AN// This is the sequel of 'That first step'. I recommend reading that first. It can be found...
Spread your wings.
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AN// This is the sequel of 'That first step'. I recommend reading that first. It can be found here: http://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/that-first-step-si.5342/
Now, on with the story.
_____________________________
Everything was white.
There was no thought, just the feeling of floating.
It lasted forever.
And then it didn't. The white light faded away and there was the feeling of slowly falling as my lungs drew air for the first time.
I was slowly laid out on the hard stone, instinctively drawing breath.
Everything felt so... strange. Alien. Everything looked much clearer than I could remember. The shape of my jaw was all wrong.
My body was... strange. Things were in the wrong place, bent the wrong way.
But somehow, it felt natural. Somehow.
"Easy." Somebody said and a large shape passed into my field of view of my one eye that was not aimed at the rock beneath me, "Stay down. Breathe. Give yourself time to recover."
A large blue dragon. He had a name.
What was it?
Targos. Targos was his name.
I choked out a sound at him.
He just chuckled, "Easy. Close your eyes. Sleep. When you wake up, everything will be clearer."
Sleep.
Yes. Sleep good.
I closed my eyes.
XXXXXXXXX
My eyes flew open and I instinctively rolled onto all fours.
Well, I tried to. I stepped on the flight skin of my right wing and only managed to faceplant onto the rock beneath me.
Ow.
A soft chuckling could be heard and I jerked in surprise, lifting my head to look around. Targos was laying at the other side of the chamber, next to one of the four megaliths that had been channeling the energy into me.
Me. The ritual.
I am human. From planet Earth. My name was... My name is Atreus. I blinked in surprise. It was all coming back to me now.
The fall, the recovery, the traveling.
Venir.
Shaking my head to clear it I blinked again, looking around. Everything looked smaller than I remembered it.
Of course, I was larger.
As I turned my head I noticed something odd. My field of view was wider. I could see directly to the sides as well as focus my eyes forward.
...why was there a small horn at my nose?
I glanced over at Targos. He had it as well but his looked larger.
Oh, brilliant. Having that in my field of view won't get annoying fast.
I was actually surprised I was able to move at all. I guess it really is instinctive for dragons. Kalecgos did say that dragons are able to hunt for their own food within hours of hatching.
Well, at least it seemed like most of my mind survived whatever the ritual did to me. Not that I would be able to tell if it didn't.
Letting my wings, and that was a strange thought, do their own thing and fold up on my back, I slowly tried to move. One limb at a time. I didn't try to get up again or something stupid like that, I just turned my head, looking myself over the best I could.
Blue scales, wings. Four legs and a tail. A pinecone like growth of bone or horn at the end of my tail like a club.
Raising my right frontleg I inspected it closely. Three large, sharp looking claws. No thumb.
"How are you feeling?" Targos asked from across the room and I turned my head in his direction again to answer.
"Igrrrooe."
That was not what I tried to say.
His lips parted in what I assumed was a grin, "Speaking is not automatic, you will need to learn it. But it should not be difficult since you already know how. You just need to stop using your tongue. Speak with your throat."
Oh yes, just speak with your throat. Easy.
Speaking of which though... I stuck my tongue out, going crosseyed at it. Long. Using it I carefully felt across my teeth.
Big.
Ow!
Sharp too.
I pricked my tongue.
Damn, need to be careful with that. That made me frown, though.
Teeth like that were for a reason.
Looking down I inspected the three large sharp claws on my right frontpaw. Claws like that were for a reason as well.
I never did ask what dragons ate, did I? I should probably have thought of that before agreeing to this.
A meaty thump pulled my attention from my paw to the dead deer laying on the floor in front of me. Turning my head I stare over at Targos who looked far tooamused.
Turning back I stared at the dead animal on the stone floor in front of me.
Oh.
Ick.
AN// A big bucket of thanks to Grey Rook for betaing this part.
Now, on with the story.
_____________________________
Everything was white.
There was no thought, just the feeling of floating.
It lasted forever.
And then it didn't. The white light faded away and there was the feeling of slowly falling as my lungs drew air for the first time.
I was slowly laid out on the hard stone, instinctively drawing breath.
Everything felt so... strange. Alien. Everything looked much clearer than I could remember. The shape of my jaw was all wrong.
My body was... strange. Things were in the wrong place, bent the wrong way.
But somehow, it felt natural. Somehow.
"Easy." Somebody said and a large shape passed into my field of view of my one eye that was not aimed at the rock beneath me, "Stay down. Breathe. Give yourself time to recover."
A large blue dragon. He had a name.
What was it?
Targos. Targos was his name.
I choked out a sound at him.
He just chuckled, "Easy. Close your eyes. Sleep. When you wake up, everything will be clearer."
Sleep.
Yes. Sleep good.
I closed my eyes.
XXXXXXXXX
My eyes flew open and I instinctively rolled onto all fours.
Well, I tried to. I stepped on the flight skin of my right wing and only managed to faceplant onto the rock beneath me.
Ow.
A soft chuckling could be heard and I jerked in surprise, lifting my head to look around. Targos was laying at the other side of the chamber, next to one of the four megaliths that had been channeling the energy into me.
Me. The ritual.
I am human. From planet Earth. My name was... My name is Atreus. I blinked in surprise. It was all coming back to me now.
The fall, the recovery, the traveling.
Venir.
Shaking my head to clear it I blinked again, looking around. Everything looked smaller than I remembered it.
Of course, I was larger.
As I turned my head I noticed something odd. My field of view was wider. I could see directly to the sides as well as focus my eyes forward.
...why was there a small horn at my nose?
I glanced over at Targos. He had it as well but his looked larger.
Oh, brilliant. Having that in my field of view won't get annoying fast.
I was actually surprised I was able to move at all. I guess it really is instinctive for dragons. Kalecgos did say that dragons are able to hunt for their own food within hours of hatching.
Well, at least it seemed like most of my mind survived whatever the ritual did to me. Not that I would be able to tell if it didn't.
Letting my wings, and that was a strange thought, do their own thing and fold up on my back, I slowly tried to move. One limb at a time. I didn't try to get up again or something stupid like that, I just turned my head, looking myself over the best I could.
Blue scales, wings. Four legs and a tail. A pinecone like growth of bone or horn at the end of my tail like a club.
Raising my right frontleg I inspected it closely. Three large, sharp looking claws. No thumb.
"How are you feeling?" Targos asked from across the room and I turned my head in his direction again to answer.
"Igrrrooe."
That was not what I tried to say.
His lips parted in what I assumed was a grin, "Speaking is not automatic, you will need to learn it. But it should not be difficult since you already know how. You just need to stop using your tongue. Speak with your throat."
Oh yes, just speak with your throat. Easy.
Speaking of which though... I stuck my tongue out, going crosseyed at it. Long. Using it I carefully felt across my teeth.
Big.
Ow!
Sharp too.
I pricked my tongue.
Damn, need to be careful with that. That made me frown, though.
Teeth like that were for a reason.
Looking down I inspected the three large sharp claws on my right frontpaw. Claws like that were for a reason as well.
I never did ask what dragons ate, did I? I should probably have thought of that before agreeing to this.
A meaty thump pulled my attention from my paw to the dead deer laying on the floor in front of me. Turning my head I stare over at Targos who looked far tooamused.
Turning back I stared at the dead animal on the stone floor in front of me.
Oh.
Ick.
AN// A big bucket of thanks to Grey Rook for betaing this part.
Malbutorius
C'est le bien qui fait mal
Welcome to the Dragon Race.
Davian_Veq
Clock Facts!
- Location
- England
- Pronouns
- He/They
Yes... Give us all your stories...
"Thread jump successful!"
"Captain, we are detecting Hiver activity!"
"Aww hell....guess we will be stuck here for a while refreshing the page every few minutes."
"Shit, the captain is gone! Quick, someone shoot him!"
"Sorry, looks like everyone is busy reading."
"Captain, we are detecting Hiver activity!"
"Aww hell....guess we will be stuck here for a while refreshing the page every few minutes."
"Shit, the captain is gone! Quick, someone shoot him!"
"Sorry, looks like everyone is busy reading."
- Location
- Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Earth
- Pronouns
- She/They
Awesome!
I approve of this. Make it so.
Strangely enough, eating raw meat was not the most difficult thing.
Learning to speak without biting my own tongue was. It got easier when I realized that the tongue was not actually used for talking. It was all in the throat.
"Feeling better?" Targos asked as he walked into the chamber in human form.
I raised my head to look at him before I nodded, "I groo. D.. Do." before I growled in annoyance at my inability to speak properly.
"You are making good progress. It takes most welps over a year to learn to talk. You have only been at it for a couple of days." He said and looked around, "You have been cooped up here for a while now. How about we go outside?"
I tilted my head at that and then very carefully got onto my paws. It was getting easier, at least I didn't trip on my own wings any more.
What I found is that as long as I didn't think of them, they did their own thing and folded up on my back.
"Come." He said, heading down the hallway at a leisurely stroll, leaving me to struggle to keep up. I couldn't help but think that these instincts that replaced my old ones helped a whole hell of a lot to help me move, but I couldn't help but wish they helped more.
Even so, it was easier to do when I didn't think about it.
I followed him through the pathways until suddenly, bright light made me narrow my eyes against the glare and we were in the sunlight.
Bright!
My paws hit snow and I looked down at the cold powder. I scooped some up on my claws the best I could before letting it drop again. It felt cold but... not cold? Or rather, not uncomfortably cold.
I'm resistant to cold?
Targos stood to the side, letting me look around. I never was outside here before. Both times I arrived via portal. The air was crisp and clear, the skies blue. There was not a cloud in the skies.
Behind and above me was a tower... a tower made up of floating rings and ice.
And dragons. Not many. A couple of dozen maybe, most my size or smaller.
"We lost many in the final battle." Targos said sadly and I turned my head to look at him in surprise.
"Wut?"
Great, now I sound like a internet misspelling.
He sighed and shook his head, "We thought we had more time. Time as Deathwing gathered his forces. Turned out that we didn't. A week ago, a couple of days before you came out of the ritual there was the battle. All the Flights, mortal soldiers, adventurers, heroes. All stood together." he said before he chuckled, "In the end... it was a mortal who did it. Thrall. He finished Neltharion."
"Y agic ot edded?" I asked as I laid down in the snow. Deathwing was dead? They killed it? I was hardly a expert, I barely knew the minimum common knowledge things from listening around town, but..
Damn. The fact that it took all the Dragonflights along with help from others to do it said a lot.
Targos shrugged, "Not against Deathwing, no. But there is still the Old Gods. They were behind him and they are not gone. If anything, they are at their strongest since the Titans walked this world."
I nodded, "I helb.". Damn it. "Help."
He grinned, "That is the deal. But there is more you must know." he then continued with a frown, "The aspects are gone. The flights... at least as they were, are no more."
I didn't bother to speak up this time, I just make myself look foolish. Instead I tilted my head in question.
"After the defeat of Deathwing, the aspects felt that it was time. They gave them up. I do not know why and it is not my place to ask." he said and sighed, "The flights were... we served, protected the Aspects. The aspect of magic in our case. Now..." he started before he shook his head, "Now I'm not sure. Well, we are still the Blue Dragonflight, aspect or no."
No more Aspects? Damn, I was lucky I didn't delay this. Only the aspect of magic could have initiated the ritual.
"Is Kalegos oke?" I asked before shaking my head in frustration over my throat's inability to cooperate.
Targos nodded, "He is fine. He is currently taking up residence in Dalaran."
Nodding, I looked around, "Agic ow?"
That broke him out of his pensive mood, "Well, I did think you would fit in." he chuckled, "When you can speak clearly. No point until then... but until then, you have other things you need to learn."
I frowned and then nodded, tilting my head again in question.
"Well, flying and hunting of course. Normally, you would know how to hunt when you got out of the egg instinctively, but you have too much rattling around in your head to be able to listen properly. Same with flying." He said before he grinned, "And that you need to learn."
Fly and hunt.
Hunt live prey.
Wonderful.
AN// Cuddles is the one to be thanked for betaing this section.
Learning to speak without biting my own tongue was. It got easier when I realized that the tongue was not actually used for talking. It was all in the throat.
"Feeling better?" Targos asked as he walked into the chamber in human form.
I raised my head to look at him before I nodded, "I groo. D.. Do." before I growled in annoyance at my inability to speak properly.
"You are making good progress. It takes most welps over a year to learn to talk. You have only been at it for a couple of days." He said and looked around, "You have been cooped up here for a while now. How about we go outside?"
I tilted my head at that and then very carefully got onto my paws. It was getting easier, at least I didn't trip on my own wings any more.
What I found is that as long as I didn't think of them, they did their own thing and folded up on my back.
"Come." He said, heading down the hallway at a leisurely stroll, leaving me to struggle to keep up. I couldn't help but think that these instincts that replaced my old ones helped a whole hell of a lot to help me move, but I couldn't help but wish they helped more.
Even so, it was easier to do when I didn't think about it.
I followed him through the pathways until suddenly, bright light made me narrow my eyes against the glare and we were in the sunlight.
Bright!
My paws hit snow and I looked down at the cold powder. I scooped some up on my claws the best I could before letting it drop again. It felt cold but... not cold? Or rather, not uncomfortably cold.
I'm resistant to cold?
Targos stood to the side, letting me look around. I never was outside here before. Both times I arrived via portal. The air was crisp and clear, the skies blue. There was not a cloud in the skies.
Behind and above me was a tower... a tower made up of floating rings and ice.
And dragons. Not many. A couple of dozen maybe, most my size or smaller.
"We lost many in the final battle." Targos said sadly and I turned my head to look at him in surprise.
"Wut?"
Great, now I sound like a internet misspelling.
He sighed and shook his head, "We thought we had more time. Time as Deathwing gathered his forces. Turned out that we didn't. A week ago, a couple of days before you came out of the ritual there was the battle. All the Flights, mortal soldiers, adventurers, heroes. All stood together." he said before he chuckled, "In the end... it was a mortal who did it. Thrall. He finished Neltharion."
"Y agic ot edded?" I asked as I laid down in the snow. Deathwing was dead? They killed it? I was hardly a expert, I barely knew the minimum common knowledge things from listening around town, but..
Damn. The fact that it took all the Dragonflights along with help from others to do it said a lot.
Targos shrugged, "Not against Deathwing, no. But there is still the Old Gods. They were behind him and they are not gone. If anything, they are at their strongest since the Titans walked this world."
I nodded, "I helb.". Damn it. "Help."
He grinned, "That is the deal. But there is more you must know." he then continued with a frown, "The aspects are gone. The flights... at least as they were, are no more."
I didn't bother to speak up this time, I just make myself look foolish. Instead I tilted my head in question.
"After the defeat of Deathwing, the aspects felt that it was time. They gave them up. I do not know why and it is not my place to ask." he said and sighed, "The flights were... we served, protected the Aspects. The aspect of magic in our case. Now..." he started before he shook his head, "Now I'm not sure. Well, we are still the Blue Dragonflight, aspect or no."
No more Aspects? Damn, I was lucky I didn't delay this. Only the aspect of magic could have initiated the ritual.
"Is Kalegos oke?" I asked before shaking my head in frustration over my throat's inability to cooperate.
Targos nodded, "He is fine. He is currently taking up residence in Dalaran."
Nodding, I looked around, "Agic ow?"
That broke him out of his pensive mood, "Well, I did think you would fit in." he chuckled, "When you can speak clearly. No point until then... but until then, you have other things you need to learn."
I frowned and then nodded, tilting my head again in question.
"Well, flying and hunting of course. Normally, you would know how to hunt when you got out of the egg instinctively, but you have too much rattling around in your head to be able to listen properly. Same with flying." He said before he grinned, "And that you need to learn."
Fly and hunt.
Hunt live prey.
Wonderful.
AN// Cuddles is the one to be thanked for betaing this section.
Last edited:
Hammerheadcruiser
Eagle-1 my beloved
- Location
- Anaxes
I forsee much fun and faceplanting in the near future
Vaalintine
Wild Wondorous Wolfalope
It must be amusing to see a adult sized dragon flop about like a hatchling.
Edit: Also, her reaction to having to hunt down and consume live prey has me imagining her building a comically huge dragon sized barbeque grill, and her getting wierd looks from the rest of the flight for it. Poofy chef hat optional.
Edit: Also, her reaction to having to hunt down and consume live prey has me imagining her building a comically huge dragon sized barbeque grill, and her getting wierd looks from the rest of the flight for it. Poofy chef hat optional.
Last edited:
asdx
Superior Sword Fairy
- Location
- Texas.
it would be amusing, unless of course its flopping all over your furniture.
- Location
- Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Earth
- Pronouns
- She/They
Hiver is a guy. His SI is also a guy.
I actually considered having that as a complication for a while. The ritual was original devised to turn a woman into a dragon...
I decided against it in the end.
Zap Rowsdower
Ex-cultist vagrant
- Location
- Bright lights, big city
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Eh, you/the SI are/is already adapting to having a cloaca and were already planning on relying on shapeshifting, you/the SI probably wouldn't have even noticed for months - at least until you/the SI were/was old enough for a male dragon to hit on you/him.I actually considered having that as a complication for a while. The ritual was original devised to turn a woman into a dragon...
I decided against it in the end.
Grey Rook
Genuine Nerd
- Location
- The Quantum Foam
And so am I.
Young Wulf
Wanderer
Are Hiver and Grey Rook the same person...?
*puts on Golden Daario-Euron-Benjen tinfoil hat*
I WILL FIND OUT. I SWEAR IT. YOU'LL SEE!! YOU'LL ALL SEE!!!
I'M NOT CRAZY I PROMISE
*maniac grin*
*puts on Golden Daario-Euron-Benjen tinfoil hat*
I WILL FIND OUT. I SWEAR IT. YOU'LL SEE!! YOU'LL ALL SEE!!!
I'M NOT CRAZY I PROMISE
*maniac grin*
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Grey Rook
Genuine Nerd
- Location
- The Quantum Foam
No. We live in opposite ends of the country.
"RAAAAAAA!"
Ground! Ground!!
I beat my wings but I kept tumbling down towards the ground, spinning faster and faster before something slammed into me, grabbing me firmly and then swooping upwards with powerful wingbeats.
"You can't beat your wings one at a time, little one. You have to beat both in sync." Targos said as he lifted me high into the air again. "Listen to your instincts. You have them. Use them." he said and let go again.
"RAAAAAAAA!!" I screamed as I plummeted through the air. Fuck instincts!
Okay. No fear, you are safe. You have wings and are in the air. You belong here. Nothing dangerous.
I had thirty seconds to the ground. Think. Aerodynamics. Okay. Nose down first.
Trying not to think of the seconds ticking away as the wind whipped past me I half extended my wings into the airflow, trying to change my orientation. That was easy enough.
Okay. Wings out, catch the air. Lifting surface.
Ground.
Fuck!
I beat my wings, catching the air and suddenly I was moving horizontally instead of vertically!
"RAAAAA!" I screamed. This time not in terror, but in exaltation! I was fucking flying!
I started to slowly beat my wings to keep my speed up before I stopped and let myself glide through the air high above the plains far below. Carefully I cupped one wing slightly more, turning to the right.
"See? Not difficult." Targos said as he dove down next to me.
Smug bastard.
Ignoring the larger dragon, I turned to the left and kept beating my wings, flying higher into the skies. Guess thinking of something other than moving my wings let my instincts take hold.
Just enjoying the feeling of... it wasn't even freedom. It was more than that. Not even gravity could bind me anymore.
Looking at the horizon I just kept flying. Targos seemed happy enough to just let me fly for now and give me time to think.
Home. Earth.
I wanted back. I wanted... internet and TV and frozen pizzas. But this was not something I would ever have experienced back there. Even if I got back... even after I learned to take human form... I would never quite fit in again, would I?
Did I need to fit in?
If I learned a way to go back there, I could learn to go back here as well. I could... live in both worlds.
See my family again. To find out who I was.
Without giving up what I had here.
Hell, if I went back, I would not be able to fly like this. I would end up on somebodys radar as a UFO within ten minutes. In twenty I would have a fighterjet on my draconic arse.
I didn't want to give this up.
"We should fly lower." Targos said, breaking the silence. "Prey that is the right size for you is to difficult for you to spot from up here."
Oh yes. Second part of the lesson.
Wonderful.
Taking a slow, deep breath I stopped beating my wings and just let myself glide through the air, slowly going into a shallow dive.
He was right, though.
I did not think of asking what I would be eating before agreeing to this. Now I would have to live with it and I needed to learn how to feed myself.
Would knowing it have pushed me to make the other choice?
No. Unlikely.
Just until I learned how to take human form. It was just until then.
"There." Targos said and I looked down at the ground a couple of hundred meters below. At first I didn't see anything but then I quickly picked up some shapes against the brown ground. They almost melted into it.
Mammoths.
I turned my head to look at my teacher, "A it ig for me." Hey! I managed an M!
"Not for me. Observe. I will show you how it's done." He answered before he half folded his wings and dove like a fifty ton hawk.
AN// *Pull a rope, dropping Grey Rook though a trapdoor into a pile of Thanks*
EDIT: Also, I found this last night. It's pretty close, remove the runes and ignore the armor for now.
EDIT2: There will be a part tomorrow, but much later than normal.
Ground! Ground!!
I beat my wings but I kept tumbling down towards the ground, spinning faster and faster before something slammed into me, grabbing me firmly and then swooping upwards with powerful wingbeats.
"You can't beat your wings one at a time, little one. You have to beat both in sync." Targos said as he lifted me high into the air again. "Listen to your instincts. You have them. Use them." he said and let go again.
"RAAAAAAAA!!" I screamed as I plummeted through the air. Fuck instincts!
Okay. No fear, you are safe. You have wings and are in the air. You belong here. Nothing dangerous.
I had thirty seconds to the ground. Think. Aerodynamics. Okay. Nose down first.
Trying not to think of the seconds ticking away as the wind whipped past me I half extended my wings into the airflow, trying to change my orientation. That was easy enough.
Okay. Wings out, catch the air. Lifting surface.
Ground.
Fuck!
I beat my wings, catching the air and suddenly I was moving horizontally instead of vertically!
"RAAAAA!" I screamed. This time not in terror, but in exaltation! I was fucking flying!
I started to slowly beat my wings to keep my speed up before I stopped and let myself glide through the air high above the plains far below. Carefully I cupped one wing slightly more, turning to the right.
"See? Not difficult." Targos said as he dove down next to me.
Smug bastard.
Ignoring the larger dragon, I turned to the left and kept beating my wings, flying higher into the skies. Guess thinking of something other than moving my wings let my instincts take hold.
Just enjoying the feeling of... it wasn't even freedom. It was more than that. Not even gravity could bind me anymore.
Looking at the horizon I just kept flying. Targos seemed happy enough to just let me fly for now and give me time to think.
Home. Earth.
I wanted back. I wanted... internet and TV and frozen pizzas. But this was not something I would ever have experienced back there. Even if I got back... even after I learned to take human form... I would never quite fit in again, would I?
Did I need to fit in?
If I learned a way to go back there, I could learn to go back here as well. I could... live in both worlds.
See my family again. To find out who I was.
Without giving up what I had here.
Hell, if I went back, I would not be able to fly like this. I would end up on somebodys radar as a UFO within ten minutes. In twenty I would have a fighterjet on my draconic arse.
I didn't want to give this up.
"We should fly lower." Targos said, breaking the silence. "Prey that is the right size for you is to difficult for you to spot from up here."
Oh yes. Second part of the lesson.
Wonderful.
Taking a slow, deep breath I stopped beating my wings and just let myself glide through the air, slowly going into a shallow dive.
He was right, though.
I did not think of asking what I would be eating before agreeing to this. Now I would have to live with it and I needed to learn how to feed myself.
Would knowing it have pushed me to make the other choice?
No. Unlikely.
Just until I learned how to take human form. It was just until then.
"There." Targos said and I looked down at the ground a couple of hundred meters below. At first I didn't see anything but then I quickly picked up some shapes against the brown ground. They almost melted into it.
Mammoths.
I turned my head to look at my teacher, "A it ig for me." Hey! I managed an M!
"Not for me. Observe. I will show you how it's done." He answered before he half folded his wings and dove like a fifty ton hawk.
AN// *Pull a rope, dropping Grey Rook though a trapdoor into a pile of Thanks*
EDIT: Also, I found this last night. It's pretty close, remove the runes and ignore the armor for now.
EDIT2: There will be a part tomorrow, but much later than normal.
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Davian_Veq
Clock Facts!
- Location
- England
- Pronouns
- He/They
It appears that the dearth of buckets has led to... alternative measures.
Vaalintine
Wild Wondorous Wolfalope
As i suspected, a severe lack of thumbs. Which undoubtably is the reason dragons started taking humanoid form in the first place.
The house elf space marine is going to follow you forever and ever