Dragons Games Epilogue

Here are the first 3000 words to the Epilogue of Dragons Games (the true ending, no AU). You may notice some similarities to the alternate ending, save for one, obvious detail. Keep tuned for the rest.

Epilogue

Jim wiped the arrow off the whiteboard with his thumb, he didn’t like that angle of attack, flipping the lid off his marker as he got to work thinking of something else. There was only so much he could consider from the safety of the training room, but with every mistake came the opportunity to learn. That was the mindset his new profession practically demanded.

The marker squeaked against the board as he continued. He knew transitioning into this stage of life would not be easy, but the challenges had still caught him off guard, and his recent absence from the world hadn’t really made things easier, as he had hoped. He had gotten away from it all, his friends, family, just for a little while to let everything sink in. There had been a significant cash-prize for the runners-up of the sporting season, (Mr. Bahril had to be threatened with jail time to get him to give up Jim’s share), and he had used his portion to keep his isolation sustainable for a time. He would be lying if he said a part of his psyche hadn’t considered downing a bottle of pills with some alcohol during this time, but all he had to do was remember his last visit to the Rainbow Isles to push these dark thoughts aside.

He had passed all of his exams, his distinctions allowing him to take up the very occupation he was currently doing. Despite all that had happened on the day of the finals, his father and Cassidy’s efforts had allowed Jim a future many would envy, though the young man could not quite suppress his resentment at this development. It was humiliating to have been coddled and kept in the dark while money was exchange for his behalf, and yet without it, he’d have fallen under his own weight. It made it difficult for Jim decide if the end result was justifiable, that if spending a solitary life would have been better, if he hadn’t been deceived by the one he’d come to care for.

The sound of a door opening bought him out of his thoughts, Jim turning to see a short procession of humans filter in, a gust of wind blowing Jim’s hair back. The room was quickly filled with noise, the newcomers opening their respective lockers as they chatted and laughed.

“Good workout today guys!” Jim called, high-fiving one of the boys who walked by. “We’ll be taking it up a notch next week. Don’t give me that,” he added when they all groaned. “Just you all wait till we get to Wingman Wednesdays.”

“Do we all have to do that, coach?” one of the boys asked. “I don’t even wanna be on the wing!”

“Why not? Wingmen score more than any other player – in more ways than one may I add –  it’s a position to die for. Used to be one myself back in my day,” Jim replied, tapping his chest proudly. “Sure, my day was like, four years ago, but trust me, it’s probably the most vital role out their during a game.”

They didn’t argue, too tired after hours of training to voice any more complaints. They soon slipped into less sweat-stained wear, talking about things like classes and assignments as they packed their things, heading for the door with their bags over their backs, bidding Jim farewell before they left.

Jim flipped the board so that his planning phases were facing the wall, popping the marker on the nearby desk as collected his books. The department had supplied him with textbook after textbook, the topics ranging from teaching techniques to game strategies, as well as theory and exam templates from previous school years.

Even on the staff side of school, he was still being given homework. Someone smarter than Jim might have found a metaphor in that, but the young man found the whole thing as just kinda dumb – he needed to learn how to learn, how weird that sounded out loud!

Putting an arm through the strap on his bag, he flipped out his facility keys, locking the door behind him, the cool afternoon sun on his back. The rest of the campus stretched away from the training block in all directions. The school wasn’t as large as the one Jim had gone to as a Mythic, but the department took care of its facilities, never favouring one over another, a prospect Jim found appealing. There was only the one field, but it was large, flat, and empty. Jim had all the creative freedom to shape it into something he could use to whip his students into shape. Not that he’d literally get a whip, he was not Mr. Bahril.

Guided by the three-storey block that was the front administration building, he made his way to the school exit, stopping to bid the front desk ladies goodbye. Compared to the rest of the staff he might as well have been a baby, and he’d been a little intimidated about working with a bunch of old people, but they had treated him well so far, and the principal had been impressed by his credentials he had all but hired Jim on the spot after a short interview.

He emerged out into the front carpark, stowing his keys in his pocket, he wouldn’t be needing them. Thick forests surrounded the lot, the tranquil ambience of the rustling leaves reminding Jim of the sea breeze of his home town. Moving inland had not been an easy thing to do, even less so when he eventually made the decision, but homesickness was only a part of the bigger problem.

The walls of woodland were broken up in places, where faded paths merged into the forest, cutting into the thickets and bending out of sight. They were gated off by wire fences, and standing next to one such gate was a dragoness, who glanced up from her phone as his footsteps echoed across the lot.

She was wearing a green, woolly coat that might as well have been keeping her together, from how tightly she’d packed herself into it. Her prominent bust wobbled within the material as she popped her phone into her bag, her hourglass figure straining against her clothes. Her muscular legs were clad in a pair of grey yoga pants, her thick tail poking out from a hole in the back, the tapered tip coiled round one of her knees.

When he walked within range, she lunged at him, the yellow star painted on her snout brushing against his forehead as she trapped him in a tight hug, her flush scales rubbing against his skin as she enveloped him in her arms.

“Ease up, Cass!” he said, his spirits lifting at her sudden display of affection. “Guessing someone’s got good news?”

“It went wonderfully,” she said, pecking him on the nose. “I don’t want to jinx it, but I’m pretty sure I’ve got the part.”

Cassidy hadn’t taken as much time off as Jim had, as the acting industry was pretty cut throat in who made it, but the news was a massive weight off his shoulders, he’d started to get worried for her.

“How was your first week, coach?” she asked, a coy smile curving her lips.

“Also wonderfully,” he replied. “Weird being back in school on the teacher’s side, but at least I’m getting paid for it, plus I get to boss the students around.”

“You’re so mean,” she chided, but her tone was playful as she gave his arm a soft slap. “You’re not going to drive them into the dirt like you know who did, are you?”

“Relax, I’m not turning into Mr. Bahril,” he said. “I won’t let it get to the stage I’m making them drag a mattress loaded with bricks round the oval.”

“Never told me he made you do that,” Cassidy said. “Can’t believe he was so brutal. Then again, without him you wouldn’t have such a chiselled body for me to admire, so there’s a silver lining.”

She ran a claw down his spine in a way she knew he liked, her nail pressing into his skin through his t-shirt, Jim shivering as she traced at nerves he didn’t know existed.

“Our new life’s almost sorted, isn’t it?” she said, beginning to walk up the path. The trees rose on either side of them, creating an arch above their heads, rays of afternoon light trickling through the leafy canopy. “We won’t have to worry about your father’s… help, for much longer.”

Jim’s pace faltered. He remembered coming back to his father, seeing the marks and bruises he’d left him after their last encounter. He’d expected a beating, or worse, but in the end, his sole parent had welcomed him back without a word.

But things had never felt the same after Cassidy had revealed the truth, after he’d so openly assaulted his father, and Jim couldn’t get past it all and forget like they had. He’d decided it would be best if he left, for good.

But without the proper finances, there was only one person he could turn to. His father had agreed, after a bit of pleading on both their parts – him wanting Jim to stay, Jim wanting to leave – but in the end he had respected Jim’s wishes, he knew even better than Cassidy did about Jim’s internal conflicts.

Cassidy had her own savings pocketed away, and that had helped keep them afloat for this long, and yet as much as Jim tried to ignore it, the fact that her savings were also from his father didn’t sit well with him. Cass was privy to his supressed resentment, that was why she was always waiting for him, always on time whenever they agreed to meet, never arguing, it was her way of making things up to him.

“Jim?” Cass asked, a look of concern on her face as she noticed he had stopped. “Jim, I’m…” Her own guilt of the past mirrored his unspoken condemnations, and she looked away, her own turmoils broiling through her thoughts like a failing dam. Was this how they were going to live? Aware of the unsaid things between them, but too afraid to acknowledge them, afraid of whatever fight would ensue once it was all let out?

What she’d said on the isles echoed through his thoughts. It wasn’t fake, not to me. Those words had spurred him on to stop her from getting on that boat and leaving his life for good. Perhaps it was time to move on from those days, and love her back.

“Longer, shmlonger,” he said, Cass looking up at him in confusion. “You’re right Cass, this is awesome, all those years of school and we’re finally walking into the sunset. Literally, if these trees weren’t in the way…”

“Jim, I didn’t mean to… bring him up. I’m s-”

“It’s done,” he said, cutting her off. “It’s our new lives, like you said. Apologising or… or regretting isn’t going to change anything, so let’s just look for the…”

“Silver lining?” she suggested.

“Yeah. Come on, Cass,” he said, reaching up and giving her snout a pinch. “Honk.”

Cass shook her face as though she was about to sneeze, fixing Jim with a bewildered look. “J-Jim, what are you-?”

“Lighten up,” he said, but more to himself than her. “You just nailed an audition, and I became a frickin’ coach. That’s like, a promotion for me!”

“Really?” she said, stifling a giggle with her hand. “I thought being part of a national team would be more of a promotion.”

“Well that’s the next step,” he said with a wave of his hand. “Might sign up with another team later down the line, but I’ll worry about that later.”

“Still think you’ve got the speed to be a wingman? You haven’t played for a while.”

“I take that as an insult, Cass,” he chided, looking up the path both ways before continuing. “Bet I can beat you by a mile if we raced home.”

“I’m sure you could,” she smiled. “but I can’t run with my bag.”

“I can,” he said, swiping it out of her hand before she could react, placing it on his arm with his own backpack. “How about it? A little exercise never hurts.”

Seeing he wasn’t about to budge, she relented, shaking out her legs and giving her powerful thighs a stretch. “Alright then, but if I win you’re making dinner.”

“You’re on,” he said, joining her as they lumbered up. “I’m feeling generous Cass, so Ill give you a head start.”

“You think you can keep up with a ‘ness with those thin legs of yours?” she challenged, her tail slapping him on the waist. There was that dragon pride again, he always liked it whenever she showed that side of herself.

“Honk,” he said, swinging his hand down and smacking her lightly on the rump beside her tail, giving her plump rear a little squeeze. She half squeaked, half growled as that got her going, the Garchomp breaking into a run after narrowing her eyes at him.

He waited for about five seconds, watching Cass’s muscles bulge from underneath her long pants. She wore no shoes, her wide feet displacing her substantial weight evenly, her hourglass hips rocking like a pendulum with each pump of her long legs. Her toes resembled her thorns, the white tips digging into the concrete hard enough to leave marks, but if Cassidy felt any pain from this she didn’t show it, breaking into a run that was so hard he could feel the wind displacing around her.

Her tail waved left to right to counterbalance herself, Jim watching it trail out of view as she rounded the corner, her bulk disappearing behind the trees.

Giving his neck a good crack, he broke into a run as well, his arms pumping, his fingers locked together to limit his wind resistance, his sports shoes appropriate for the circumstances as he chased down the dragoness. For all her brawn and weight, Cass weighing three or four times as much as Jim did, she was surprisingly quick, Jim failing to spot her after rounding the first couple of turns.

Jim had to keep up his physique since becoming a sports coach, so this wasn’t the first time he or Cassidy had jogged these paths. Exercise had always helped Jim keep his mind off things he’d rather not dwell on, so that was always a bonus on top of the health benefits. Perhaps he should make that a discussing point in the coming classes…

A bead of sweat dripped down his face despite the cool air, Jim upping the pace as he rounded another twist in the path. Just as he was beginning to think Cass had been working on her cardio without him, he spotted the blue, scaly appendage of her tail up ahead, its red underside visible every few moments as it trailed after its owner, who’s pace was conspicuously slower than it had been before.

He could hear Cass panting through her chops, the Garchomp muting herself when she heard his shoes clicking against the pavement, Jim gaining on her.

“Make way! Jimmy boy coming through!” he called, loping his strides so it looked like he was prancing, making sure Cassidy got a long look as he overtook her. “Come on, Cass, don’t make it easy for me.”

“You… haven’t… won… yet,” she panted, steeling herself as she pumped her legs faster, Jim’s eyes widening as she matched, then outran his pace, the young man having to strain himself to keep up.

The next bend and the thickets gave way to a clearing, the path merging out into the dead end of a street, the two turning towards the bungalow on the left. They were mere meters from the front lawn, Jim giving it all he had as he came up on Cass’s right, passing her and throwing his arms up in victory.

“Yeah, looks like I- ah!”

He felt two clawed hands wrap around his waist from behind, a freight train of scales plunging into his ribs as Cassidy tackled him to the ground, the two rolling onto the lawn in a heap.

They rolled a few times before their momentum stopped, Jim finding himself on his back with Cass on top of him. She planted her hands on his shoulders, hanging her snout inches above his face, Jim expecting her to kiss him, but instead, air exploded out of his lungs as she planted a foot on his chest, lunging off him and making a break for the house. Their house.

He turned, his belly on the grass as he snatched one of her feet, sweeping it out from underneath her. Cass came crashing down like a bag of flour, Jim scrambling over her frame carelessly as he reached for the door.

He took in a breath of relief as his hand came down on the front step, but that too was taken out of him as Cassidy rolled onto him, her generous bust enveloping his head from behind as they wrestled each other, laughing and giggling like children as they writhed against the foot of the house.

Soon they grew too exhausted to continue, Jim rolling off her to stare at the orange sky, Cass draping an arm over his chest as she joined him. Her chest rose and fell as she caught her breath, her snout flushed with heat, making it seem like she was blushing.

A bead of sweat stung his eyes as he admired her, wiping at his face with an arm as he found his voice. “Alright, guess I’m making dinner then.”

“No, no you won, fair and square,” she panted, giving him a toothy grin. “Despite my efforts.”

She slapped her hand down on her tummy, her flesh rippling beneath her top. He reached over and gave her hand a squeeze, laughing when she pulled him closer.

“You were pretty quick that time,” he said. “Few more of those and you’ll be keeping up with me.”

“I’ll need more than a few to match your stamina,” she sighed, his eyes drawn to her ample chest as she clutched at her stomach.

“I just realised we didn’t discuss what I’d get if I won,” he said, Cass giving him a coy look.

“I’ve got just the reward in mind for you,” she cooed, Jim helping her to her feet once he’d got his breathing under control. He followed her inside. Jim had been sure to pick out a place big enough for a fully sized Pokémon, as he wasn’t quite sure how big a Garchomp could get in their prime, the walls and ceiling spaced out so Cass could fit her long tail through the rooms without knocking anything over.

He hadn’t noticed it all that much during his campus years, but Cassidy was experiencing a growth spurt that usually took adult humans ages to become noticeable. She had gained another foot on him since they’d started living together, bringing his eyes nearly level with her bosom, which had its perks for obvious reasons, Jim remembering he’d only really noticed this change in height during their heated encounters.