“Livestock? Other pigs? You mean other xiozians?” Luna chimed in.

“Yeah, xiozian, pig, same thing. We both get raised and eaten.”

Dreiki looked to Savekio in bewilderment, “What does he mean, grandpa?”

“He means what he says. It’s not uncommon for dragons to run farms and keep xiozians as stock.”

“As stock? Like other people?”

Savekio nodded, “Dragons sustain themselves on other magical creatures. That include xiozians.”

“I aint so bad being a pig. Food was better on the farm than it is out here.”

“But isn’t it scary to know you’re only there to die?”

“Scary? Nah, becoming food isn’t a bad thing.”

“So how did you escape?”

Lawtrick crossed his arms, “Escape? There wasn’t anything to escape. I lived in paradise, and now I’m out here roughin’ it cuz I’m a dragon’s son, not just a pig.”

“You’re not gonna get through to him, trust me,” Oruk said, humming a tune, “He considers getting eaten by a dragon to be a great honor, and apparently they protect the ‘pigs’ until the first year of their waning. In comparison to dragon lives, xiozian lives are rather short, so they’re willing to wait.”

“This is the way of things, Dreiki. Xiozians who live within dragon territory are most likely living in ‘farms’. They are cities much like any we may build, but they are inhabited and protected by dragons. The Tibur cannot defend the world from Malaki on their own.”

“Still, it doesn’t feel right.”

“Do you see much of a difference between the ‘farms’ and how we currently live?”

“I suppose not, but looking at us like livestock, I dunno…”

“That’s the human in you speaking, I suppose,” Savekio said, stirring the pot and tasting his spoon, “Humans view being eaten and eating as an act of evil in most cases. They do not have many natural predators, and so they do not accept the idea of being eaten very easily. That is not the case with xiozians. So long as that which eats us needs to do so in order to perpetuate its life, it is not evil. That is one of the lessons Malaki teach us.”

“And who eats dragons? What about them?” Luna said bitterly.

“We eat dragons, duh.” Lawtrick said, “I eat my dad all the time!”

“That doesn’t sound right…” Luna muttered.

“Dragons have healing factors, and it is not uncommon for them to use their own bodies as feed for their ‘livestock’.” Savekio said.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

“And what about you, Oruk? You acted like you’ve tried to talk him out of it before. So does that mean you’re not from a farm?”

“Nope! I’m from Lithiria.” He chuckled, “I grew old enough to be on my own, so I set out to Itaro to explore the lands. Almost got eaten myself before Lawtrick rescued me.”

“You were eaten,” Lawtrick snickered, “I had to cut you out of its belly.”

“Hey! They didn’t need to know that!”

“Still uncomfortable with being eaten, you Lithirians are so funny!” Lawtrick pulled his cheeks into a jagged smile, “I’m gonna snack on you in your sleep!”

“Yeah? Who’s gonna get you fruit if you do?”

“I said snack! Maybe nibble your tail or something.”

“I would very much like my tail in tact when I wake up tomorrow, thanks!”

“Have it your way. Only if this meal doesn’t leave me hungry. Uncle! Is the food ready yet?”

“It’ll need to simmer for another half hour or so.” Savekio said.

“Huh? How long is that?”

“You’ll know when it’s done.”

Lawtrick prowled closer, reaching for the pot lid only for Savekio to swat it away with a branch.

“Ow! How’d you make it hurt that much?”

“I eat well cooked food.”

“Really? It makes you strong?” He sat down, “Then I’ll wait an eternity if that’s the case!”

And yet it was only five minutes before Savekio had to smack his hand away again, “You bastard old Xio! I’ll kill you!”

“Go and try it.” Savekio said boredly, “Remember your father won’t be too pleased starting fights.”

Lawtrick huffed, “You know my dad real well, huh? What’s your history with him? You’re no dragon.”

“Neither are you.”

Dreiki looked between the two of them as they talked, “I’m curious too. Why is this ‘blacksmith’ adopting xiozians? And why does Lawtrick call you ‘Uncle’?”

Savekio cracked his spoon over Lawtrick’s hand again without looking, “I’m ‘uncle’ because The Blacksmith considers me a ‘brother’ in a similar way that you see me as a ‘grandpa’.”

“Is that why your name is Arukuniir spelled backwards?” Dreiki said looking into Savekio’s eyes for a reaction. There was the slight curl of a smile on the corner of his lip.

“I was surprised you hadn’t asked about it sooner.”

“I knew about it for quite a while, but it was never something worth bringing up until now. When Lawtrick said he had the same name, it reminded me. I remembered you said none of your family was alive anymore. So Riinukura is a title that Arukuniir gives to people, is that it?”

Savekio nodded, “It is a name of power dragons can gift to us xiozians. It denotes that we are their stock.”

“Their stock? Like livestock?”

“Livestock, or that we are derived from the dragon in some way.”

“Derived from?”

“We are reflections of dragons. So the dragons reflect their names upon us. Dragons will sometimes choose xiozians to act as family for them. A dragon’s name is the foundation of all noble clans. It is also what Venator Knights do to gain their mark. Kiiri is your mother’s dragon, for example.”

“So then Xirxus is Suxrix?” Luna said, “And Tibur is Rubit?”

Savekio shook his head, “Those clans are ones which chose their own names. There are a few noble clans which formed their mark during a war between dragons and xiozians. Others which formed it to be independent from dragons.”

“What does a dragon’s name add to the clan, then?” Dreiki said, “If xiozians can make their own.”

“A dragon’s power is always involved in the creation of a clan.” Savekio said.

“But the Xirxus made their own, right? And the Tibur?”

Lawtrick grimmaced at him, “Yeah, by killing dragons.”