Chapter Text
Masamune, the one-eyed dragon of Oshu mountain, always caught an intruder's scent long before they scaled the mountain to his horde, and you were no different... outside of a sweeter than usual smell.
Perhaps, he wondered, I should devour them and see if they taste as good.
Still, then the smell would be gone, and he was unsure if the prize would be worth such loss. In any case, despite every instinct rising within him to show himself, baring teeth at the intruder so you would leave him and his horde alone, he held himself back, curious to find out what this new smell was after, and to whom it belonged.
When you entered his cavern, he felt your soft vibrations. This obviously wasn't another cocky knight wanting to prove his bravery in battle. No, these were the footsteps of a thief, something he was also familiar with. However, something about the odd smell still quenched his natural instincts to rip you limb from limb, so he remained motionless, asleep to all who didn't know better.
After a moment of waiting for you to take something, he opened his only good eye to see you looking through his treasure, passing by his many luxurious riches.
You were a pretty little thing, though it was admittedly hard to tell underneath the dirt and ragged clothes. Your poorer appearance made him wonder why you didn't just take the first gold coin you'd put your eyes on and run. It was unlikely you'd try to steal at all if you realized it wasn't in a dragon's nature to release a treasure from their horde, no matter how small. So if it wasn't desperation due to lack of food, that left him wondering what it was that compelled you to intrude on him.
A thief with a purpose, it seems.
"Damn!" you cursed, before your eyes widened and you covered your mouth.
Masamune was proud he was able to close his eye all the way before you inevitably looked back at him to make sure he was "still sleeping". He knew you could only see a bit of him, most of his body remaining within his mountain of gold. It wasn't too hard to control his breathing and be convincing enough that you went back to searching, only a brief sigh of relief to show that there was any concern in the first place.
"Where's the Eye of Shogetsu?!" you whispered. Through his half-opened eye, he saw that you didn't turn back to him, instead searching with less caution than before.
Of course, Masamune knew where it was. He knew the location of every coin, let alone one of the greatest artifacts in his collection. It was both the blessing and curse of a dragon.
He had never been one to question his whims, and when he realized he wanted to relinquish the Eye, just to see what would happen, he did not think twice about it, either, and so he ever-so-slightly moved.
Masamune was happy he could see you, as he got to witness you jump seemingly a meter in the air. His movement had a greater purpose, though, as his Eye (the jeweled one) tumbled from it's usual place, landing slightly to your right.
A few moments after he moved, he noticed you slightly relax, again, as you obviously thought he was "still asleep", before looking at where the Eye was. You bit your lip and made a strangled squeal in delight as you picked it up.
If he was a more expressive creature, he would have frowned. This, of course, was the end of his fun, as a dragon could not allow a piece of their treasure to leave their home.
Just as you turned towards the mouth of the cave, his massive tail raised, moved to the entrance, and dropped in front of it.
He expected you to look over to him, groveling in terror at his monstrous claws. However, you managed to once again surprise him, instead huffing in annoyance.
She still believes I'm asleep! he thought, barely able to stifle a chuckle.
As noted before, though, his game was at its end. He did not like the taste of human, and you didn't look like much of one at that, but he knew that you were likely still going to be his meal of the day. Still, his curiosity would hate your story being left with so many questions.
"I'm trying to figure out if you're more brave or foolish," he boomed, making your legs shake so hard you fell onto your rump. He used the opportunity to rise to his full frame as gold and precious gems fell from his body. "To steal from a dragon requires at least one of those qualities."
Here it is. The moment she turns into a quivering mess, begging for her life.
However, you did none of those things, instead returning to your feet before looking at him. Tears leaked from your eyes, but surprisingly they didn't hold nearly so much fear as despair. You even held the treasure closer to your chest instead of giving it as a peace-offering, the obvious logical thing to do in his mind.
Masamune pretended it was your possessiveness of his treasure that made his heart stir...
"Well?" He successfully ignored that the twinge of pain that definitely wasn't there in the first place.
"Desperation," you whispered, though for a dragon's ear it might as well have been normal speech.
"If you wanted something for food, any of this would do."
"No," you replied in a more normal voice before looking away for a moment, "it wasn't about that."
He tilted his head, getting your attention, again. You huffed, set your jaw, straightened your posture, and narrowed your eyes. Just then, Masamune saw the former fire in you flicker back to life... at least a little.
"I need this to save my family from a demon. He said if I came back without the Eye of Shogetsu, their lives were forfeit. This isn't just my mother I'm talking about, but my little brother and sister as well, merely children! My father died in the war, so there is no one else who can help me."
"No husband or children of your own?"
Your eyebrows furrowed. "No... Does it matter?"
He hummed in amusement, which in turn made you glare at him. Unfortunately for you, that only caused him chuckle, which seemed to make you nervous, again. "Perhaps, perhaps not," he decided to finally respond.
In truth, Masamune couldn't fathom your plight. Dragons were solitary creatures. They only really saw each other when they were looking for mates, which wasn't often and neither party tended to linger after they were done. He had vague memories of a father he was fond of, and a mother who tried to bite his head off (literally), but overall those were the closest he could think of when it came to "family".
Any dragon put in Masamune's position would, at best, relieve you of the treasure and send you on your way, and at worst, snap you in half before eating you whole (he couldn't just eat you while you held his prize). However, he always knew he was an odd dragon, and so he wasn't surprised as much as he probably should have been when he decided to do neither option.
"I suppose... I may be willing to part with the treasure... However, I'll need something to replace it."
You had no answer for him, though he knew you wouldn't. Someone in your position had nothing of value. Even so, you seemed determined to find something, so you emptied your pack with your meager possessions.
You looked up to him. "I heard that dragons are fond of shiny things, is that right?"
He hummed in amusement. "Gold and jewels and other typical 'shiny things' are generally our favorite treasures, but in truth our hordes can consist of anything. I once briefly met with a dragon who seemed to only care about collecting live rabbits. I'm still unsure what that blue serpent did with them. Usually he was much more fond of destroying everything in his path."
Masamune was not surprised that got him an odd look, and he just chuckled in response. Admittedly, Kenshin might have been a weirder dragon than himself.
"Anyway..." you said with a huff, "I don't imagine any of this would catch your eye, then?"
Not an unintelligent assumption, as glittering riches beyond anything you likely had ever seen were visible in every direction. It was something your meager pack of necessities and cheap bobbles were lacking.
He moved closer, though he tried to keep it slow so you didn't get too startled. As he approached, he saw plenty of what he expected, however, one thing stood out from the rest...
It was a little stuffed toy. Specifically, it was a white, stuffed bear with a pink little bow. Despite being decidedly not shiny, when he picked it up and carefully turned it over in his clawed hand, he could see the professional craftsmanship. No matter the "treasure", a dragon inherently knows its value, and while the materials were of poor quality, the work was not.
"I believe this will do as a replacement," he lied.
Although Masamune assumed you would leave after he gave you his blessing, you once again surprised him, by picking up your stuff at a normal pace before pausing a moment.
"The Eye of Shogetsu is supposed to be a jewel of incredible power. How does a teddy bear compare? I just made it to help calm my siblings when they get distressed."
When he realized you had actually been the one to sew it, his possessive instincts increased, and he knew he could never be parted with it.
"I told you, a dragon's treasure is relative. Besides, I have no need for power from a fancy rock..."
His face drew deliberately near to yours, but you delighted him yet again when you didn't budge. The only sign you were frightened was a slight trembling in your legs.
"Wouldn't you agree, little seamstress?"
You gave a nervous squeak, which in turn made him chuckle, again.
He was definitely not disappointed he didn't eat you. Even his loss was acceptable, though his dragon instincts didn't make any rational sense.
"Leave the bear, and you can take my jewel - not that you'll be able to pry it from me now, anyway. Still, if you'd prefer to add yourself to my collection-"
"Of course not!"
"As I guessed. Now go. It seemed like you were strapped for time."
Masamune could see the difference in you when reminded of your mission. Your face lost the previous traces of your smile (which he found a shame) and your eyes seemed to harden.
When you turned to leave, his cold heart twisted... Not because of you, of course, but just because he was losing his treasure...
"Little seamstress!"
You hesitantly gazed back, both impatient and confused.
"After you give Kennyo the Eye, go to Azuchi and tell Nobunaga what has happened. He may seem like a devil, but he'll definitely give you protection for the information you bring."
"I didn't tell you it was Kennyo who asked for it..."
"I have seen that shadow slinking around these lands, and I like to know my trespassers."
You bit your lip, possibly curious about how he found out, but even so, you instead gave a nod with a thank you and left.
Masamune pretended not to notice which "treasure" leaving caused his heart to ache.