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“For the s-sake of my pride,” he coughed, resining the urge to just keel over. He could feel each muscle twitching from fatigue, the satiating burn festering just below his skin, like his blood was made from the magma that permeated the very volcano he stood on. “I wish not to yield. But may I ask you, why did you challenge me in regardless? If what you’re telling me is true, then neither of us wanted to kill the other in the first place.”
“I had to. For honor. I couldn’t just let you go, it had to be hard.” they said. “Dragon honor codes are lengthy and contradictory. But I think the logic is one way or another, someone will lose their honor.” they shrugged, unsure how to put it any other way.
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“And what would be the consequence of calling it a draw?” he said, more of a statement than a question as the wind whipped at his hair, carrying his voice along with it. “A stalemate? Neither wins, neither goes against pride, neither loses.”
He couldn’t truly believe the conversation he was having. He felt like every single limb was consecutively on fire, yet his heart was cold, and he could feel a light shiver beneath his armor as it clinked against the other plates. And he felt like the dragon could tear him in two without a second thought, and that’s what he had prepared to endure. But now he was hearing words unusual to him— that the beast didn’t in fact want to kill him, just intimidate him to the point where Flynn gave up himself.
And he would have given up, if he didn’t find himself wanting to stay here, with the dragon, with the pain, for just a little longer.
“Then we both lose our honor. It’s a cowards move. Either you die or you run home, tucked tail and all.” they said firmly, holding their sword at the ready. “I’m serious.”
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Maybe Flynn wasn’t thinking. Maybe his mind was elsewhere. Off of the pain, off of the sweat. Off of the cold wind above him and the molten rock below him.
And maybe that’s why he stepped forward, shambling over to Crow and standing right before them. Leaning in, looking into their eyes, with an expressionless face.
“Kill me, then,” he growled, yet his face still showed now emotion as his words shook. “Kill me, and we’ll see how this plays out.”
“Don’t make me do this. Please.” they said, stepping away from the man and stumbling over the rocks behind them. In this position they were open, vulnerable, could easily be killed just like that. And they didn’t move, didn’t care to move, none of it mattered anymore.
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Flynn’s heart skipped slightly, his fiery eyes watching intently as the dragon stumbled back. They seemed almost like a puppy, even if it was their humanoid form. It hurt, about as much as Flynn’s broken wrist, to hear the sheer truth in their words.
He took a deep breath, feeling as the ash burned his eyes and his lungs ached— no, his whole body ached. He kept his eyes locked on Crow. And with one swift movement, he lifted his sword, and…
Stuck it, firmly, into the rocks just below Crow.
“Then … I forfeit.”
Crow flinched as the sword came crashing down towards him, and found himself…. completely unharmed? “What the…” he wondered, standing up. “You… you really forfeit? This isn’t some joke?”
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Flynn stepped back from his lodged sword, stumbling slightly as he did so. He couldn’t tear his eyes from Crow, watching as the dragon brought himself to their feet, with Flynn’s own sense of calm defiance. His amber eyes were narrowed— crackling with each ember residing in the iris, and each ghastly flame from each and every nerve.
“No,” he said dully, voice still holding that pang of offense. “I don’t often jest with situations like this. I forfeit, dragon. Don’t make me repeat it again.”
With that, Flynn turned, leaving his sword lodged in the mountainside as he began to walk back to the edge.
“Fine. At least let me heal that wrist of yours, I have some good supplies to do so. After that, get out. Just say you killed me, I won’t make a big presence of myself after this. Don’t come back, don’t be all ugly and grateful like you humans so often do. Just take your leave.” they growled.
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Flynn’s mind was so clouded to the point where he could only nod, his eyes dimming as the adrenaline wore off and the pain creeped in. He was hot, but not like fire— more like a brand, simmering to someone’s side. His wrist, however, was not one in the same; it felt more like a festering ember constantly being agitated.
“O-Okay,” he said, probably too quietly, but he still looked strong. Still looked stable and steady and equanimous, even if he was biting back the urge to thank Crow.
So instead he just bowed, but nothing extravagant. Just a tip of the head, eyes flicking closed for a moment before they re-opened, shining a brilliant reflection of the clouded sky.
Crow lifted Flynn in their arms, carrying him like a sack of potatoes down the mountain and into the cave, where they spread the man out on their cot. “Wait here. I have to make some preparations, I’ll be back soon.” they said, leaving him with nothing but blank walls and silence.
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Flynn watched absently as Crow walked off, leaving him to his own devices. With careful movements, he removed his armor, taking every precaution he could when addressing his gauntlet. He didn’t know if he was imagining it, but his wrist was so misaligned he wondered if the bone was completely shattered. The initial impact hadn’t been what did it, however. That with the combination of climbing and his lack of caution completely decimated the joint.
He could see that clearly as he rolled up his sleeve, taking off the cloth layer below his plate armor. He could barely stand to look at it, continuing to bite his bloodied lip in his tensions. He looked completely beat up, blood running down the length of his neck and the sides of his mouth, needless to say, his wrist as well.
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(bonk?)
(Whoops! Sorry, I’ve been a little uninspired, I’ll get a response up soon-ish.)
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(Oh, no problem! Don’t worry about it. Take all the time you need :)
Crow paced around their study, nervous and quite disheveled. All they could think about was the man’s eyes, his beautiful eyes, how they’d positively ruined them earlier and would certainly ruin them now. They found there healing supplies, just a few creams to rub into the skin that would heal any non magical injury, and returned to find Flynn looking at his shattered wrist. “Here, this will help. Hold still, it won’t hurt a bit,” the latter was a lie, but it might have a calming effect on the man.
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Those were words Flynn had heard too many times. It won’t hurt— but he knew for a fact it would. He had undergone too many injuries to count, and this was far from the worst of them.
Yet it burned like a lit furnace, fire climbing through the slots and his wrist was the forged sword.
Flynn quickly unwrapped a strap of leather from his other gauntlet, and bit down on it to keep from damaging his lip any more. Surely it wasn’t good for his jaw, but it kept him relatively sane as he felt severed nerves go numb.
“Just… Just get it over with, please,” Flynn muttered, voice lightly muffled. “You don’t have to be too careful. Just so it’s in… working order.”
“I will be careful, because I’m not that much of a terrible person. I may be responsible for dragon war crimes, but I’m not a sadist,” they said, gently rubbing some of the salve onto the wound. Flynn would likely feel a brief burning sensation, them numbness for about half an hour as the bones healed. “There, now just hold that arm still and wait or it will take much longer,”
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“Al-Alright,” he coughed, trying his best to suppress a small whimper.
When Crow finished his work, Flynn spat out the leather strap and began poking at his numbed lip, pulling his hand away only to see dried blood stains. He winced, eyes narrowed as he felt around for the cut on his neck. No doubt he had earned himself new scars today— well, not really earned, but somewhere around there.
“I… I know you said you didn’t want a ‘thank you,’ but I’ve never really been one to abide by the rules,” Flynn said suddenly, his own eyes still locked on his wrist. They flitted up to Crow for a moment. “So… thank you.”
“I hate you for even mentioning it, but I hate you for other reasons so I’ll let it slide.” they shrugged, beginning to bandage up the man’s wrist with a splint to hold everything in place. They weren’t sure if they could trust Flynn not to move. “You have lovely eyes. I keep thinking about them, so deep and insightful.”
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The compliment caught Flynn so off-guard he wasn’t sure what to reply with. It took him a moment of silence, of just his steady breathing, before he could answer.
“Is that so?” he asked, not entirely sure what Crow’s whole motive behind the remark was. Regardless, he had to consciously keep himself from squeaking out another thank you. “Yours… Yours are, too. Perhaps it’s just because I have never seen a draconic figure up close, but you sure are a sight to behold.”
“Oh, stop, I’m hideous and we both know it.” they laughed bitterly, reaching into a shelf hidden in the wall and grabbing Flynn a blanket and pillow. “Rest for a while, you’ll be much better soon and then you may take your leave.” they tucked Flynn in and started to leave, too ashamed of themself to stay.
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Flynn cocked his head, narrowing his eyes for a moment.
“You say that like it’s common knowledge,” he replied, shaking his head. “In all honesty, dragon, I think you’re… mighty. Elegant. Something to be proud of, no?”
He was reluctant to get tucked in, but had to have some assistance to carry it out successfully without using his left arm. He felt like a vulnerable little child and hated it with every fiber of his being, but at the same time, he was exceedingly thankful for Crow’s help.
“Dragon’s haven’t had anything to be proud of in thousands of years. It was all before your time, before mine, even. Most of the elder dragons are gone now, due your people murdering them. And with them, their wisdom and knowledge, and thus dragons have only gotten worse. Really, most of us are happy to be left to our own devices. But if humans decide to invade our lands, our hunting grounds, and our homes, what choice do we have?” they asked. “However, dragon factions have been getting restless. They want to burn you into dust. Some advise against it, against war, but…. well, there’s less of us but more power between two dragons than a hundred men combined; it would be impossibly difficult to make things… well, I’m against the extermination of your kind, but some have sunken low enough that they believe… it doesn’t matter,” they turned back to the doorway again.
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“There’s no one who wishes for peace more than I,” Flynn replied, closing his eyes briefly before looking back up to Crow. “That’s why I came alone. Why I left my troupe back at the base of the mountain the first time I met you. I have been trying to get the Knights of the Crown to step off your case for weeks, but they keep pressing it, and I’m starting to look exceedingly suspicious.”
He adverted his attention back down to his hands, letting out a slight breath.
“I doubt I could go back, now. Doubt I could lie about killing you. With my background, the others wouldn’t believe me, and they’d most likely lock me up and send an army to make sure you’re gone. However, if I don’t return, the same thing would happen.”
Flynn pursed his lips, earning him a wince as he tasted the blood again. “I’d just be fighting for a different side.”
“I suppose I’ll have to move back home, then. I can take you with me, but it would be under the pretense of you being my servant, my thrall. I can create things there, and dragons move around quite often compared to me. It would be unremarkable.” they suggested. “Dragons don’t balk at the idea of humans in servitude to us. They assume it as completely natural.”
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“Your servant?” he asked, although his voice didn’t sound as disgusted as he thought it might. He sounded more… curious.
The thought of living with Crow sparked a sense of fear in Flynn’s chest. They were a literal beast, one that could tear Flynn to pieces before he could even introduce himself.
“Why, I … I don’t know if I could. Unless it’s not my choice,” he replied, blinking up to meet Crow’s eyes. “But… I do owe you.”
“I’m only doing it to protect you, and if that is not what you wish, I can’t stop you from leaving,” they said softly, looking at Flynn with pain in their eyes. “But… some dragons, my people, they are kinder than most. My sister would probably love you to bits, unfortunately. She doesn’t get much company, I’d probably just have you work with her most of the time and help me with experiments the rest.”
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“Experiments?” Flynn asked, hoping he wasn’t prying too far into Crow’s personal affairs. Although the softness in their voice was reassuring, leaving Flynn more relaxed than before, and pleased to hear their words.
He had to say he was completely surprised by Crow’s declaration. Their sister would love him? It seemed so farfetched, considering Flynn had always been taught to fear these beasts. To fear them, fight them, but never coexist.
