Cub Scout Diaries: Forest Rescue

(Part 1)

A serene atmosphere surrounded Jojato and Jolin as they paced through the forest, gathering sticks and leaves to fuel the campfire at their base camp. The featherdasher couldn't help but gawk at the pristine beauty of nature, but the Tigris cub was quick to keep his partner focused on the task at hand.
"You're taking this too seriously," Jolin told the tigerfolk. "You need to stop and smell the flowers."
"It's how I was raised," Jojato retorted in explanation. "Every task is a training exercise to a Tigris. We always seek to keep our minds and bodies fit for combat, and that means a minimum of slacking off."
"Didn't you join the Cub Scouts to break away from all that?" the featherdasher shot back. "I remember you saying when you joined that you wanted to learn about..."
Jolin trailed off as she seemed to notice something over Jojato's shoulder, and turning to look, he was quick to spot what. An unidentifiable discolored shape, looking anything but natural, decorated one of the trees a distance away.
"What do you suppose that is?" Jolin asked.
"My 'eye of the tiger' doesn't work so well at this distance," Jojato replied. "We'll have to get closer to see."
Together the two Cub Scouts approached the mysterious sight. At first it looked like a colored band had been tied around a tree trunk as a marker for something, but it seemed to have too much depth to be just that. Finally they got close, and what it turned out to be made them both gape. A dragonkin had been tied to the tree-- literally; their lanky body had been looped and knotted around the trunk, their wrists and ankles bound by their long tail and their "whiskers" tied around their snout to gag them.
"Do you think we should help?" the Tigris asked his partner.
"Definitely," the featherdasher replied. "I can't imagine any good reason someone would do this."
Jojato climbed up to stand on Jolin's back, and together the two Cub Scouts began to undo the dragonkin's bonds.
"These are some good knots," the featherdasher observed as she worked the dragonkin's tail through a loop of itself. "This one's a left-handed Drider Deluxe knot if I'm not mistaken. Whoever did this knew what they were doing."
In a matter of minutes, the dragonkin was free of the tree and collapsed weakly on the ground. Jojato inspected their body for injuries while Jolin gave them a much-appreciated drink of water from her canteen.
"We'll bring you back to our camp," Jolin told the rescued dragonkin. "There you can tell us who you are and who tied you up like that."

(Part 2)

Jolin glanced at the dragonkin as they walked. They looked like a scrawny and lean male dragonfolk, though wingless and with longer limbs and tail, and having flowing, scaly whiskers that tipped their snout. It was the first time the featherdasher had properly met a dragonkin before. Soon the Cub Scout camp came into view, and the pair guided the dragonkin to the scoutmaster's tent.

"What's your name?" Jolin asked.

"I am, Lung," the dragonkin replied, his voice thick with an accent Jolin couldn't quite place.

"I'm Jolin," the featherdasher said. "And this is Jojato. We're Cub Scouts."

Lung bowed their head.

"I thank you for the assistance."

Scoutmaster Polaris peered out of his tent at the sounds of the trio, a puzzled look on his face as he noticed the newcomer. Jolin flashed a toothy grin.

"Scoutmaster, this is Lung. We found them in the forest."

"They needed rescuing," Jojato added. "They were tied around a tree."

"Tied around a tree?" Polaris asked.

The firbolg glanced at Lung, concern etched on his face. The scoutmaster stepped aside, allowing the trio to enter the tent.

"Please," Polaris said, indicating for the dragonkin to take a seat. "Tell me what happened. Are you alright?"

"I am good," Lung replied. "Thanks to Jolin and Jojato."

"Why were you tied around a tree?"

Lung squirmed slightly on the seat, and took a deep breath.

"A pair of dragonfolk put me there," he said.

The dragonkin sighed.

"I am from the river village of Tang. We have close ties with another village just upstream called Willow."

Polaris nodded. In his mind he could see the layout of the region from his maps. The proximity of the two villages and the river, were part of the reason he had chosen the forest for his troop to camp in.

"I've heard of those places," Polaris said. "People usually consider them one sprawling village."

"Willow-Tang," Lung said. "The river is busy with barges transporting goods and people back and forth."

"The dragonfolk who tied you up. They live in the villages?" Polaris asked.

"They live on a barge," Lung said. "Their father ships cargo between Tang and Willow."

"That would explain the knots," Jojato said. "They would have to know how to strap down cargo, and moor the barge."

The Tigris peered at Lung, his 'eye of the tiger' getting a read on the dragonkin.

"These two, they bully you often?"

Lung nodded.

"As a dragonkin, I am smaller then they are. They have always bullied me since we were hatchlings."

"Have you tried fighting back?" Jolin asked.

"I am not one to fight," Lung said. "And usually it has only been verbal or minor pranks."

"Being tied to a tree in the forest doesn't sound like something minor," Scoutmaster Polaris said.

"I am dating someone they like," Lung admitted. "She is also a dragonfolk. We have been close since childhood, and she cares for me deeply. But my bullies like her, and resent me for being with her."

Polaris frowned.

"The father of these two who bully you," he said, "does he try to stop them?"

"He doesn't know about it," Lung replied. "They do it out of sight, and I've never had the courage to tell him. Only my girlfriend knows. She fights them back, but it doesn't stop them for long."

Polaris nodded.

"Let me think about this," he said. "This can't continue. For now, you're welcome to stay in our camp until you feel ready to head home."

The scoutmaster gestured to the Tigris and featherdasher.

"Jolin. Jojato. I'd like you both to keep an eye on Lung. Maybe teach him some self defense so he can at least keep out of reach of these bullies."

Jojato, Jolin, and Lung exited the tent, the featherdasher scratching at her chin.

"Do you have any skills?" she asked.

"He is dragonkin," Jojato said. "That means he can fly, and has a draconic breath ability."

"You can fly?" Jolin said, pausing to look at Lung's back. "You don't have any wings."

"Dragonkin don't need wings," Lung replied. "We can ride the winds."

"Please show us," Jojato said.

Lung took a deep breath, and looked up. Slowly his body and tail began to undulate, like a serpent climbing an invisible tree, and rose from the ground. The dragonkin circled his new friends in flowing, rippling loops, then landed back where he had stood before. Jolin clapped.

"That was so graceful," she said.

"Dragonkin are extremely flexible," Jojato said, analyzing what he saw. "Flight comes from the body as a whole, where dragonfolk use their wings for propulsion and their tails for stability. Not even Elijah can fly circles as tightly as you just did."

"You have a dragonfolk in your troop?" Lung asked.

Jolin shook her head.

"Elijah is a half-dragon. His mother is a massive blue dragon."

"What is your breath ability?" Jojato asked.

"We dragonkin are attuned with the rivers and sky," Lung said. "As such we mostly breathe steam, mist, clouds, or vapour."

"Is that all?" Jolin asked.

Lung gave a soft smile.

"I do know some magic," he said. "So I can do this..."

The dragonkin looked up, chest swelling slightly, then breathed out. A fine cool mist sprayed out. Reaching up, Lung formed a circle around the tip of his snout with his fingers. A blue glow rimmed his palms, and instantly the mist condensed, becoming a strong jet of water that rose high into the sky, cresting the tops of the forest trees. Around the camp, a few of the other scouts cried out at the sudden shower as the water fell back to earth. Jojato nodded, licking his lips.

"I know how you can protect yourself," he said.

"I'm not a fighter," Lung said.

"It's not about fighting," the Tigris replied. "It's letting your bullies fight themselves."

Lung frowned. Jojato turned to Jolin.

"Charge me," he said.

The featherdasher gave her friend a puzzled look, but did as he asked, trusting him. She bolted forward, her toe claws digging into the earth, and ran straight at the Tigris. Jojato remained in place, waiting for the last second before twisting aside and giving Jolin a gentle shove to the back of her shoulder. Tipped off balance, Jolin flailed, then tripped, tucking into a roll before coming to a sprawling stop. Jojato moved forward, and helped her up.

"Sorry about that," he said to his friend.

He looked at Lung.

"You may be smaller, but you have more flexibility and agility. Combine that with your breath to cover your moves, and those bullies won't touch you."

Lung chewed his bottom lip.

"It is worth a try," he said.

The Cub Scout troop broke camp early the next morning, splitting up with half heading towards Willow, and the other making their way to Tang, in order to plan for a future cookie drive. High above the forest canopy, Elijah flew on ahead, tasked with a special mission by the scoutmaster. Lung stuck with Jolin and Jojato, the dragonkin seeming to grow more nervous as they approached Tang. They had just crossed into the village, when a large figure came rushing towards them, skimming the ground, with wings spread wide. Jojato and Jolin braced. The figure, a female dragonfolk kicked down, digging her feet into the ground, and skidded to a stop, throwing up dust and dirt. She cried out, scooping Lung up and lifting him into the air.

"Lung! I've been looking all over for you!"

Lung smiled, his long tail coiling around the girl's waist.

"I'm sorry, Sunburst. I've been, uh, busy."

The dragonfolk put Lung down, and Jolin noticed just how big she was, with the top of Lung's head only coming up to her shoulders. The dragonkin blushed.

"Sunburst," he said. "I would like you to meet my new friends, Jojato, and Jolin. They're going to help me deal with Mars and Flare."

Small flickers of flame sparked at the edges of Sunburst's mouth as Lung told her about being tied up and left alone in the forest. Her gaze drifted to the Tigris and featherdasher, her expression softening slightly.

"Thank you for looking after Lung," she said. "He's just so gentle and kind. It's unfair how Mars and Flare take advantage of him."

"We couldn't leave him tied up like that," Jolin said.

"I really do appreciate it," Sunburst continued. "Those two idiots can't get it through their thick heads I don't like them. It worries me that one day they'll take it too far, and Lung will really get hurt."

"Do you know where they are?" Jojato asked.

"They should be down by the docks," Sunburst said. "Their father's barge came into Tang earlier today."

Slowly the group made their way to the river, Jolin smiling as she watched the way Lung and Sunburst coiled their tails together as they walked. By the docks, a couple of voices called out, and two teenage dragonfolk emerged from the crowd of workers.

"Hey! Sunburst! What are you doing wasting your time with that runt?"

"Finally get yourself untied, hey wrym?"

Lung swallowed hard.

"That's them," he whispered to Jojato and Jolin.

"Just remember what we told you," Jojato said, glancing around and spotting a familiar figure on a nearby barge. "And if you get in trouble, you won't be alone."

Lung patted Sunburst's hand, and stepped forward, licking his lips.

"Please leave us alone," he told the approaching dragonfolk.

"Or what?" said the bigger of the two teens.

The other smirked.

"The wrym thinks he's grown a backbone, Mars."

Sunburst tensed, and Jolin put a reassuring hand on her arm.

"I'm just asking you to stop this," Lung said. "I'm tired of you bullying me."

Mars and Flare laughed, the larger dragonfolk glancing over his shoulder, checking to make sure his father wasn't on the docks, before throwing a surprise punch. Lung's eyes went wide. The dragonkin's mind raced, his muscles locked up. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Sunburst, Jolin, and Jojato watching, their bodies bracing to act if needed. Mars' fist brushed one of Lung's flowing whiskers. The touch snapping the smaller boy into action. Lung flexed, twisting his body as only a dragonkin could, and ducked out of the way of the blow, the miss causing Mars to stumble. Flare snarled. He stepped in, aiming a punch for Lung's gut. The dragonkin stepped aside, the serpentine movements of his body helping him to dance out of the way. Sunburst gasped nervously.

"Lung..."

Mars lunged, trying to grab Lung's hand, but found it swatted aside by Lung's tail. The dragonkin bobbed and weaved, his only aggressive actions being to give an occasional push or shove to maneuver the bigger teens out of reach. Mars snarled.

"You little..."

He wound up and threw his weight behind a punch, intending to knock out as many of Lung's teeth as possible. The dragonkin drew in a deep breath, then exhaled, sending a thick warm blast of steam into Mars' face. Blinded, the teen didn't see Lung duck, causing Mars to strike his brother who had been trying to circle, and surround the smaller boy. Flare grunted, dropping to the ground, blood flowing freely from his newly broken nose. He coughed and spat out a tooth. Mars wiped his eyes clear, staring at the fallen figure of his brother. He glared at Lung, and prepared to strike again.

"MARS!"

The dragonfolk froze, a look of terror entering his eyes. Slowly he turned around, watching as his father approached, flanked by a young elf who's eyes sparked with electricity. The adult dragonfolk held up a letter, his eyes darting between Mars and Flare.

"What is this I've heard about you and Flare tying Lung up in the forest?"

"Pa. I..."

"SILENCE!"

The older dragonfolk looked at Sunburst and Lung, his expression softening.

"I must apologize for the behavior of my sons," he said. "Please rest assure I'll make sure they don't bully you again."

"Thank you, Mr Whitewing," Lung said.

"And if there's anything I can do to make it up to you, don't hesitate to talk to me."

The adult turned his attention back to his sons, watching as Mars helped Flare up.

"Get your arses back to the barge," he growled to his boys. "We're going to have a long talk about what I've been told. And then we're going to figure out just what your punishment should be."

Sunburst grabbed Lung's hand as the trio of dragonfolk headed back to the docks.

"I'm so proud of you," she said, kissing Lung's cheek.

Jojato looked at the elf.

"You had no troubles convincing their father about the actions of his sons, Elijah?"

Elijah chuckled.

"The scoutmaster's letter was pretty official," the half-elf said. "Especially with a Cub Scout seal. But a bit of dramatic flare didn't go astray."

Sparks once more flickered at the corners of Elijah's eyes and Jolin giggled.

"Hopefully those two won't be bothering you anymore," she said to the dragonkin.

Night fell as the Cub Scouts reconvened at the base camp, Scoutmaster Polaris smiling as he listened to Jojato and Jolin's report in his tent. Next to the Tigris and featherdasher stood Sunburst and Lung. The dragonkin bowed.

"I thank you for everything you have done," he said.

"It's our pleasure," Polaris said. "We're always here to help rescue those in need, and be of assistance."

The scoutmaster pulled out a couple of cards from his pocket, handing them to Sunburst and Lung.

"You've made some good friends here," he told them. "And you're welcome to join us whenever we're in the area. Please consider yourselves honorary scouts. And the invitation is there should you want to become full members."

"That could be cool," Sunburst said.

"It is much appreciated," Lung added.

Together, Jolin, Jojato, Sunburst, and Lung exited the tent, heading towards the camp's bonfire. Jolin gave Jojato a playful nudge.

"See what happens when you take the time to enjoy the sights?" she said. "If we had just focused on collecting firewood, we'd never have seen Lung tied to that tree."

"And yet being focused on the task at hand is what allowed us to help Lung with his problems," Jojato retorted.

Lung chuckled softly.

"Perhaps there is a time and a place to enjoy both aspects," he said, earning a look from the Tigris and featherdasher.

"Perhaps there is," Jojato admitted.

Jolin laughed.

"Either way," she said, "we've made some new friends, and helped them out. I'd say we've definitely done our good deeds for today..."