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After spending months at Amityville, Jericho was headed home for the first time since his enrollment. He was on his own here, not that he minded this. While he offered Riley a chance to visit his lands since she had expressed interest at one point, she declined. Malodore was working on gaining its wings so it was only fair that she remained with it to help it with that process.

Temporary farewells were given and he was off to the trains with some of his belongings. He'd only be gone for 2 weeks so he didn't bring much. Besides, he had a campaign to run so he couldn't be gone for too long.

While on the train, he looked down at his hands curiously. The growth of the scales had increased and they were about halfway covered at this point. Come to think of it, his father had some scales here and there as well. Though, his mother didn't really have much of this particular feature. It didn't bother him, but the growth was kind of making his arms itch. Scratching lightly at the back of his hands, he peered out the window, watching the scenery go by. The scales weren't the only developments that were happening. He found that his feet had been slowly changing as well. Scales were growing more quickly on those but aside from that, they were actually getting a little larger. It was to the point where his shoes were a little uncomfortable to wear now.

Sitting next to him, was his kobold, Gimbal. The little guy looked a bit fidgety, but he was behaving himself for the most part. This was a much better way to travel than being stuck in a crate on a truck for weeks. The other minis Jericho had were left behind. His Catastrophe would do well to make sure his stash would be left unharmed while he was away.

As the train progressed on towards his home, the environment slowly changed from urban to being heavily forested. And eventually, when it came to a stop, the area around seemed to be in the middle of nowhere.

Getting off, the dragon took in a deep breath of air. It was a little more crisp here than by the school and immediately he knew he was home. Grinning, he turned towards the mountains nearby before rocketing himself into the air. He was going to have to fly the rest of the way to get to his place. Off to the distance, was a small settlement, but that was not where he headed. Jericho flew right on past it and continued on to the mountainside while looking all around. The lands here were as lush as ever for a place in Halloween. It seemed that this area had been completely untouched... well except for that new scorched section of the forest to the east. Hm. Well, that'd grow back to normal with time.

Seeing all of this again, he wished he had a way of showing Riley it all. Malodore too for that matter. But moreso with the former as he recalled how she described her own home... being a barren wasteland more or less.

Before too long, he touched down in front of a rather large entrance. It was a grand doorway that led into the mountain... with a smaller door within it for those who couldn't quite open the giant one. Slinging his bags over his shoulder and setting Gimbal down, he grinned and pressed onwards, walking on in.

That familiar sulfurous scent of his home cave hit him and while it was something that probably put off a number of creatures, it was one he welcomed. Looking around briefly, he stared through the vast and intricate set of tunnels that went on through the mountain. It had been awhile, but he still knew his way around.

"VOOOOOOOOOOIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!! I'M HOME!!" he shouted out; his voice echoing through the depths. There was a moment of silence, then suddenly kobolds! The little draconic servants rushed on from all corners, quickly making their way towards Jericho and Gimbal. They chattered excitedly, greeting the two before a few of them took his bags to rush off to his room. The remaining Kobolds thumped their tails happily against the rock floor as they stood there attentatively towards the young red dragon.

"Haha, good to see you all too," he chuckled while patting them on the head in turn, "Man you've grown Rashi. You too Vlor. Been taking care of your brother good I hope?"

They didn't answer of course, outside of their reptilian croaks and noises. Jericho remained there a little longer before venturing further into his home to seek out where his parents were. They were probably pretty deep into the mountain if they hadn't heard him yelling at first. It didn't matter, it was nice to be able to walk around his home again after being away. The school and the surrounding area had its charms and benefits, but there was just something about being here that.. just couldn't quite be beat.

The general decor of the lair wasn't really anything special. It mostly consisted of lights here and there. Jericho recalled these lights being torches once in his childhood, but time went on and they switched over to some brighter lights and whatnot. So it wasn't really all that dark for a cavernous system. Once in awhile, there would be a statue or painting planted here and there, but the bulk of things were always within the rooms rather than the hallways.

Then, suddenly, Jericho heard a rumbling in the distance. Both he and Gimbal paused upon hearing this. Whatever it was, it sounded like it was coming closer. And fast. Before too long, the large shadow of a dragon could be seen in the distance, running closer to him. Eyes widening, the teen quickly looked around to see if there was a place he could duck against in case he needed to try and not be stomped on. However, as the shadow came closer, its form began to shift. By the time the other dragon had reached him, she was in her humanoid form. That didn't stop his mother from giving him an almost bone crushing hug.

"JERICHO! I heard you just got back!" the woman said gleefully, wrapping her grand wings around her son.

"Tiamat's s**t, Mom. I thought you were going to crush me there!" Jericho cried out. Thankfully she had at least removed her pin so she could... not step on him. Or something like that.

"Oh come on. You know I wouldn't step on you," she chuckled before pulling back, smiling. She took a moment to look over the younger dragon before a spark of pride swelled into her, "My... I can tell my little handsome dragonling is already stronger. Oh! And look, your scales are coming in."

Letting out a breath now that he wasn't being bear-hugged, Jericho stepped back and smiled back at his mother. She was roughly his height and shared a good number of features that he had. Her eyes had a more orange huge to them and even gave off a soft molten glow, and her skin was a little more fair. The horns upon her head had a slightly more slender curve to them, though they didn't seem any less sharp or dangerous. While she didn't have many draconic scales visible, her nails were curved into rather wicked looking claws. Rachel, despite her age, was a woman not to be reckoned with for sure."I'm not exactly a little dragonling anymore, Mom. You know that. Has everything been going well around here?"

"Oh splendid. Your father actually just got back from a large raid the other day. We're still working on sorting through all the new loot we've acquired! I think a few of these things might actually be some really interesting artifacts in this last pull," his mother smiled, "But come now. Your father is in the vault. We'll catch up in there together."

-------

A day or so had gone by rather nicely. His parents were ecstatic to see their son and hear about some of the stories he had to tell of his time at the school. Jericho didn't delve too deeply, not wanting them to worry and all, but it was enough to at least keep them semi-informed. There was nothing like having fresh game as well. The areas around the school provided some hunting opportunities but it just wasn't quite the same.

Another thing he missed sometimes were the underground geothermal pools. While swimming wasn't completely his thing, those waters were just so damn warm. It was like a natural spa type thing. After having dipped in one for some time, he was on his way to an area of the cave that acted as a sort of training ground. There was something his father wanted to help teach him, figuring it was time to help develop his son's abilities more.

It was a large open space deep within the mountain. There really wasn't much in there, but the ceiling and floor were both a sort of mural of red and gold dragons clashing in epic battle. Unlike the hallways, the ground here was tiled so it could depict the scene. The ones on the ground were a bit charred and chipped but the overall image was still visible.

Standing at the center, was a tall and large man, standing several inches higher than Jericho. This was Isaac, his father, one whose stature showed his pride and confidence. His face and wings both bore several scars from conflicts in the past. There were a few visible on his arms as well, but these were more difficult to see due to the dark red scales that coated them both. Normally, the expression he wore was one of a collected man, but when he saw his son... this was not the case at all. Immediately, his golden eyes narrowed in on the dark marking that stained his son's chest.

"JERICHO!" he boomed angrily, while rushing on over. Upon reaching his son, he prodded the boy where this new development was seen. There was little doubt in his mind as to what this was. "WHAT IS THIS? WHO MARKED YOU?"

Jericho had been looking forward to seeing what he was about to learn, but this feeling quickly vanished when he saw his father coming towards him looking rather pissed. Oh right. The mark. Well s**t. He had kind of forgotten about that. Taking a step or two back, his wings shifted a bit uncomfortably while looking up into his father's eyes.

"My friend. Riley," he said, a little nervous and not really sure how this was going to go down.

Isaac's eyes narrowed at the name. His son had mentioned her before, but he hadn't bothered to ask just what she was.

"Riley did this? Friend or not, you let a demon do this to you? What is she?" he growled, demanding these answers.

"She's uh.. an Illithid... But this isn't what yo-"

"SHES A JACKING MINDFLAYER!?" He boomed once more, making the younger dragon cringe from the sudden volume. It was little wonder where Jericho's loud voice came from. Shifting nervously, the teen glanced past his father, spotting his mother standing in the large doorway in the distance. The shouting had caught her attention so she had come on in to see what the deal was. At the mention of a mindflayer being involved, she couldn't help but frown. For now, she remained silent, however.

"Do you know how dangerous the Illithid are Jericho? They are not to be trusted!" Isaac added condescendingly, though in a quieter tone, "And you've let one mark you. What in Tiamat's s**t were you thinking son?"

"Dad. You didn't let me finish, " Jericho growled back. While his father's attitude right now had him fairly intimidated, he wasn't about to let himself be pushed around that easily.. especially when this was Riley they were talking about, "Yes. She's an Illithid. But she's also my jacking best friend."

He paused briefly to place a hand over the mark, "This. THIS mark was made on the premise that we'd be watching each other's back when possi--"

"She's using you," Snipped Isaac, "You say she's your best friend but Illithid do not make friends. They take in minions. Thralls. Underlings. Red motherjacking dragons are not to be any of these. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"

"I get what you're trying to say but I swear to you she isn't the same! She would never use me. I am not her minion. We. Are. EQUALS. Maybe most Illithid aren't like this. Hell. The other one around school seemed to be jacking appalled at our connection, "Jericho retorted, "I don't care what the hell you say or think. I'd give my life for Riley if it'd come down to it and I'm sure she'd do the same for me-"

"I'm sure those were just empty promises. The mindflayers are known for their deception."

"She's proven to be trustworthy on numerous occasions-"

"Probably because she's trying to get close to you! Surely she knows having a red dragon in her grasp could prove to be valuable. JUST THINK ABOUT IT JERICHO."

"She's my rider for Jack's sake!"

Shifting his wings angrily, the younger dragon let out a smoke filled huff.

"You don't know her. I do. So stop judging my friends just because of what they are rather than WHO they are!"

Isaac glared at his son for this and it looked like he was about to ream into him for a moment, but Rachel had stepped in and placed a hand on his arm in an attempt to calm him. He looked to his wife briefly then looked away to unleash a plume of flame into the air out of frustration.

"I've had enough of this bullshit," he snarled while turning away; his wings flaring in anger, "Jacking fool of a son."

Jericho's mother watched the older male dragon storm off before giving her son a look that betrayed mixed emotions. She didn't know what to make of this really.

"I'll go speak with him," she said quietly before walking off after her husband, leaving Jericho in the room alone. Once his parents were gone, he turned and launched his fist into the nearby wall.