with enough yield for a human such as myself to become embedded within them without suffering any major injuries, unless Aetherios decided otherwise. Heat emitted from the leathery pads was comforting, and fortunately not enough to burn bare human skin. I took a deep breath and inhaled sharply through my nostrils, drinking deep of the scent that roiled around the dragon's wide sole. The aroma from the sole was an earthen musk, with a subtle hint of ash and natural masculinity. It definitely wasn't an unpleasant scent... I swear, the dragon's sole was so comfortable, that I could have ended up taking a nap right then and there...
An absolutely lovely commission
aetherios and I purchased from 
rimentus, who is always a joy to work with! Please be sure to give rimentus your love and support! He definitely deserves it! You can also favorite and comment on his submission here: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/43846455/Artwork ©
rimentusAetherios ©
aetheriosDanathius © Me
Category Artwork (Digital) / Paw
Species Western Dragon
Size 1280 x 960px
File Size 216.1 kB
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