[Rei] “This Intent stuff sure is nifty …”

  The Dragon though.

  His tentative step into diplomacy by imagining himself throwing the Kobolds out of his Cave by the scruff of their necks like angry Cats, broke right through the aggression, the Female one just couldn't stop laughing.

  He just won and now it was time to bask in victory.

  *** *** ***

  [Las] -Kow, he stopped, his anger … its just gone, and now he is … its proud ? Happy ? Relieved ? … he is curious now, is focusing back on me and … -

  Las blinked a few times, the Intent sharp and clear, painting a clear image of what the Dragon wanted to do, how he wanted to do it and how he imagined it would go … it was downright hilarious to her.

  It was a comical telling, like a step by step drawing with exaggerated … everything.

  The dragon was imagining Kow being so small that he had to pinch him with the tip of his claws to throw him out.

  The Dread was gone, Her team just restored its confidence, and now … there was no risk ? The Dragon didn't want to kill them anymore for invading his cave ? It just wanted to throw them out like annoying critters ?

  The relief in her system made the emotions swing and rebound with a vengeance, the Mana clamping down on everything undone and a laugh filled the air.

  [Las] - … Hahahaha … cof cof … I, I can't, I don't believe it, that's … Kow is not that Small … Haha -

  Her complaining found death ears, or not, the dragon was sporting a very smug expression, he was radiating smugness like he won.

  He just laid on the ground with his head on a paw and a half smile that made it look even smugier somehow, he was doing it on purpose.

  *** *** ***

  Has looked back to his beloved, seeing her almost cry in laughter made him smile and look confused back at the Dragon.

  The Dragon was layed down and the fighting apparently on pause.

  [Has] -Kow … Beloved is Laughing and the dragon is smiling … what do I do ?-

  Has was mostly confused, but if the fight stopped it was alright, Kow wanted the dragon for something and the dragon was not escaping or Attacking … He doesn't need to think about all that stuff, that's Kow's and his Beloved job.

  So Has put his Branch on the ground and decided to pay attention to his beloved beautiful laugh, and smile, and face … and her everything, while they figured it out.

  *** *** ***

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Kow the Bold was thinking about changing his moniker to Confused.

  Just as he dispelled the Dragon’s mana effect and got his team back on track with the game, the smart beast decided to just toss the table and pieces aside and said he didn't want to play anymore.

  [Kow] “I'm … what ? … But … what ?”

  For the first time in a long while, Kow found himself speechless.

  [Kow] -Right … fair … Las, you said it is projecting its intent pretty accurately … its … he a guaranteed person ?-

  [Las] -Yes Chief, no doubt about that after this, it's a He and he wants us out of his cave-

  Las said, still trying to not smile as she looked at Kow and thought about the dragon's thoughts on him.

  [Kow] -Right, right … I can't do that, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I'm not wasting my shot … Can he negotiate ? … Does he understand us ?-

  Kow asked with a sigh.

  [Las] -Not really … He is very good at sending, but doesn't seem to grasp the nuances of receiving, i'm trying to communicate with it but he only gets the general idea and not much else-

  Las said, approaching her beloved and making him sit on the ground so she could sit on his lap and focus more.

  [Kow] -Righ, right, can't you share deeper ?-

  Kow asked, if she could get into the dragon's head and do the same as she does with them, they could make this go so much faster.

  [Las] -No deal boss, and I can't stress this enough, he does not trust any of this, even me reading his Intent is making him anxious, but he feel like he can't stop it, so is letting it go, anything more and we will be back to fighting-

  Las said before shuddering a bit.

  [Las] -Kow, I think he got the gist of what we are discussing, he just projected to me that if I try something, he will kill one of us-

  As She said it, Has pulled her a bit closer, muscles tensing in preparation to get up.

  [Kow] -He thinks he can just do it ?-

  Kow grabbed his bow a bit tighter.

  Las shook her head.

  [Las] -He knows he can't win, but he is confident enough that he can take at least one of us before we can take him down-

  Kow tightened his grip even more, scales losing color because of the strength.

  [Kow] -Right, right … -

  The Bold Leader breathed in deep, before letting it out.

  [Kow] -We need some better way to communicate … he doesn't know how to read Intent like you, and will violently refuse a Deep Share, he obviously doesn't trust us because my greedy ass was hunting him like a Beast … -

  Kow was drawing blanks, he couldn't let this opportunity go, but he just started with the wrong fucking foot.

  [Kow] “He was supposed to be a Beast, something we showed our strength and them proceed to tame when it was submissive, but nooooooo, the fucking Hatchling I found is already a person and now I fucked up big”

  Kow was musing on how to get a win out of this, when Has, the ever silent one, gave his beloved a Kiss, put her on the side and got up.

  [Has] -Too much thinking, Dragon don't have trust, we give trust-

  Has said that and before any complaints were made, he approached the dragon, who was now back on his feet, and dropped his Brach behind him, laying face down on the ground with hands behind his back.

  [Kow , Las] -Has …-

  Both said with a warning tone in their voices, but it was already too late, the tension was back in the air and so thick it could be used as a bludgeoning weapon.

  Kow was keeping Mana primed and at the ready, one beat and he would be shooting a hail of arrows on the dragon.

  Las was back to full tilt, focusing on dissecting the dragon's every whim.

  And again, the tension was cut.

  [Has] -No fighting, Dragon stronger now, give trust-

  *** *** ***

  In Has's mind, there was a simple solution that his friends were not seeing, they were being stupid, the brain probably got tired with all the thinking they did all the time, so Has would think in their place for now.

  Kow wanted the dragon, he wanted it badly, he didn't even say why he wanted it, so Kow didn't just want the dragon but Needed it.

  And we couldn't Kill it, so the Dragon was supposed to be a new companion. Kow never liked taming beasts. Every time he lost one it made him very depressed, so Kow stopped doing it.

  And now he wanted the dragon and was already afraid of losing it.

  And if Kow was afraid, it was Has job to be confident.

  The Dragon fought well, even Kow got surprised. The Dragon and even made his beloved laugh. It was companion material right there.

  Kow was great, his Beloved was great, and even Has was alright, so overall, his group was great, and the dragon would make a mighty friend. He could help Has job right away.

  So the dragon is strong and Very smart. Kow wants him as a companion. Las likes him and they just fought. Even an average warrior like Has could feel it. It was having fun just like Has was, so why were we not companions yet ?

  Las said he isn't going with them and wants us out of the cave. That made no sense, Kow is great, only stupid people didn't like Kow, and beloved said the Dragon is very smart, so that needs to be a reason for it not going.

  Then Las said the reason was that the Dragon didn't trust them, and Has thought very hard about it, and finally got why Kow was thinking so much.

  [Has] “We hunted the dragon like a Beast, he was a person and didn't know us … we broke trust first”

  And with that revelation, the solution was simple, their companion was not trusting them, because they made a mistake, it was not feeling safe, so Has just had to make sure he felt safer, and everyone could talk things out.

  The dragon would see how Great Kow was, how Kind and Smart is Beloved was, and after the fight, Has knows the dragon's knows that Has is alright.

  [Has] “We will be companions in no time … we can even hunt for something to eat in commemoration of our New companion … we can now hunt the Big Juicy ones … the Dragon surely eats like Has, so we don't need to spoil Meat anymore …”

  While Has was laying down face first to the ground thinking about his future dinner, everyone else was panicking in their own way.