Chapter Text
Green, green, green. Those were the only colors Tooru could see. Okay, maybe there were the black shadows too, but the point was that he could barely see past his own boots. The trees suffocated any hint of sunlight, reaching high over his head. They had thick trunks with vines slowly draining their life force. He almost tripped on another giant root that snaked out from the ground, covered in weeds and moss. He was definitely in dragon territory now.
Tooru didn't remember exactly how long he had been walking for. At first he could still tell the time by the sun, but now it was nearly impossible. He could hear birds having melodic conversations and other small insects scattering throughout the foliage. It was quaint.
Too quaint in fact. Normally, he would have been sought out by a couple of dragons at least. He was strong, quick on his feet and an incredible strategist. Dragons were attracted to those traits. So why was it that he hadn't seen one yet?
He gripped the hilts of the two weapons that hung at his side. He needed to stay vigilant. Swords were his specialty, and these were his most prized possessions. One longsword stretching into a silver point. His main weapon. And a dagger with blue runes embroidered on the leather hilt. It was given to him. They were the ones keeping him safe the last few years.
The distinct smell of water hit Tooru's nose and made him change direction. The sun might be hiding the passage of time from him but he could always trust his throat to tell him it had been too long. After some time he could hear the faint trickling of water running and one by one rays of that cowardly sun hit his face. He came closer to the riverbank. Peeking through the bushes he looked around for any hostility. When he didn't find anything he reached for the water. It cooled his skin down, the chill traveled from his fingers through his veins, giving him relief after his walk. He cupped the water and drank.
Tooru didn't understand why he had to do this. The end result would be the same no matter what. He would come back on his feet or die trying, but he would never come back with a dragon. So why was everyone, even his own mother, so adamant on throwing away their best soldier? For tradition? That would just be stupid.
Those were his thoughts as he continued drinking the sweet water of the river. He didn't see the threat coming behind his back.
He heard the breathing though. Tooru's head snapped up, eyes wide. He barely pulled up a wall of water when claws came raining down and almost pierced through his shield. He stumbled back, instinctively pulling out his sword. He breathed hard, fixed his stance. Once the onslaught stopped he could drop the water. Sharp claws sunk into dirt, crimson chest low to the ground, wings spread out wide. Nostrils flared and it opened its jaw. A Spinesux. A dragon covered with ragged spikes and sharp teeth.
Tooru's knuckles grew white. He pressed his feet into the ground. He was ready to draw from the water again. The Spinesux snapped forward and tried to chop his left hand off. He leaped out of the way. He ran towards the soft spot that connected the dragon's neck to its belly and swung. Blood tricked from the shallow scratch. It screeched. Tooru could smell the fire kindling in the back of its throat already.
Tooru clicked his tongue. This wouldn't be a short fight.
Just as the dragon was about to shoot he pulled up water, extinguishing it. Steam rose up around them. It made it hard to see. Tooru took the opportunity and wove elaborate spears of water. They twisted and turned into sharp points, solidifying above him. He flung them forward, targeting soft spots and the inside of the dragon's wings. The Spinesux roared, clearly angered.
The scholars said that dragons were stupid. They said it was humans' only advantage against them. For all their might and strength there wasn't much strategy in their fighting. There was no reason to anyway. With their size, they were on top of the food chain. So why would they waste precious energy to lay elaborate traps?
They were wrong.
In moments the dragon swept its tail across the forest floor, dipped it into the water and sent it toward Tooru with incredible speed. He managed to step back but it didn't help him much. The boiling water didn't reach him, only a few droplets did. But the dragon's tail connected. Searing pain bloomed at his shoulder. Tooru yelped as he stumbled back, tripping and falling to the ground. The dragon pulled back, now dripping in his blood.
His vision flickered, but he could make out an almost menacing grin on the dragon's face. He never thought they could look like that. Like it didn't just want to kill him, but wanted to play with him. Stretch out his suffering, make him regret his actions of coming here.
That wasn't why he was here though. He came here to survive this. To prove something. To be with his mother and Takeru and his sister and Makki and everyone. Not to die. He needed to get up and protect himself until he could get away.
He found his blade lying on the ground. He must have dropped it while he tripped. He gritted his teeth at his injured shoulder. Thank the gods it was his left one, he could’ve pronounced himself dead if he couldn't use his dominant hand. He didn't have much time to ground himself though. Another swing came for his right. He scrambled to his feet. The ground shook with the force. He needed to take another step back towards the forest to steady himself. And then another when the next swing came. They never connected with him though. Some sent him back a few meters but they never hurt him. It was like a cat that played with its prey.
He frowned. This was deliberate, wasn't it? The river was already meters away, it would be almost impossible to draw from it now. And since water was his main ability, drawing from the ground and air were futile.
Two more blows came rushing down at either side of him. He yelped, throwing out his hands for balance, making searing pain shoot from his shoulder. He clutched it, his vision swimming. Tooru didn't know how long they had been playing this game but he knew it was far too long. And the dragon knew too. It opened its mouth, violent red embers rose up inside it, preparing to strike him down once and for all.
Tooru couldn't believe it. Was this really the end? He knew that not seeking out a dragon and spending the whole week alone would be a challenge, but this? He thought he would at least be able to crawl back, but clearly he was stupid. Gods, he was pathetic. He couldn't even stay alive. How did he expect to do more?
His breath left him. Heart racing. Maybe his body was preparing for the inevitable. The endless blindness he would go through, never knowing the fresh air of this world again.
And then he was eleven again. Running through the fields outside their village. Wheat was brushing against his skin, sure to leave scratches that his mother would reprimand him for. They reached the end of the field, slowing down as soft grass and colorful wildflowers poked at their bare feet. The sky was clear, red and orange washing over the flowers, painting them into an ocean that Tooru couldn't look away from. Laughter rose up in the air, he couldn't tell if it was his or his best friend's. He turned to the other boy who was now crouching in the grass. And when he looked up there was a grin on his face that could split the skies. "Tooru look," he exclaimed and thrust his clasped hands towards Tooru. The shriek that came out was not something he would be proud of. But the laughter that followed comforted him, even if it was at his own expense.
Slimy, disgusting bugs peeked out from between the boy's fingers.
They stayed there. For hours, until the sun went down and only the stars were there to accompany them. Tooru pointed out the brightest one, and then a constellation, then for the next one he added a story. They laid there with their hands behind their heads, spread out on the grass. Then two shadows covered the stars and they were gasping. The heavy swoosh of wings flapping cut through the air. And as they stood the dragons made a sharp turn, their riders extending their hands and grinning at them while waving. They waved back.
"I want to be just like them," said the boy next to him. "We could ride together and see the mountains up north. And we could protect everyone!" He was beaming.
Tooru did too, it was contagious. "Yes! And we could fight like those men in the story." He was jumping up and down, unable to contain his excitement. He looked up at the sky, full of stars again. "I can’t wait."
"Yeah. Us and the sky."
Tooru looked at the other, grinning. "Just us and the sky, Iwa-chan."
Tooru saw blue. Two streaks. They were too fast for his eyes to properly see what they were. It was just two swirling masses of blue light that flew straight into the dragon's head. He stood there. It was only when he heard the roar of pain that he snapped out of it. What happened?
The smoke cleared slowly. The Spinesux was still in front of him, but it wasn't looking at him anymore. Rather it was looking up at the sky. Tooru followed its gaze and gaped. Teal enveloped his vision. Turquoise and aquamarine swirled, creating fractures that reflected the afternoon sun like diamonds. Those were scales as big as Tooru's head. The whole dragon was gigantic actually. He had heard about ten meter tall dragons before. They were the ones leading them in war. The rest were soldiers, or patrolled the village.
But this. This was another kind of nightmare. Its wings stretched more than twenty meters apart. With a strong body and well balanced muscles it was terrifying. An Emberkard. A giant one. Steam snaked out from its mouth. The blue dragon growled as if saying something to the other. A warning maybe. But the Spinesux didn't budge as it narrowed its eyes and fully turned.
Shit.
This wasn't good, Tooru thought. Clearly these two weren't fond of each other and if a fight broke out he would be stuck between them. Then he really would be done for. He needed to get out of here and fast. But how? His shoulder throbbed, the adrenaline starting to wear off and his satchel was on the other side of the red dragon. He wouldn't survive without his dried food and supplies.
There was another growl and when the Emberkard opened its mouth it glowed with power.
Well, there wasn't much time to ponder, and as they say, your enemy's enemy is your friend. Tooru gripped the hilt of his sword, gritting his teeth. He shifted to the right. He would go behind the red dragon, grab his stuff and sneak away before he could bleed out.
He moved, keeping an eye on the fight. A blast rang through the sky, two forces colliding. Both dragons were on the ground now, trading blows. Tooru reached his sack. He took out a scrap piece of cloth and hastily wrapped his wound. The Spinesux advanced, not frightened by the size of the other dragon. It tried to strike with its claws at the Emberkard but never got the chance.
Tooru could only flinch as a lizard-like tail connected with the side of the crimson dragon. It flew across the river, flipping in the air and crashed into one of the giant trees. The branches shook with a boom and leaves fell on the body slumping at the base. Three birds flew up from them and scattered towards a more peaceful part of the forest.
This wasn't even a fight, Tooru thought. He clutched his bag and rose, it wouldn't do any good to remain here. He needed to get away before the Emberkard chose him as its next victim. His face slipped into a grimace. Then again it also saved him. So maybe it didn't want to kill him? No, if it wasn't here to kill then it wanted to bond with him and that was even worse.
He was about to turn when the ground shook. Green eyes locked on Tooru. It felt like being pinned to the floor of the forest they were in. It exposed him, stripped away every wall he built. Every secret, every aspiration laid there among tree trunks and newly grown moss. Those eyes held a kind of dangerous but reassuring strength. And somehow, a small, miniscule part of Tooru wondered. What would it feel like? To be hundreds of meters in the air, laughing, nestled between those shoulderblades.
He shook. No. No he couldn't, wouldn't betray everything he lived for like that. He stepped back. He couldn't forget all the people the dragons hurt. He wouldn't give up on his goals and he wouldn't give up on protecting the memory of his best friend. Because if he did, all that would remain is–
There was motion in the corner of his eyes. Across the river the red dragon slowly stood up. It kept low to the ground, curling its back and opening its wings. Its claws dug into the dirt and ripped out the overgrown weeds underneath them. It was preparing to strike.
He should take this opportunity and run, Tooru thought. He should let the two dragons duke it out, maybe the Spinesux would catch the other off guard. He could run and disappear into the forest and he would be fine. His hand was dripping with blood. He could already feel the life draining out of him and fog his vision. He needed to tend to it. It would be logical to leave. Sane.
In front of him the teal Emberkard came closer. It carried itself with confidence, not a moment of hesitation in its steps. Its wings were resting by its side now, making it considerably smaller but not any less imposing. Spikes trailed the length of its back all the way to the tail. They stood at attention, going from blue to green at the tip. Strong muscles lined its chest and legs. It was beautiful in a way that eluded Tooru.
He had no doubt it would be able to defend itself. It would crush the red dragon. It would stand surrounded by the remains of a terrible fight, clothed in red meant only for royalty, green grassblades ruined underneath it.
Glowing red pooled in the corner of his eye.
Tooru's body tensed in anticipation. This was insane. He was insane. Oh good gods above he was mad.
"Get— DOWN!"
Like a cannon, a fireball thundered through the air. The Emberkard barely ducked under it, growling at the scratch it left on its shoulder. The other didn't wait. It flew across the river and crashed into the blue dragon. It shrilled and attached itself to the other, trying to dig its claws into the teal scales. But the Emberkard threw it off. A cloud of dirt rose up in the air.
Tooru's legs shook from the impact and he needed to widen his stance. He gripped the leather of his sword's hilt tighter. Well, he was in it now.
He raised his sword and struck. The Spinesux was still down, its leg twisted in a weird angle. Tooru surged forward, swiped at the joint, drawing blood and an angry whine from the dragon. He pivoted and stepped right. Near the water. He needed to stay close to draw from it. The red dragon stood and flared its wings, turning to him. But it was knocked off balance again by a giant tail coming at him from behind. Tooru took the opportunity. He conjured three swords of water and sent them flying into the eyes of the Spinesux. He blinded it. Desperately, it prepared a fireball. Tooru advanced, evading didn’t help him last time. He would make sure it didn't have another chance. He drew more water from the river, not caring to shape it. He sent it into the dragon's mouth and lunged. There weren't many places one could hurt a dragon. But there was this one spot on the roof of the mouth where if you—
Tooru pierced into the dragon's mouth. His sword went through its upper jaw, coming out from the forehead. The dragon cried out. There was this spot beneath the scales on a dragon's snout where they drew their power from. It was where they formed their bonds. From the outside nothing could get to it, but if you took a different approach...
A breath of a smile formed on his lips. "Oop!" He pulled his hand away just as the Spinesux snapped at it. He chuckled. Now this was the thrill of battle Tooru missed. He stepped back into a defensive stance, the dragon could still kill him even if it couldn't spew fireballs anymore. But he was more confident now.
The Spinesux lunged. Tooru brought a shield of water up just in time, but it was a hair too weak. The spiky tail knocked him back, sending him flying and rolling on the ground. It knocked the wind out of him. Tooru could feel the bruises forming around his ribs. Shit. Get back up.
He rolled. A jaw snapped at where he had just been a second ago. He pulled himself up and vinced. Fuck. The binding on his shoulder came loose, he could feel it start to pulsate again. The Spinesux growled, eyes like slits. Tooru raised his sword. He needed to deal with this.
He was about to strike but a teal clawed foot came down at the crimson dragon. It shrieked and growled and squirmed. It clawed at the leg keeping it down. But then a deafening roar rang through the forest and it stilled. Tooru watched as the giant Emberkard lowered its snout to be level with the other. It gave a growl, another warning. But the Spinesux didn't seem to care, baring its sharp teeth, snapping. Steam came out of the blue dragon's nostrils. They flared and it straightened back up.
Tooru wasn't ready for what came next. He knew dragons were merciless, killed in abandon, played with their victims. But he never read anything about killing each other. Blue fire enveloped his vision. Teal and white flames threatened to snap out at him, their heat unlike anything he had ever felt before. Tooru could feel the hair stand up on his arms even though it wasn't cold at all. He could barely make out the Spinesux's silhouette anymore, but it sparkled. White dots swam in his vision like this was the most beautiful inferno of stars in the world. And in the middle of it all was one olive green eye Tooru swears he had seen before.
Shadows started to creep into the edges of his vision and distantly he could hear the ring of a blade hitting the ground. But he couldn't seem to focus on it. One question swirled in his head just like the flames dancing in front of him. How can something this beautiful be cruel at the same time?