Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Welcome to my doorstep, traveler. Come in. It's cold outside. Sit by my fire and warm yourself. I have food and drink if you need.

Rest.

Close your eyes.

Shut out the world beyond these walls.

If you wish, I can tell you a tale. One of heroes and villains, and a few who are in between.

It rings of legend but then, most true stories do.

Get comfortable. It will take some time, but I believe it is worth every moment.

Now then...

In the days before time was recorded, powerful dragons walked the earth alongside humans.

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Circa: Days before time was recorded.

"Masaru!"

Ducking into the dim tavern, Masaru saw his friend sitting at a table waving his arms.

Several pairs of eyes turned to watch him make his way through the packed space.

Keeping his head down, Masaru could smell the place more than see it. The roaring fire did nothing to help the odors drifting from the sweaty-faced patrons.

Squeezing through, he sat on the stool across from his friend.

"You made it!" Gonfle's shining face was flushed with heat and drink.

"Of course." Masaru scooted closer to the table as he bumped backs with the person behind him. "This is an interesting place."

His friend's smile stayed too wide. "Bruno!" He hollered at the man standing by a keg along the back wall. "A beer for my companion."

The man gripped the handle of the pump and foamy brown ale poured into a waiting tankard. He managed to set it on the table without spilling a drop.

"They've got the best beer around and..." Gonfle hunched over. "I needed to speak away from prying ears."

"That sounds ominous." Masaru tasted the dark brown brew. "This is good ale."

"I told you." Gonfle shifted closer. "I need help."

"From me?"

"I need to know about dragons."

Masaru choked on his beer, cringing at the word.

Scowling, he lowered his voice. "How dare you ask that, Gonfle. You know my family's place now. My father's work has been outlawed." He looked around the room. "Keep it down unless you want a fight."

The man that had been bumping Masaru's back turned around. Beer dribbled down his thick beard as he eyed them both. "You know about dragons?"

"Ah... I uh." He felt the familiar dread lock him in place.

The man turned around and Masaru could see his companion. He had the same large frame but with no beard. Masaru exhaled heavily. This would be no easy fight.

The bearded man tipped his head towards his companion. "I'm Cul and that man there is my brother, Pinque. We were just talking about going after treasure afore it's too late."

"Right?!" Gonfle slammed his fist down on the table making their beers jump. "Have you heard? They found three more."

"Four as of today." He held up four meaty fingers.

"Four what?" Masaru looked between them.

"Are you so isolated that you've not heard?" Gonfle continued pounding the table with his fist. "Dragons. They're being hunted."

Masaru gasped. "Did you say dragons are being hunted?"

"It's true." Gonfle nodded. "I heard that the hoard of treasure was so large they had to hire fifty wagons to haul it off."

"That's no rumor." Cul slid his stool up to their table, squishing Masaru against the wall. "We saw it with our own eyes."

"Fifty wagons." Gonfle's mouth hung open. "How could it be?"

"Of course there's that much gold." Masaru breathed out, remembering his father's lectures.

Pinque joined them, sliding onto the stool next to Gonfle. "What do you mean of course?"

Playing with his beer, Masaru hesitated. "Dragons and gold." He shrugged, eyeing the exit.

"What about them?" Pinque leaned across the table so close Masaru could smell the stench of his breath.

"Well, if anyone knows about dragons, it's Masaru." Gonfle grabbed his shoulder. "He is a descendant of a dragon scholar."

For a horrific moment the words hung in the air.

Masaru was trapped.

He pressed back against the wall and forced a laugh. "He's just drunk. Lost his mind." He kicked his friend under the table as his mouth opened again.

Gonfle clamped it shut and his face flushed a brighter red.

Pinque's eyes narrowed. "Dragon scholars? Weren't they the ones that riled up the green dragons? Because of them those filthy beasts murdered more people than are alive today." He spit on the floor.

Masaru's stomach twisted.

Cul punched his brother on the shoulder. "Pinque, you listen too much to father." He sat back. "Green dragons would've crushed the entire world if it weren't for the scholars."

Pinque humphed.

Glaring at his brother, Cul turned to Masaru, his face softening. "We've got no beef with dragon scholars. What's hard now is knowing the truth of things. Seems we hear a new falsehood every day." He tipped his head. "If we could find someone knowledgeable about dragons, that'd be worth something."

Masaru's heart hammered with too much hope at those words. "How—How much of something?"

Cul chuckled. "If the information could help us kill dragons, the prize could be worth a lot of gold."

"Gold," Masaru sighed and then shook his head. "No human weapon can kill a dragon."

"Things have changed." Cul smirked and pulled out a vicious-looking dagger. "New steel," he hissed. "Forged in the mountains. 'Tis available for the right price and we know the supplier. It can cut through a dragon's hide." He slashed the blade through the air. "We're not gonna be at their mercy ever again."

Masaru stared at the flashing steel. "The green dragons lost their power, though. Peace was declared when the other dragons destroyed the royal egg."

"Peace," Cul scoffed. "For how long? What dragon clan will be next to start the destruction of humans again?"

"No." Masaru gripped his beer tight. "The other dragons came to our rescue. The golden dragons rule now. They are honorable."

"No dragon will ever have honor," Pinque snarled.

Cul let out a loud sigh. "You can argue all you want but the war against dragons has been declared. If we jump in now, we might get a share of the spoils. If we wait... there will be nothing left."

Masaru's head spun. Either from heat or ale, he wasn't sure. "War? Is there no choice?"

"Aye and we're not missing out." Cul drove the tip of his dagger into the table.

"I say we kill the green dragons first." Pinque licked his lips. "Hamstring 'em before they try to take back the power and kill us again."

Gonfle's face turned deathly pale. "Could they do that?"

"Not easily." Masaru grimaced. "I doubt that the current queen is willing."

"What do you mean, willing?" Gonfle tipped his head.

Masaru paused. He felt as if he sat at some precipice. Any further and he was with them.

A dragon hunter.

The front door swung open and the late afternoon sun cut through the room.

He squinted at the bright light. All he had to do was stand up and walk out into the sun. Go back to his home to—

Tears stung his eyes.

There was nothing for him. The shadow of his father's shame stretched so far his life would forever be in darkness.

No family. No home.

"Masaru?" Gonfle tapped his hand. "The queen. What would she have to do?"

Draining the rest of his ale, he slammed down his tankard. "Give her blood."

All three men drew back.

"Listen," Masaru leaned forward. "There are only two ways for a dragon to become a royal. One is by force. The attacking dragon consumes the unhatched egg of the current royal."

"That—That's impossible," Cul sputtered. "Everyone knows that a dragon egg is harder than any stone."

"It is," Masaru agreed. "The royal dragon is unique, though. When the queen lays her egg, it must be soft for it to absorb the blood of its parents."

"Ew." Gonfle made a face. "They kill themselves?"

"No." Masaru let out a huff. "They merely cut themselves and give their blood to the egg. It's a sacrifice that must happen for the child to be the next royal dragon. It is then that the shell of the egg hardens."

"And if it doesn't get the blood?"

"It will wither and die over time."

"Good riddance," Pinque snarled.

"I—" Masaru bit his tongue as something unwanted wormed into his mind.

His father and the way his face lit up when he was speaking of dragons.

Masaru brushed away the memory.

"You said two ways." Gonfle poked him.

"Aye." Masaru focused on the thought of gold and the possibilities of life. "Dragons have always used the peaceful method. The reigning dragon gives their blood to the incoming royal to be drunk. That new royal, regardless of hide color, is then the new ruler and becomes nearly indestructible."

Gonfle let out a low whistle. "No way we go after a royal."

"Never," Masaru snorted. "That is a death sentence."

"We've only heard of green and gold being rulers." Cul signaled Bruno for more beer.

"Oh no," Masaru smiled as a fresh tankard was placed in front of him. "Over the years each color has ruled. In fact, the white dragons held it before the green clan wiped them out and ate the egg of their queen."

"Now I know you don't know nothing." Cul shook his head. "I hear of ice dragons in the north all the time."

"Not them." Masaru shook his head, taking a sip of his beer. "The Northern dragons may look similar but their powers are different. The white dragon could shoot a sticky substance from their limbs that immobilized their enemy."

"Now you're just making that up," Pinque growled.

"I told you," Gonfle pushed on the huge man. "He's descended from the scholar clan. He knows."

Pinque snorted. "You're brave when in your cups." He ruffled Gonfle's hair. Then peered over at Masaru. "Tell me then, dragon scholar. What is it that you want most of all?"

The answer rolled off his tongue with no thought. "Love." Masaru dipped his head as an intense heat seared his cheeks. "To have the means and status to be married. Have children."

"Then join us." Cul elbowed him gently. "Do you know how to use a blade?"

Swallowing hard, Masaru nodded. "I do."

"And me as well," Gonfle laughed.

"Good. Pinque and I will fund a traveling party. We have others wanting to join, but no one to guide us."

"This is a miracle." Gonfle's bloodshot eyes lit up. "That is exactly why I am meeting with Masaru today. This is the Earth Mother working in our favor!"

"Aye." Cul peered over his shoulder and then lowered his voice. "We heard of a pink dragon holed up about a month's journey from here."

"Pink." Masaru rubbed his chin. "Acid."

"Should be a good haul. Not like a bronze, but then not as strong either."

Masaru snorted. "Bronze? You have no chance with their rock-like scales. They're the most defensive and able to take on any dragon clan, except for purple."

"Purple? They're the mind ones?" Cul tapped the side of his head.

Masaru nodded. "We couldn't take one of those on, unless... well, if it was asleep? Maybe?"

Pinque grinned. "Are you on board with us then?"

"We are!" Gonfle listed sideways into Pinque.

"And you, scholar?" Cul tipped his head. "Are you ready to make those dreams come true?"

There was no hesitation in Masaru's heart. "I am."

Gonfle lifted his tankard and yelled at the top of his lungs. "To the drag—" His holler was cut short by Pinque's hand.

"Stupid idiot!" Cul glanced around the tiny tavern. All eyes were on them. "This ain't for everyone."

Masaru watched as the tables slowly returned to their conversations. Except for onelone figure in the corner. He was looking towards them. His hood covered his face so that Masaru could only see his mouth, which curved upwards in a smile.

A chill spread through his bones. "It seems to have cooled a bit here," Masaru whispered, unable to tear his gaze away.

"What's wrong?" Cul turned to look.

"That man." The moment the words left Masaru's mouth, he moved across the room, heading directly for them.

Cul puffed up his chest as the man came closer to their table. "Who are you?" He shoved his stool back.

"You may call me Ao." The man bowed low.

"Well, fuck off, Ao." Cul grunted. "This here's a private conversation."

"Forgive me." Ao started to pull his hood back.

Masaru gasped.

Scars lanced Ao's flesh and dark eyeless sockets glowed an eerie red and he was staring straight at him.

Masaru blinked.

Smirking, Ao snapped his fingers and his flesh rippled. His face looked normal. Skin weathered from age without a single scar. His dark eyebrows swept over black eyes. "I thought I heard someone mention dragons."

"I—" Masaru glanced at the others, but no one appeared shocked by his appearance. Rubbing his eyes, he stared at his ale wondering if the heat was going to his head.

Pinque glared at Gonfle. "You heard correctly. Now go away."

Ao smiled. "Perhaps you need a guide."

Gonfle shook his head too hard. "Oh, we have—" Pinque slapped his hand over Gonfle's mouth again.

"If you're a guide," Cul poked Masaru under the table. "Tell us what you know."

Those black eyes studied each of them and slid back to Masaru. The intensity of his gaze was almost too much. Masaru gripped his tankard trying to still his trembling hand.

Ao dropped his voice to a whisper. "I know the whereabouts of Mitsuki. The golden queen dragon."

"Royal?" Pinque glanced at Masaru. "Aren't they one of the most powerful?" He frowned. "No thank you. We'll try another color."

"Agreed." Masaru found his voice. "I would prefer to find a green one."

"Aye," Cul spat. "They're the most wicked and weakest."

Ao's dark eyes flashed and he began to laugh.

"Is that funny?" Cul snapped.

"It is." Ao sighed. "They were the rulers of the world longer than humans can remember and yet, you think they are weak. If not for the nefarious tactics of the golden dragons, the greens would still be in control of this world."

"And we'd all be dead," Masaru grumbled.

Ao's dark eyes snapped back to stare at him. "Don't fool yourself. The golden dragons hide behind a facade of deception. They have a vile temper that if unleashed could be as destructive a force as any human has seen."

"Then what hope do we have against such a creature?" Pinque argued. "I say no."

"The queen has the greatest treasure." Ao waited until he had their attention. "What you must do is remove it from her nest. She would still be a formidable foe but, without treasure, her power would not be endless." He steepled his fingers. "If you could hold the line until she dropped, that would make you as rich as kings."

"Take her treasure?" Masaru let out an indignant laugh. "Are you mad?"

Ao nodded. "You are correct. It is mad under normal circumstances. A royal golden would be no match for any human or dragon for that matter."

Masaru huffed. "As I thought, impossible."

Wagging his finger, Ao stopped him. "I happen to know something that tips the balance in our favor though. Mitsuki is creating a life."

"An egg?" Masaru gasped. "A royal egg."

"Indeed. That gives an attacker the advantage. You can pierce the hide of a mother dragon during a hatch and she will not wake."

"Why fight her then?" Masaru frowned. "If we can remove her treasure so easily, then we should do that and run. Anything else would be madness."

Ao arched one dark eyebrow. "That's one possibility."

"That is the best idea I've heard yet," Cul murmured and looked up at Pinque. "What say you, brother?"

Pinque glanced between Gonfle and Masaru. "Ao, if you can truly lead us to this Mitsuki and help us defeat her, then we will give you half the spoils."

"Details, details." He flicked his fingers in the air and Masaru saw the thick gold rings on his hand. They flashed in the firelight.

"Have you led other hunts?"

Ao spread his hand wide. "I have and as you can see, the reward was immeasurable."

"Masaru?" Gonfle squeezed his hand. "Shall we go together?"

Studying Ao's face closely, Masaru held his breath. The man's face was bright red from the heat and his jet–black hair slick with sweat. There was nothing unsual about him. He looked like every other person in the room.

The chill he'd felt earlier had vanished as the desire for gold spread through his veins.

Masaru tapped the table. "I was not aware that dragon mothers slept while hatching their eggs. If that is true, it might be possible. Might," he repeated.

"I'm in too." Gonfle grinned wide.

Ao straightened. "We should leave soon for it is a long way to the Northern mountains."

"Well," Cul finished his ale. "We can try for other dragons along the way. Perhaps we will find another sleeping mother. Ao, lead the way."

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The story grows richer, in the same way Masaru hoped his pockets would be filled and the group marched toward a victory that was soon to be theirs.

And they marched.

Through towns and wilds, their feet carried them.

And they marched.

Dragon lair to dragon lair. They rushed in only to find carcasses riddled with maggots and not a single coin or gem.

As you can imagine, with no prize to be had, hope fades.

*****

Masaru held his nose against the putrid smell. Stepping as close as he dared, he could see the black hide. "A shadow dragon," he whispered to himself.

Cul threw down his shield. "Dammit! We're too late again!"

"This is pointless," Gonfle moaned.

"This was a shadow dragon." Ao stepped forward to inspect the corpse. "A male from the head's shape."

"We missed yet another opportunity!" Pinque raged, slamming his fist into the beast's body.

"My fellow companions." Ao opened his arms wide and smiled. "We have only begun. These dragons had wealth that was only a fraction of the queen's wealth."

His gaze glittered over the group and settled on him. "I can promise that no mere human will find her lair. Only you."

"But are we not humans ourselves?" Masaru murmured.

Ao hummed and fingered the leather bag at his waist. "Do not fret, Masaru. We will find her, but you must be strong for me."  His eyes narrowed. "Do not stumble in your resolve. Otherwise, you may find yourself never attaining even your smallest dream."

"Dreams." Pinque spat on the ground.

Ao glared at him.

"Let's make camp." Masaru squeezed his shoulder. "We passed a place on our way here. Just outside the cave."

Pinque sniffed and, grumbling, stormed off.

"Well done." A slow smile spread on Ao's face. "You are good with your companions. Your words sit well with them."

A wave of nausea rolled through his stomach. "Thank you." He barely managed to mumble as he raced to follow the others, gulpeing in fresh air

He heard Gonfle call out.

"You were right. We found soft ground to lay our heads."

Masaru was grateful for the distraction. He laid out his blanket, busying himself with the fire.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ao wander into camp.

Pulling bread from his bag, Masaru sat down and tracked his movements.

"How's your bread?" Gonfle sat next to him.

"Moldy," Masaru snorted.

"He's still here?"

Masaru nodded, knowing who Gonfle was referring to.

Ao.

As the evening sky darkened from dusky twilight the man vanished.

Masaru squinted as his dark shape melted into the forest.

Tonight was no different.

"I wonder where he goes?" Gonfle kicked out his legs.

Shrugging, Masaru felt the heat of the growing fire on his face. "I hope he finds us food."

"Meat," Gonfle sighed and sniffed his hard bread, gnawing off a corner.

Cul stood and began to pace, hands on his hips.

He stopped and waited until all eyes were on him.

"You know that it was my brother and I that started this quest." He gestured to Pinque. "We have decided. Tomorrow, we leave to return to our family."

Masaru picked at his bread.

"What is it, Masaru?" Gonfle whispered as Cul continued to speak to the group.

"I would not." His eyes wandered back to where Ao had vanished.

"Masaru?" Cul snapped. "We leave. I am tired of Ao and dragons. Are you with us?"

Standing in the dim light of the fire, Cul's face was a hollow mask. The big man from the tavern was gone. Masaru shivered and ran his hands up his own bony arms and slid them to his neck. He touched skin, but in his mind, he felt steel. It was as if a shackle was locked there and the chain held by Ao. 

Without a word, he turned his back on him.

"Ignoring me?" Cul kicked at the dirt, spraying rocks over his bed.

"Aye," Masaru sighed without moving. "I fear we are stuck with Ao and this decision we made long ago."

"He is but an old man," Cul scoffed. "You fool."

"I am no fool." Masaru called over his shoulder. "If you wish to walk away, that is your choice. I am more afraid of what becomes of me if I leave than if I stay."

"Then stay with him! Does anyone want to join us?"

Not one person responded as they climbed quietly into their beds.

"You are all doomed then!" Cul cursed. "We leave at dawn if you wish to save your souls."

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It was barely light when Masaru woke.

Wiping the sleep from his eyes, he shivered in the morning air. Snuggling deeper in his blanket for a last moment of warmth, he finally jumped up and started the fire.

He counted the lumps of his companions on the ground and frowned. Cul and Pinque were still lying with the others even at this hour.

He wiped off his hands and crouched over their sleeping forms. "Did you decide to leave after breakfast?"

Shaking Cul, he froze. His body was not pliable under his fingers, but rigid and cold.

Masaru's stomach plummeted and he peeled the blanket from Cul's face. Gasping, he scrambled back, his hand hit a burning ember from the fire and hissed in pain.

"Masaru?" Gonfle's sleepy voice came from behind him. "What's the matter?"

He held his burning hand to his chest. "Cul... he's dead."

"Dead!" Gonfle knelt beside Cul and then his brother. "Pinque is dead too." His face went pale. "Did—Did you see their eyes?"

"Yes." He shuddered.

Their moment of death was frozen on their faces. Mouths and eyes wide open.

"It's unnatural." Gonfle closed their eyelids. "I have never seen death appear like this."

"Nor I." Masaru rubbed his arms. "Where is Ao?"

"I'm here."

He was sitting on a fallen log, not far from their sleeping circle. His long fingers were clasped in seeming anticipation of their news.

Masaru swallowed. "Cul and Pinque. They're dead."

Ao stood slowly and sauntered over to study the dead men. "This is puzzling. Perhaps it was something they ate." His chuckle was almost imperceptible. 

Masaru clenched his jaw against the grating noise.

"I believe they ate what we ate." Gonfle scratched at his beard.

"It's no matter." Masaru grabbed his friend's arm. "We will dig their graves."

Picking up the shovels, he threw one to Gonfle and darted into the forest.

"Wait!" Gonfle stumbled through the thick brush. "Masaru. What's the hurry?"

As soon as they were far enough away, Masaru stooped over. He tried to breathe, but every inhale seemed to bring less oxygen to his lungs.

"Masaru?" Gonfle caught up with him.

"Evil," he hissed. "That man—whatever he is. He is pure evil." Dropping his shovel, he hugged his friend. "I fear we are doomed."

Gonfle wrapped his arms around him and whimpered against his shoulder. Trying to draw courage from their embrace, Masaru could not hold back his tears.

"In my heart I know, my dear friend. Ao will be our end."

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Drained of hope and driven on, they followed Ao into the icy mountain chain known as the Spine of The World. 

There they struggled against all odds but Ao would not relent and his pace quickened the higher they climbed.

Peak after peak until at last, on a barren icy rock, he tipped back his head and howled into the wind.

*****

Masaru shivered not from the cold but Ao's strange laugh.

"We have found the lair of the dragon queen!" Ao hollered over the wind. "Follow me!" He disappeared into a large crack in the rocks.

Squeezing through after him Masaru reached out to Gonfle. "Take my hand. We can't get separated."

The ice that hung off Masaru's beard began to melt from the rush of heat that blew in his face.

"Feel that!" Ao's voice echoed somewhere ahead. "The queen's heat comes from deep in this mountain."

Stumbling into a large cavern, Masaru stopped and blinked in the darkness.

A tinderbox flared and someone lit a torch holding it aloft.

Gonfle leaned into him. "Where are we?"

"Some kind of cave." Masaru studied the dark space.

The floor and ceiling glistened in the light of the torch and the stench of moldy earth hung in the air.

Ao paced in jerky beats around the cavern. "I can smell it! The magic that flows through here. She must have more treasure spilling from her den than the entire human race has ever seen."

"Are you sure she's asleep?" Gonfle's voice trembled.

Closing his eyes for a moment, Ao nodded. "Yes. She is."

Masaru didn't ask how he knew, he did not want to know the answer. Picking up his shield, he addressed the group but kept his gaze on Ao. "We need to work together and remove the treasure quickly."

"Good," Gonfle exhaled.

Picking up his shield, Masaru addressed them all, one eye on Ao. "We need to work together and remove the treasure quickly."

"Of course." Ao's dark eyes shone in the firelight. "That is the plan, is it not?"

"It is." Masaru lifted his chin. "I wanted to make sure, even though Cul and Pinque have died, nothing has changed."

A slow smile crossed Ao's face. "First we must find her den, then we can make our plans."

Turning, his body disappeared from the ring of light.

"Curojas."

His voice rang through the cavern.

The vibrations of the echo hummed in the air and filled Masaru's mind.

He inhaled deeply and it expanded into his lungs, making his chest swell. It filtered into his blood which rushed with an eagerness he had not felt since they'd left so long ago.

He nearly laughed, feeling a lightness in his feet.

"I feel better!" Gonfle grinned ear to ear.

"Me too." Masaru gave his friend a hug.

"Together!" Gonfle lifted the torch, radiating light into the gloomy tunnel.

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"Look." Gonfle pointed down the sheer cliff.

"I'd rather not." Masaru kept his eyes on the clumps of glowing plants that clung to the ceiling of the massive cave.

"Wow. It is a long way down."

He looked and his feet tingled with the swoop that flipped his stomach. "Dammit." Masaru snapped his head up and wished he could run.

They'd descended so far down that he wondered how much mountain could be left.

Yet here they were.

Pressed against cliffs that surrounded a lake that stank of sulphur.

"I have found the way down!" Ao's voice rippled from below.

Masaru let out a quick breath. One of the very few times he was thankful for the man.

Picking his way down the cliffside, Masaru dropped on the stony floor at the bottom.

There were several openings from which a hot wind blew. It dried out his mouth and burned his lungs.

Ao moved from one passageway to the next.

"He doesn't look happy," Gonfle muttered and drank from his water bag.

Ao's head snapped around and he glared at them.

Masaru pulled his knees to his chest. "Careful what you say."

Each day in the mountain, the man grew stranger. The way he sniffed the air, his head jerking at each sound. How his dark eyes tracked them.

Like an animal.

Suddenly, Ao darted into one of the openings.

Sagging onto the hard ground, Masaru wiggled. Sweat drenched the cloth under his armor and his skin itched.

"Remember freezing to death?" Gonfle sounded as weary as he felt. "From ice to fire."

"Aye," Masaru tried to smile but it wilted on his face. "If I had to guess, my friend, Ao is marching us to the very pits of hell."

Gonfle stiffened. "My only hope is once we arrive, the devil isn't there to greet us."

"She'll be there," Masaru sighed. "We can only hope Ao is right. That this treasure we wanted so dearly will bring us joy."

The sound of Gonfle's soft laugh echoed in the cavern. "Joy? I do not remember that feeling, Masaru." He patted his leg. "When we are gone from this place will you remind me what used to make me smile?"

"Sunshine?" Masaru closed his eyes remembering the filtered light in the garden behind his home.

"Yes." Gonfle whispered. "With a breeze blowing. One that doesn't dry or crack your skin."

"Soft as a maiden's caress."

"Masaru," Gonfle choked out. His bloodshot eyes were filled with tears. "That." He smiled. "Thank you."

Suddenly the sound of thunder reverberated from the passage that Ao had chosen. He flew out of the tunnel, his cloak spread out like wings as it fluttered around him.

"We are close!"

Masaru's blood ran cold.

Ao's fingers flashed in the air. 'noc irmă.'

"One of his spells." Gonfle nudged Masaru.

Squinting, Masaru tried to see him, but his dark robe blended into the very air. "He has become invisible."

"I guess that is good for him," Gonfle scoffed. "Whereas, we can die."

"Follow me." Ao's voice seemed to sound in Masaru's head.

Scrambling to his feet, Masaru did not hear the usual squeak from the joints of his armor. He swung his arms, silence.

"We cannot lose him." Gonfle picked up his spear and again there was no sound. He hefted it in his hand and his brow furrowed.

"The spell," he whispered. "It has silenced everything."

"That's the only thing he's done for us," Gonfle grumbled.

Ducking into the tunnel, Masaru paused. He could only see inky blackness.

Gonfle bumped into him.

"Here," Masaru reached for his hand and put it on his shoulder. "I will guide you." Then, he opened his arms wide to trace the walls on either side, sliding his feet along the floor. The warmth of Gonfle's hand was comforting.

A soft light flared ahead. Ao came into view. His lips peeled back in a grin showing his crooked teeth. "We are at her lair."

Masaru gasped. "Already?" 

A hot wind whistled from the opening and blew in his face. Hot and acrid with a metallic stench like the burning iron of the blacksmith's forge.

Ao inhaled deeply. "She is there." He shook his fist in the air. "The one who must die!"

"Die?" Masaru stopped in his tracks. "That was not what we agreed."

"Change of plans." Ao sneered and grabbed the pouch at his waist.

"Then we leave!" Masaru held out his arms stopping his companions. "I will not be a part of killing the queen. We agreed to remove the treasure only."

"I stand with Masaru." Gonfle pulled out his spear, the lethal tip aimed at Ao.

"I like your spirit." Ao's eyebrows arched high. "Please. Direct it at that vile dragon in there."

His hands danced in the air, and he began to chant under his breath. "Asculta culvente mele, va sa ti ia vintate."

"What are you saying?" Gonfle lunged forward. "Is that another spell?"

"It sounds—" Masaru bent his head. The words. They made no sense, but the way they flowed off Ao's tongue was hypnotic.

Gonfle stopped and his spear drooped. "So beautiful."

"Yes," Masaru breathed out. He was desperate to understand, yet he could not unlock their mystery. "I feel like I've heard this before."

Like smoke the words drifted into his thoughts.

"It's a spell to steal our bodies." A hoarse whisper sounded behind him.

A jolt of panic snapped Masaru from his trance. "No!" Shaking his head, he tried to dislodge Ao's words from his mind. "We must run!"

But his body stopped moving.

His legs were like stone pillars. His arms, petrified limbs. No matter how hard he tried, his body would not budge.

"What is wrong Masaru?" Ao walked up to him, his tone mocking. "Finding it hard to run?" He chuckled. "You are mine. Which means you must do as I say."

Ao wiggled his fingers, like a puppet master tugging on a marionette's strings. "Come with me," he whispered.

Masaru struggled but it was useless, he could not defy Ao's commands. He was no longer in control of his own body.

Pointing into the cavern, he roared at them. "Go and kill the queen!"

Masaru's joints snapped and moved. Every muscle was working against him. His hand clutched the hilt of the sword tight, but it felt as if he'd never held it in his life.

It was not him.

He tried to close his eyes and blind himself, but even so small a command would not work. His mouth would not scream. His eyes would not close.

Masaru was doomed to watch.

Someone body bumped into his shield and Masaru rolled his eyes to the side until they ached. It was Gonfle. He marched with him. Together, they charged forward like pieces in a game of chess.

Pawns against the queen.

They burst into her chamber. Insufferable heat burned his eyes but he saw her.

Masaru gasped.

Mitsuki lay coiled on her treasure.

Sleeping.

He had entered the nest of the golden dragon.

Masaru was sure his feet would have frozen to the ground at the sight of the great beast if Ao's wicked spell did not control him.

Instead, his arms strained as they lifted his heavy sword and shield.

"Ka galehala!" Ao yelled behind him.

The strange words were nonsense to him but his body understood. Rushing forward, Masaru watched his sword slash at her golden scales. It clanged uselessly off her scales.

Masaru howled in his mind and laughed. His steel would not penetrate.

"Disone! Liada!" Ao screamed louder.

Masaru's legs planted themselves in the dirt and he wondered what Ao was doing. His hips twisted and he slammed his shield into her body. He turned and did it again.

Masaru recognized the attack, Ao was using the force of his blows to soften her thick hide.

"Îmbrenă," Ao's voice echoed from behind him.

Masaru's shield hit so hard, her hide rippled from the impact.

As his arm drew back, a spear punched forward, barely denting her hide.

It was Gonfle. His heart leapt and he tried to see his friend's face. But he could only see his arms and spear.

Together they drove into her.

Shield. Spear. Shield. Spear.

"Mai repadi."

His back hitched and twisted so fast that Masaru gasped at the wrenching pain. They moved at lightning speed.

Shield. Spear. Shield. Spear.

Masaru's lungs burned. His muscles moved past pain, oxygen starved. His chest heaved in huge gulps of air. Sweat poured down his face.

He did not stop.

Together their bodies strained until Masaru heard the crack. The sound echoed in his ears.

Her scales broke apart.

Gonfle's spear sank deep into her flesh.

Blood slid thick down her body and pooled onto the sandy floor.

Ao cackled in glee.

"Yes! Yes! Now Masaru! Tăiți-o"

He knew what he commanded. The shift in his body gave it away.

His sword swung high. The blade sang as it sliced through the air straight across the bloody wound.

This time the steel bit. Carving deep into Mitsuki's body.

Masaru wanted to close his eyes. To cover his ears.

There was no such relief.

He could only watch as her scale curled back. Beneath it, her tender flesh was exposed.

Gonfle's spear lunged forward again, lancing deep into the wound. He tugged it back, but it was stuck.

Ao was moving behind them, his feet digging into the soft dirt. "Masaru, ajotu-l." He commanded him.

His body shifted and he drove his shield into the ground and his hand closed around the spear.

Face to face. He locked eyes with Gonfle.

Staring at each other, Masaru wished he could speak as they tried to pull the weapon from her flesh. The spear started to wiggle. Masaru moved his eyes back and forth in desperation.

Gonfle did the same.

The spear pulled free and he was gone.

Their connection was broken.

A sudden ripple of warmth swept the room.

"Impossible," Ao whispered.

His boots retreated as Mitsuki moved.

"E Treiz." He screamed. His voice echoed from further back into the cave.

Masaru's heart should have stopped, the dragon was awake.

Instead, a thrill of hope pulsed through him. He called out with the only thing he had left. His mind. 'Quick before it's too late!' He begged in his thoughts. 'Take our lives to spare yours. Kill us.'

Her great head shot into the air, massive jaws opening wide.

Her fiery eyes homed in on them.

A sense of peace washed over Masaru. This beautiful creature would be his end. He basked in the glory of her strength.

She inhaled, drawing in the air like the ocean pulling in the tide before a tsunami. Her chest grew twice its size. Then, she roared and released her flames.

"Eschavie." Ao hissed, his voice pounding in his head.

Masaru's body jerked. His left arm swung high and his knees snapped to the dirt. He crouched behind his shield.

Fire raged around him.

Masaru's skin bubbled under his sleeves and embers stung his face.

Then it stopped and he smelled the acrid scent of burnt human flesh.

He turned to see who had fallen and he felt it. His own body did as he commanded. Moving just enough that he saw a blackened body and a spear.

Gonfle. Masaru started to scream. It was the sound of freedom building in his lungs.

Ao's voice ripped into his head. "Ka galehala!"

His words snapped the strings of control and Masaru's body responded.

'No!' Masaru pushed the word up through his throat hard. There was no sound.

"Masaru!" Ao bellowed. "Why are you the only one who does not fight! Attack her! Ka galehala." His voice drove into his mind.

His feet moved.

He sprang at Mitsuki. Dodging her tail that swept through the air, his sword sliced her body.

'No.' Masaru wished he could weep. Despair hung heavy.

His sword slashed with a speed he did not possess. His shoulder ached and tendons stretched too far.

His body would not last at this pace.

More hope welled in his chest.

Once his usefulness was gone, Ao would let him die.

A sickening sound came from where his sword struck, and blood spurted from Mitsuki's wound.

He'd struck a vital vein.

She roared and again fire boiled the air as he hid behind his shield.

"Yes! Yes! Everyone," Ao called. "Do not stop. We have her." Then his voice lowered and filled Masaru's head. "You will take the killing blow for me."

Masaru shattered at his words.

He would not.

His legs flexed to stand and Masaru dug deep, calling on his memories of his family. His father's face, buried in the tomes of dragons. The sturdy feel of his mother by his side. Masaru drained every drop of the Bakugou legacy within him.

And stopped his legs from standing.

His body teetered as if on a tightrope.

He heard Ao growling.

Masaru held firm.

"Motă." A feral sound struck his mind. Rumbling and shaking. An earthquake. It shattered his family's faces from his mind. The pieces slipped away.

His legs moved again.

Then Masaru felt the world tilt. His feet slipped in the filth that pooled on the ground. Losing his balance, he fell backwards. Air knocked from his lungs.

"Riducă-ti," Ao snarled. "Get up you, imbecile!"

His legs flailed to find purchase in the slick sand. His body twisted sideways and he saw him.

Gonfle.

He was prone. Struggling to stand. He faced Masaru, his eyes white against burnt skin.

He felt relief seeing him alive and he moved his eyes like before, signaling to him.

Gonfle's glassy gaze stared straight. He did not even blink.

Dread seeped into Masaru's gut. He wiggled his eyes again hoping he would respond.

He did not.

Masaru felt despair clutch at his throat.

His friend was dead.

Tears welled in his eyes. The tiniest victory against Ao's spell to mourn his friend.

Gonfle jerked and staggered to his feet. His spear lifted and he charged at Mitsuki.

Her tail flicked, connecting with the side of his body and Gonfle flew out of Masaru's vision. His body crashed to the ground somewhere beyond.

Death would not be his escape from Ao's vile grip.

His body lurched upwards and his arm lifted his sword. Something snapped in his shoulder.

Pain.

It did not matter.

Like a passenger weary of the long road, Masaru watched as fire and steel clashed.

Strike. Parry.

Masaru's body was near its end.

Strike. Parry.

His eyes blurred from the blood that dripped down his face.

Strike. Parry.

"Veszic!" Ao's voice was hoarse. "Death is upon her!"

Masaru felt his arm respond, swinging too far back. Another snap. Twisting hard, his feet shot forward and plunged the tip deep into her chest. Her heart beat, so strongly, it shoved him back. His body leaned into the hilt and pierced her life.

A bloodcurdling scream ripped from Mitsuki's lungs.

Her head swayed and she lurched sideways, throwing out her wings for balance. They were no help.

She fell.

Crumpling over her bloodied treasure. The glow of her golden scales sputtered out, like a flame extinguished.

Chest heaving, Masaru's body stopped, waiting for Ao's next command.

"Good job, my faithful companion." He patted Masaru on his shoulder as he walked by him. "You may do as you please and gather up the treasure you desired."

His body was released and Masaru nearly fell, his legs weak beneath him. He gasped for air.

Free.

Gripping his sword, he had no strength except for the hatred that flowed in his veins. Tracking Ao's movements, he tried to lift his arm.

There was another snap and his arm hung uselessly at his side.

Ao unsheathed his broadsword and with one stroke split Mitsuki's belly. Her entrails spilled onto the sandy floor as he dug into her exposed innards and pulled something from the corpse.

He held it up and roared in victory.

Masaru squinted at the strange bloody object in his hand. "What is that?" He panted.

"My treasure." Ao's cloak settled over the stolen bounty. The outline was revealed.

An egg.

Gasping, Masaru took a step and his legs buckled under him. His knees hit the dirt. "You," Masaru whispered. "Are you in league with the green dragons?"

"In league?"

Ao's face rippled.

His eyes sank into his head leaving dark empty sockets that glowed red. His skin morphed into green scales with deep ribbons of scars that scored them.

Ao sneered. "Foolish human. I am a green dragon! It was our queen that Mitsuki killed. Our future that she ate!" Lifting the egg higher, his laughter bounced off the chamber walls. "Once I devour her egg, the throne is ours once again."

"No." Jamming his shield into the soft dirt, Masaru winced as his other arm gave way.

"Poor, Masaru." Ao peered down his nose at him. "Do you know?" He chuckled and licked his lips. "It was because of you that I can finish wiping humans from our earth."

"I... won't... let you." He labored to rise.

"Then you will be the first to die." Raising his broadsword, Ao plunged it into Masaru's gut, slicing him from navel to neck.

The pain was all-consuming as the blade split his ribs. Masaru gasped for air, bubbles of blood forming on his lips with every breath.

"Well, Masaru?" Ao leaned on the hilt driving the blade through his back and into the dirt, skewering him to the ground. "Too bad your beloved golden dragon that you murdered cannot help you."

"Mitsuki." Masaru had no strength in his lungs to speak. "Forgive me."

He slumped forward, his forehead resting on the hilt of the sword. Like Mitsuki, his innards slipped from their place.

Wishing for the dark silence of death. Masaru closed his eyes.

There was light.

Like the golden rays of dawn shining in his mind. It sparked and flared brighter. Suddenly it burst into a fiery pillar.

Sucking in a sharp breath, the air burned Masaru's lungs. It seared deep into his belly.

A figure emerged from the fiery pillar. Golden hair and fiery eyes. It was a woman. She pointed at him. 'Save my egg!'

The fire in his body shot like lava through his veins into his heart. Masaru gagged, feeling as if his body was being turned inside out.

The woman swept her arm through the air. 'Get up! Save my egg!'

Masaru struggled to move but the cold steel of the blade only sliced deeper. "I can't." He felt pitiful. 'I am dying.' He hoped the woman would hear him.

Her eyes narrowed and she swiped the air with her hand. 'Vindeca.' The fire died and his mind went black.

She was gone.

Masaru sighed and tears streaked through the dried blood on his face.

He breathed in and felt the air expand in his lungs like when he'd been whole. There was no pain in his chest where the sword cut through him.

Masaru opened his eyes and blinked.

His body was glowing. A soft golden hue shimmered around him. Tiny shooting stars of energy encircled him.

Straightening, he saw that his chest was healed. Blood no longer flowed from his wound, yet the sword was still buried in his body.

A laugh escaped him and he covered his mouth.

"What is this?" He swung his arm.

'Move!' The voice erupted like embers exploding in his mind. It was her.

Jerking to his feet, Masaru grabbed the hilt of the broadsword and pulled it from his chest. There was no wound from the blade, it had healed, and the sword felt light in his hand.

From Mitsuki's corpse he heard a sigh that echoed more in his head than his ears. One eye opened, it flared red and then faded.

"I will save your egg." Masaru gritted his teeth and sliced the air with Ao's giant sword. Dark shadows slithered over the hilt. He saw him, sifting through the treasure with one hand, the other was still holding the egg wrapped in his cloak. "Vile creature!" Masaru roared and charged forward.

Spinning at his voice, Ao stumbled and reared back.

Masaru buried the sword into his gut.

Screaming Ao dropped the egg and he grabbed the blade. It cleaved through his hands and blood poured over the dark steel. A strange shadow seeped from the blade and Ao's blood turned black.

"No! You fool! This is my sword!" His eyes grew wide with fear. 'Projează-me.' He screamed. A green light flickered over his body and then faded. Ao gasped and tried to pull the blade from his chest. His hands slipped uselessly through the blood.

"Die," Masaru snarled at him, taking little comfort in his screams.

He unwrapped the egg from the cloak and it rolled out onto the sandy floor.

So vulnerable.

"Mitsuki." He grieved. "Your egg."

Picking it up carefully, Masaru stroked the delicate skin. "So soft." He hugged the egg to his chest. His heart ached so sharp it felt like the sting of Ao's blade again.

He looked up at Mitsuki. "I have your egg. What must I do to save it?"

She did not stir.

"Mitsuki!" He yelled and stumbled toward her.

Seeing the gaping wound from his sword in her chest made him weep.

Tears flooded his cheeks.

"Please, Mitsuki," he begged. "I don't know what to do."

He pressed the precious egg to her bloody corpse.

Pain. It flooded his body as the glow around him faded. His ruined chest opened and his blood gushed over the egg.

"No!" He whimpered. "Are we all to die?"

A dragging sound scraped in the dirt.

Masaru froze, it was Ao's sword.

"You imbecile," Ao wheezed as he came up behind him. "You should have seen me dead. Stupid human. Now give that to me."

Masaru hugged the egg tight. He had no life left in his limbs. "Mitsuki," he whispered. "I have nothing left. Help me."

Ao leaned over his shoulder. His breath was hot on his face. Laughter rumbled deep in his chest. "Begging the dead? She cannot help you anymore."

A staggering pain sliced into Masaru's back as Ao's sword slid through his body. It pierced through the inside of his chest.

"No!" He reared back to keep it from piercing the delicate egg but it was too late.

The tip broke through.

A faint 'tink' noise of metal hitting stone sounded as the sword made contact with the egg.

"What?" Ao ripped the sword from his chest, letting it fall.

"The shell," Masaru gasped and fell to his knees, darkness settling on him. "It—It's hard!"

Ao touched the shell and his eyes bulged. "You! You have ruined everything!" His pale face mottled red and he let out a feral growl. "This cannot be!" Ao choked out. "You are but a human."

"No," Masaru wheezed. "I am a descendant of a dragon scholar."

He snarled and gripped Masaru's face, squeezing so tight his nails dug into his skin. "I will not be bested by the likes of you." He screamed, blood sprayed from his mouth.

Masaru cringed.

The wound on Ao's chest was dark. Black blood soaked his skin and shadows crawled over him. He staggered on his feet trying to stand.

Straightening, he panted, one lip curled up. "Now, Masaru, I will ruin it all for you."  Muttering words under his breath, his hand began to glow a sickly green.

He pressed it to the egg.

"Leave it alone!" Masaru lunged at him with the only weapon he had left. He snapped his teeth, but could do no more.

Ao began to chant. “Blastemal murții neritoar.” 

Then peering down at him, he smiled coldly. 

“I curse this royal child. This abomination that swims in your human blood. It is neither human nor dragon.” His voice dropped low. “I shackle this child to hate. Your weakness shall be its chains.”

"Stop!" Masaru shouted but Ao's hideous light crackled and grew, wrapping around the egg.

"I am only beginning." He caressed the egg. "This child will forever be hated by humans, cursed to die at the end of their blade."

"I said, enough." Masaru curled his body over the egg trying to shield it.

"It will never be enough for me," he hissed. "This mutant will die again and again. An immortal soul doomed to repeat a miserable existence for eternity."

Ao gasped and clutched his chest. "This is your fault, Masaru! Spre patrie." He spit on the egg and vanished into thin air.

An eerie silence descended on the cavern.

Masaru dared not move, clasping the egg tight to his chest for fear of Ao's return. He drew in each ragged breath wondering when he would die. Laying his cheek against the rough shell, he heard a rumble from inside, like thunder.

He held his breath listening. "No," he whispered. "Not thunder. A heartbeat?"

"Yes," a voice answered, filling the air.

Masaru lifted his head to see a golden light appear. Like a tiny ball it hung in the air. "Who is there? Is that you? Mitsuki?"

The light spun in place and began to grow larger until it spun into the size of a large doorway.

"Yes, Masaru, it is I," Mitsuki's voice called from the light. "My egg is safe and alive because of you."

"But I didn't—" He squeezed his eyes shut. "Ao... that creature... he cursed it." Masaru sobbed. "I could not save it."

"Shhh." She hushed him.

Then, like before, Masaru felt his breath expand in his lungs. Strength flowed in his limbs.

"What is this?"

He touched his chest. It was whole again. "I am healed!" He laughed, then gasped at his empty arms. "The egg!" Whirling around in panic, it was nowhere. "Ao has taken it!"

"Dear Masaru, do not worry." Mitsuki's voice was calm. "It is somewhere safe. The poor thing will take more time to hatch because of the unique life inside."

"Hatch." Masaru clutched his chest. "Will it live?"

The light shimmered and a woman stepped through.

Masaru caught his breath. He stared at the woman he had seen at his death. "M'lady," he gasped. "It's you."

Her hair shone as golden as the sun itself, and her eyes were like a fiery sunset on the sea. She had the appearance of a human, but Masaru could see the ebb of power that flowed within her.

Ao touched the shell and his eyes bulged. "You! You have ruined everything!" His pale face mottled red and he let out a feral growl. "This cannot be!" Ao choked out. "You are but a human."

"No," Masaru wheezed. "I am a descendant of a dragon scholar."

He snarled and gripped Masaru's face, squeezing so tight his nails dug into his skin. "I will not be bested by the likes of you." He screamed, blood sprayed from his mouth.

Masaru cringed.

The wound on Ao's chest was dark. Black blood soaked his skin and shadows crawled over him. He staggered on his feet trying to stand.

Straightening, he panted, one lip curled up. "Now Masaru, I will ruin it all for you."  Muttering words under his breath, his hand began to glow a sickly green.

He pressed it to the egg and it encircled the shell.

"Yes. You offered your help and I accepted." She held out her hand. "We must go."

"Go?"

"We are at the edge of the Abyss. Now that we are dead, it will claim us if we do not leave."

Masaru blinked. "I'm dead?" Then spun around. "Gonfle!" He gasped to find inky blackness. "Where? Where is he?"

"I'm sorry, Masaru. The Abyss has claimed him already."

"I—I wanted to see him... one last time." Covering his mouth, he hung his head and sobbed.

Mitsuki touched him. A warmth radiated through his body. "Which one was your friend?"

"The—uh, one with the spear." He peeked up and she thinned her lips.

"Yes. I remember him." Tapping his head, she stepped closer. "And so do you."

A vivid memory sprang in Masaru's mind. It was of Gonfle. Crossing the log at the river where they swam, calling to him, laughing. His voice echoed in his mind.

"I will miss him."

"Then remember him always, and he will not be forgotten."

Masaru wiped his tears. "I am sorry, Mitsuki. If I had just left that day at the tavern. Perhaps you would not be dead and Gonfle..." his voice trailed off.

Her hand slid down to his shoulder and she gripped him. "I would still be dead."

"What?"

She thinned her lips. "I will not say that you were not guilty in your act— but, Ao and the green dragons have long wanted to rid the world of humans... and dragons."

"Both?"

"Yes. It was a miracle that it was you that made the journey." She tipped her head. "Ao must've known that you were the only one that could actually kill me."

Masaru looked up. Her fiery eyes were studying him. "Know what?"

A tender smile spread across her face. "You are a Bakugou. Your father was a dragon scholar."

"You knew him." His eyes went wide.

"Only through others." She cupped his cheek. "Had you not walked into my cavern today my child would have died."

"But—"

"It is true." She shushed him. "Have you not ever heard that a queen mother cannot wake when forming a life."

"Yes, Ao told us that, but... you woke!"

She smiled. "Because of you."

Masaru blinked. "Me?"

"Your scent." She sniffed the air and closed her eyes. "It called to me in my sleep. I woke, for only my soulmate could pull me from slumber." A pink hue stained her cheeks. "I found you being used by Ao to destroy me. I could only fight you once I knew his intentions."

"My scent?" Masaru dipped his head to smell his doublet and scrunched up his nose. "Rather unpleasant."

"To you perhaps." She squeezed his shoulder tight. "I know this day has been hard for both of us, but we really must go." She took his hand. "Are you ready?"

"Ready?" Masaru balked. "No, I mean, where?"

She pointed to the light. "There. It is our homeland. All but green dragons are welcome."

"Is the egg there?"

Her face fell. "No."

"What is wrong?"

She bit her lip, her face tight with worry. "I have hidden the egg. It is best until it hatches. I—I am not sure what the council would say."

"The council?" Masaru felt a tremor of fear ripple off of her.

"Our ancestors." She inhaled and closed her eyes. "Our child is not fully a dragon. This is something that has never been witnessed. He carries the blood of both his parents. You and me."

Masaru felt the skin on his face burn. "Mitsuki. I have—have never lain with a woman. Especially—" He swallowed hard. "I have no child."

"Masaru, do you not understand what happened? When you pressed my egg between us, our blood mingled together. A royal egg must absorb the blood from both parents."

He gasped. "But that cannot be. I am human."

"And I am a dragon. That does not matter. We have made this child together."

"My blood made a child?" His hopes soared. "A parent! Me?"

"Your blood has saved the egg. Once absorbed, the shell hardened and Ao's sword was unable to destroy our child."

"Ao," Masaru growled. "Then he is dead? Are we safe?"

"For now... but he is not gone. He has only returned to his home to wait until he has another chance to steal this world again."

"Then, I cannot join you. I must destroy him." Masaru swept his arm out and bowed low. "It will be my new purpose."

"Masaru. I appreciate your fealty but while you saved the egg, your time here is at an end. Come, take my hand."

Hesitating, he laid his hand in hers and a pulse of warmth flooded into his body.

He jerked back.

"Do not be afraid of me." She blushed.

"Will the dragon council allow a human?" He glanced at the light.

She closed her eyes for a moment. "I will make them understand. For both you and our son."

"A son?" He breathed out. "I—I have a son." His chest swelled with pride.

"You do."

He closed his eyes and felt joy and remembered the last time he'd spoken to his friend. "I wish I could tell Gonfle that having a child brings more happiness than even the sun." He wiped at the tear that slipped down his cheek.

"It is true happiness indeed." Mitsuki stroked his hand. "The fact that he even survived is a miracle. A father's gift of life."

Masaru shook his head. "No," he rasped. "I brought a curse down onto him. That was no gift. Is there nothing we can do?"

She paused. "Not really."

He heard her hesitation.

"What?" He squeezed her hands. "Mitsuki, can you do something?"

"Not really. I might—" She stepped closer, her voice lowered. "There is one thing I possess. The dragon queen's blessing."

"What is that?"

"I suppose humans might call it a wish, more like a desire for something to happen." She lifted his hand and brushed her soft lips over his skin. "You are now in my care, Masaru. I will grant you, the father of our child, the dragon queen's blessing."

"I wish to remove the curse!"

Mitsuki shifted. "I—I am not that powerful anymore. You must think of something else."

"Oh." Masaru rubbed his neck. "I suppose I must." He thought about the curse. "Ao said my weakness will be its chains."

"He did."

"What is my weakness?" Masaru furrowed his brow.

"I suppose he meant that you are human."

"Perhaps," Masaru rubbed his forehead thinking back on their first meeting in the tavern. "I only ventured out to find a life and..." he felt heat sear his cheeks again. "Well, to find love."

He felt her tense.

"You loved someone else?" Her voice hitched.

"No!" Masaru yelled. "I only knew I wanted to fall in love. For when one is in love, they are beyond this world."

She let out a soft laugh. "Do humans believe that love holds such power?"

"Oh. Mitsuki." He pulled her to him so close he could feel her warmth. "It's what makes the world beautiful. Makes life worth living..." He stopped and brightened. "I have it!"

"Tell me."

"What if our son could convince those who hate him to love him instead? Could he become mortal? Would he be able to die in peace?"

She sucked in a quick breath and trembled. "Mortal?" Then she exhaled. "The requirement of the spell is immortality." Tears filled her eyes. "I agree with you, Masaru."

Taking both of his hands, she straightened. "I, the former queen of the golden dragon clan, grant you, Masaru Bakugou, your desire with the dragon queen's blessing."

Masaru looked around. "Is that it then?"

"What do you mean?"

"I am dead. I suppose I must find my way to my own ancestors."

"You cannot leave." She tightened her grip. "We must watch together and see if your blessing will remove the curse."

"Stay with you?" Masaru tipped his head. "That feels like a reward I do not deserve for what I have done."

Her face burned a hot red. "Since I was the one hurt by your deed, then you must be by my side until I forgive you."

"Of course," Masaru dipped his head and kissed her hand gently. "I look forward to the day that you will forgive me."

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Here we take a breath.

You have seen how this half-dragon was created. Cursed but with the hope of a prophecy.

Our story is ready to move forward but I must ask you to pause, indulge me to dip into the life of another child.

Not so unique. An ordinary human boy.

This child was born not with a curse but a gift, though some gifts are often considered a curse.

Be prepared for this era. A time when humans walk the earth alone and only have each other to conquer.

We find ourselves seeing this world through the eyes of a child.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Circa: 29 CE - Northern Europe (Near modern-day Germany)

A strange whistling came first. High-pitched. Almost like the big birds that chased rabbits in the field. It set Shinsou's teeth on edge and he covered his ears.

Then came the screaming.

His mother dragged him from their hut. Smoke, thick and black, billowed around them.

It burned in his lungs and stung his eyes.

The whistling started again. He looked up and something skinny flew over his head. It was on fire. Sparks erupted in the thatch of their roof.

A strangled sound came from Ma and her hand went limp. She crumpled to the ground beside him. "Run!" she yelled at him. "Go to your grandmother! Run!"

Shinsou stared at her. One of the skinny things was in her chest. It was like Da's hunting arrows. "Why is Da attacking us?" he whimpered.

More arrows rained down and one sank into the side of his mother's head. She went quiet, sagging onto the dirt.

"Ma?" Shinsou knelt by her body and touched her face.

She didn't move.

Thunder. At the edge of the forest, he heard it. Shinsou looked up but there was only smoke.

He felt the earth shake under his knees.

A bear bellowed in the distance, roaring so loud it drowned out the thunder.

Shinsou scrambled to his feet.

Bears were attacking them.

He had to find Da. He couldn't see through the thick smoke and every breath hurt his throat.

At the edge of their village, he saw men. They were the ones that lived with them. They knew Da.

Their big bows were pointed to the sky as they pulled the strings taut. Someone yelled and their arrows flew into the air. Like a flock of birds, they streaked towards the thunder.

There were shouts that erupted where the thunder sounded. Horses squealed and men screamed.

The eerie whistling started again, and the men of his village started yelling. They dropped to their knees and lifted wooden beams.

The arrows came back. They sailed into the wood and dirt with loud thumping noises. Some of the men fell, like Ma, into the dirt.

Shinsou ran faster. He needed to find Da. Tell him their arrows had killed Ma.

There was more yelling at the edge of the forest, but Shinsou didn't know the words. They were strange.

A roaring erupted and grew closer.

Crashing.

Someone was trying to come through the thick brush that protected their village. It broke apart. Leaping through the gap were men on horses.

He froze.

They were not like any men he had seen before. They wore no furs and their bodies shone like the sun.

One man in the center held a long pole in his hand.

Shinsou gaped to see the beast at the top.

Its head was shining gold. Two burning red eyes stared at him. Mouth open, pointed teeth flashed in the sun. Its body looked like a long cloth that snapped in the wind.

The beast was whistling.

Grandma had warned him to run from it.

An arrow impaled the man and the pole snapped.

The beast was free.

Shinsou felt his bladder release. Wet warmth soaked his legs.

Its mouth seemed to open wider as it lunged at him.

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"There are none."

"All gone?"

Shinsou could hear people. When he opened his eyes, it was dark. A blanket covered him. His head throbbed.

He touched his forehead and hissed.

The voices went still. Then someone called out loudly. "Hello? Is there one alive?"

Shinsou covered his mouth and whimpered.

"Under the banner." There was a flurry of movement and the blanket was lifted.

His grandmother's face. Her smile. "Shinsou!" Her arms were around him. "You're alive."

"We must go." A man's voice called from behind her.

"Yes," she stroked Shinsou's hair back and studied his forehead. "I will take care of this wound later."

"Da," he gasped. "I need to tell him." Tears burned his eyes as he tried to wiggle free. "Ma is dead."

"Your father knows, child." His grandmother held him tight. "He has joined her in the spirit world. They are both gone."

Shinsou went limp.

Both were dead.

"Why?" he whispered. "Because he killed Ma?"

"No. He did not. He was protecting you from the armies coming from the south. They killed your mother." His grandmother rocked him. "There are more. Too many. I will take you to the mountains with me. We will be safe there."

Shinsou stared at his village. The circle of huts was gone. Nothing but burnt wood.

Something glinted in the black ash. It had red eyes and sharp teeth.

"The beast," Shinsou whimpered.

"What?"

He touched his head and pointed. "It bit me."

His grandmother bent down and dug the large head from the rubble.

"This?"

Shinsou shrank back and clutched her tight.

Grandmother shook the head in her hand. The cloth body swung limply.

"I don't think it meant you harm." She studied it closely. "I think it spared you."

He broke out in tears. "No."

She cradled him and kissed his head.

"Shhhh. It's my fault, Shinsou."

"You said run." His lower lip trembled. "I couldn't."

"We must go." A man approached them, his voice tight with worry. "Smoke in the distance. They are raiding another village."

"Yes." His grandmother sighed. "Can you carry this?"

Shinsou was glad she wasn't holding the beast anymore.

The man turned it around. "This looks like a dragon. Didn't you speak of green dragons in your dreams."

"Yes. It was only a single dragon, though, with scarred flesh and soulless eyes..." her voice trailed off and her arms around Shinsou trembled. "He was using some form of magic to spy on our world and he saw my power. Like a beacon. I refused his request for help."

She grew quiet and rocked Shinsou gently. His eyes started to close when he heard her voice again, it was barely a hoarse rasp.

"Adal, he is looking for something here and I am afraid..." she squeezed Shinsou tighter. "I denied him, did he sense Shinsou?  He was also born with the sight, so young. How powerful is this precious babe?"

"What is sight, grandma?" Shinsou twisted in her arms. "How come I'm powerful." His tongue stumbled over the long word.

"It is not for you to worry."

He frowned. Grownups always used that tone when pretending.

Adal tapped the metal piece, his fingers making a hollow sound. "This dragon is gold though, not green."

"It is," she whispered. "I can only hope it knew and came to save my Shinsou." She straightened. "When we return, I must find a way to repay it for its favor."

The man held the beast up.

Red eyes focused on Shinsou.

He turned his head and buried his face into his grandmother's tunic.

She cooed and held him tight. "Sleep, child. We will be home soon."

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Here we pause again as you have heard my tale.

One world. Two beginnings.

Now, like Mitsuki and Masaru, we shall pull the curtain back on this earthly plane to see what has become of them.

Are you ready?

This is the time when powerful half-dragons walked the earth beside humans.