Chapter Text
The sky, rich with colors indescribable, stretched across the not-so-barren landscape. Velvet, gold, and red decorated the sky as the sun was hanging low across the vibrant horizon. The sun's rays trickled down upon the land of enchanting green, where small critters scurried here and there ceaselessly among the thickets.
Various buildings towered above the residents of the small village protected by a military base. The base was full of activity, where warriors were out in the courtyard training among themselves and sparring endlessly. Some wore armor, either lightweight or heavyweight depending on the kind of work they performed, and others weren't necessarily on the field and didn't need such protection.
Levac was a distance away from the others in the courtyard, the different flurries of fur not his thing. He preferred to be alone, rigid and cold to those he didn't know, and there were certainly a lot of people he knew not of. He knew of faces and not names, different magical traits each of his comrades possessed, but he didn't care enough to get to know any of them. They laughed boisterously to one another, a sound Levac heard but never made. Laughter was foreign to him and besides, he had no one else to share it with.
He was a dragon, a feared beast among anyone who dared to gawk as his cold appearance. He possessed no scales but he didn't need that protection. His fur of black and gray were enough of a warning to the others to back off from him, for he was not someone to be messed with. Small horns jutted out from his head along the top of his skull and the sides of it. They shone like dark sapphires, enchanting and dangerous, untouched by those who want his head. He held the reputation of a fearsome warrior, silent and deadly, with the grace of a dark panther stalking amongst crowds foreign to him. He didn't care for small talk. In fact, he was almost certain nobody knew he could actually talk. He preferred it that way.
If someone came to him and told him he should make a friend, he'd brush them off in an instant. That had happened multiple times. General Irri was one of those people. She was one of the few who knew of his origins and he trusted her with his life. Not many had that privilege. And even so, the General always tried to beckon him to befriend at least one of his fellow comrades and allies. He never did, of course, and he could tell the General was always mildly disappointed in his decision each time.
Irri was a kind soul, Levac knew. She was gentle and patient, with a charming smile that was unrivaled among the squadron. With her smile alone, she could brighten a room shrouded in unforgiving darkness that Levac knew all-too well. She was the first person Levac had gotten to know. The General was so kind to him, patient in the fact he never talked and preferred to speak with gestures or write down what he wanted to say. She never forced him to hurry or grew impatient, and around her Levac felt safe in such a foreign place. He had been here for years now, gotten himself a reputation of one of the most feared warriors within the base, and he could tell Irri was proud of him. He liked the praise that she gave him.
Levac lingered near the fenced boundaries of the courtyard, his lengthy tail decorated in blue feathers swaying languidly behind him. His clawed feet, silent against the earthy ground, allowed him to glide along the outer interior of the training field. With each step, muscles rippled beneath his fur of black and gray, each stride as powerful and lengthy as the last. His clothing was simple and not at all extravagant, for he wished to not draw attention to himself no matter where he was. A simple black shirt sufficed, trimmed with gold just for the factor that it was appealing to him. He may not like to be noticed but he always wanted to look nice. His tuft of brown fur was strewn neatly over his head, the strands falling just between his larger blue horns, only to spiral down the middle of his back. The rest of the strands were hidden due to his shirt and breeches, although the brown fur aligned the medial center of his tail down to the tip of the appendage, in between the cerulean feathers that aligned the outer sides.
He never needed to train necessarily, for his body was built like a true warrior. He enjoyed training sessions regardless, where he could hone his natural skills with his claws and blades. He had just finished his session and was now idly stalking around the courtyard, watching sparring partners train with each other. Again, he didn't care for that kind of interaction, even if it was a professional one. He typically towered over all of them anyway and he has yet to see another dragon like himself other than General Irri. Maybe that was why he clicked with her instantly.
Something quick and barely seen caught his attention, snapping him out of his thought process and idle strides. He pivoted on his claws, his fur abruptly swaying from the quick movement of a warrior so used to acting quickly on his feet. A flash of pink quickly caught his attention, but as quickly as it appeared, it disappeared behind a wall. He was left standing there, stunned in familiar silence, unsure if he had imagined the entire thing or someone- something - was out there. His tail swayed uneasily behind him and he was so focused on staring at that wall, waiting for whatever he saw to return, he didn't notice when one of his comrades walked to his side.
"Levac? Is something wrong?" The voice asked, quickly snapping Levac out of his thought process again. That seemed to be happening quite a lot during the recent days.
Levac slowly lowered his gaze towards the owner of the voice. His eyes of unforgiving brown burrowed into the smaller being beside him and he roved his intense gaze over him. The owner of the voice was puny and scrawny, his fur of a foreign ivory color decorated in ebony-white. He had large fennec fox ears, clearly meant for surveying the land and listening in on conversations. Levac wasn't surprised that this tiny creature had noticed what just happened. Regardless, Levac said not a word, staring holes through the bipedal fennec fox with his relentless glare.
Levac felt mildly amused when the fennec fox was clearly uneasy from the awkward, albeit intense, silence. The dragon didn't bother trying to sign to the creature, no longer caring to try and communicate with anyone or anything. Not everyone knew sign language but at that thought, he remembered Irri. Irri was one of the few who bothered to learn the language.
"Uh... I'm going to assume you're alright, then." The fennec fox murmured uneasily. Levac watched him shift back and forth on his fluffy paws meant for long-distance travel, and the way the smaller creature's tail was puffed out made Levac satisfied.
That's right. Fear me.
Levac's stare was unblinking like two merciless daggers that were ready to strike his unfortunate prey. He was a predator and the way his body was built clearly showed that. His teeth laid over his bottom lip in an overbite, colored in crimson-red. Nobody knew if it was blood or just the color of his fangs, and the question was common among the squadron. He found it amusing how everyone feared him. They should fear him. His strength was unrivaled.
During the silence, Levac watched the fennec fox slowly shimmy away, the awkwardness and tension in the air too much for the soft creature. Once the scrawny creature left him, Levac returned his gaze towards the location of where he saw the flurry of pink. He folded his arms thoughtfully over his muscular chest, each individual tendon and muscle rippling beneath his fur with every movement. He didn't imagine that blur. He was too sharp for mind-games.
Reluctantly, Levac turned away from the barbed fence and strode towards the courtyard exit. His brown eyes flickered towards anyone who dared to watch him move away from them, and the way they scurried out of the way was satisfying. He loved being feared. He didn't need friends. Friends made him weak. He was anything but weak.
Levac stalked along the pavement that led into the military base, many hallways stretching across his vision, aligned with doors that led to many rooms. He liked these hallways whenever nobody was in them. Not just because he wanted to be left alone, but the fact it was so enchantingly quiet made him feel at home. No boisterous laughter had him reeling and reaching for a blade and there were no unknown faces observing him for any kind of sign that he was friendly. He hated loud sounds. They always made him tense and reaching for one of his blades decorated in cold and collected darkness that materialized into the blade itself. Loud sounds triggered his instincts; something as simple as glass shattering was enough to have him on high alert. He hated that.
Levac huffed to himself, the gesture breathy and quiet. He had his gaze fixated ahead of him and he walked along the many empty hallways, twisting and turning around corners. He eventually halted before a simple-looking door, nothing too extravagant but no other doors were in this short hallway. He took in a deep breath and lifted his clawed fist, lightly knocking on the door. He waited patiently.
Levac perked towards the sweet voice that came from inside of the room, beckoning him to come in. "It's open!" The voice said. It was full of joy and enthusiasm, sweet like rose petals and not at all sharp like the thorns on said rose. Levac's tough persona faltered at the gentle voice; a voice he grew to adore every time he heard it.
After a small moment of hesitation, he opened the door to be greeted by a neatly-kept room. There were potted plants here and there, aligning the windowsill and larger ferns resided on either side of the room's entrance. Ahead of Levac, a large desk was situated at the center of the room, a red rug strewn over the floor beneath it. Papers were neatly piled beside the person sitting at the desk, the busywork most likely important missives.
Levac closed the door behind him, allowing his gaze to befall upon the woman ahead of him. She was a dragon like him, with light orange fur that complemented the warm, albeit narrow, face of General Irri. She had one leg crossed over the other patiently, her painted claw lightly tapping the desk just because she liked the soft sound. Levac knew it was one of her self-stimulatory behaviors because she preferred noise, unlike him. He couldn't help but be pleasantly surprised by how excited she seemed when he walked in through the door. He quickly took notice of her faintly wagging tail, decorated faintly in much smaller feathers compared to Levac's more mighty appendage.
General Irri smiled, the gesture sweet and kind, something Levac refused to admit that he wanted in his life. The warmth was always welcoming every time he was greeted by her, especially her toothy smile. She was well-kempt like him, with fur neatly brushed and simple articles of clothing that quickly portrayed how different their personalities were despite the similarity in race. Levac wore all dark colors and barely any brighter colors, while General Irri wore more perky and colorful articles of clothing. As of right now, she was wearing a charming crimson-red shirt trimmed in jade-green, again complementing her bright and perky personality.
"Hello, Levac!" The General purred, continuing to lightly tap the edge of her desk. Levac didn't mind the small noise as much since it was Irri. It wasn't loud, anyway.
Levac said not a word, instead faintly nodding to her in greeting. He pulled over a chair from the bookshelf off to the side when Irri beckoned for him to sit with her.
"Was there something you wanted to talk about?" Irri asked, always getting straight to the point. She couldn't read Levac's unwelcoming expression but she knew he meant well. She was clearly concerned for his well-being. Levac never understood why.
Levac slowly lifted his claws, gesturing fluidly with grace many knew not of, clearly experienced in the art of sign. "Saw something. Intruder." He signed, the gesture simple and straight to the point. He watched how attentive and alert the General was, and how her eyes of gold followed every movement of his hands.
"Intruder?" Irri questioned audibly, her expression thoughtful. "That's.. troublesome. What did the intruder look like?"
Levac hesitated. He hadn't been able to catch a good glimpse of whatever it was that he saw. He was grateful Irri took his words seriously regardless.
After a moment of hesitation, he signed again, the same familiar grace of his hands calming his nerves. "Saw pink. Blur. Disappeared before I could get good look."
Irri, once again, paid incredible attention to the words Levac signed. Her thoughtful expression grew and she shifted slightly in her seat, clearly anxious and antsy over the fact there could be an intruder in her base. From the look on her face, Levac could quickly tell what she was thinking.
Were they a spy?
General Irri faintly flapped her hand beside her, again another self-stimulatory behavior that Levac didn't mind. He knew not of what went on in Irri's mind but it was so different from his own. She always had to be touching something, making some kind of noise, or anything in between. She would tap her claw along the edge of any desk or table just to hear the soft click that resulted from the gesture, or she would hum to herself to make some kind of noise to help her focus on any task she was performing. Levac quietly admitted that her singing and humming voice was a surprisingly pleasant and nice sound. Beautiful, even.
After the brief moment of silence, save for Irri's quiet tapping, the General spoke up. "You said a pink blur?" When Levac nodded, she continued. "I'll have to check it out. Would you like to accompany me? You're the witness, after all."
Levac immediately nodded, his unblinking stare fixating upon Irri. His glare faltered slightly towards how she smiled sweetly at him, and at that moment, his eyes softened towards the one person he enjoyed the company of. When he realized he faltered, his glare immediately hardened and his pupils faintly sharpened. He mustn't show weakness. That was something he could never show.
"Then it's settled. You and I will check it out." The General nodded, slowly rising to her claws. Her steps were silent like a true predator, although she was not at all intimidating to Levac. When he complied and rose to his towering height, he easily dwarfed her from their height difference. She wasn't intimidated by him, probably the only one who wasn't, and he still didn't understand why.
Levac followed Irri out of the tidy room and closed the door behind them upon leaving it. He observed her movements closely as they walked down the hallway and turned behind a corner. The way she hopped forward was always animated, all bubbly and excited made Levac intrigued with how different she was. The way she moved was enchanting and graceful, even when she flapped her hand at her side during her strides. In all honesty, Levac found it kind of cute whenever she stimmed. It was amusing that this woman was a General. She was not scary whatsoever.
The two draconic beings made their way to the exit, Levac familiarly tensed and stiff in his walk. He remained abreast of the short Commander, although he held the door open for her. Seeing her smile in gratefulness towards his simple gesture was all the thanks he needed, then he followed her out of the exit.
He was greeted by the cold, misty air of late evening once again. The sun was barely visible past the hills that bordered the base and the air was chilly, but for Levac and Irri, it was nothing. He led Irri past the fenced courtyard that was now empty, equipment scattered here and there after use. The two dragons made their way around the corner that Levac had seen the pink blur disappear behind, although there was nothing there. Just vegetation.
"Are you sure the intruder was here?" Irri asked, albeit she knew Levac wouldn't lie to her. He was not that kind of person.
Levac slowly glanced around the landscape decorated in bushes and earthy vegetation, the ground rich and moist from the previous night's drizzle. Levac slowly lowered himself to one knee against the dirt, his claw faintly brushing along the overturned soil that had been recently disturbed. He didn't even need to sign anything to Irri for her to understand. He only had to glance up at her with his familiar otherworldly stare and she nodded in understanding.
The soil had been disturbed by something recently.
Levac sniffed at the air, his nostrils flaring substantially as he stalked forward. A scent wafted in the wind, quickly catching Levac's attention once the scent reached his nostrils. It smelled like... grapes? What a peculiar smell.
General Irri followed Levac as the much taller and masculine beast stalked forward, following the scent. They kept going around the building, a storage unit that was very clearly locked, although Levac abruptly perked in realization. He rose to his towering height, his posture straightening immensely as he realized that the scent was leading them no where. It kept going around and around the storage unit as if it was following them instead of vice versa. Levac growled uneasily to himself, a simple sound that was full of irritation that it made even General Irri concerned.
Levac glanced back the way they had come, unbothered by Irri's concerned and confused expression she offered him. His fur bristled and his tail lashed uneasily behind him, easily slapping against the moist ground. He peered up at the roof of the storage unit, made of some kind of metallic substance that Levac didn't care to find out about. With another lash of his tail, he leapt onto the roof of the storage unit, his claws easily meeting the metal when he hoisted himself onto the smooth surface. He enjoyed the wind against his face when he leveled himself out onto all fours along the roof, his predatory stare sharpening towards the canine figure standing in front of him.
He knew it.
The bipedal lupine creature was stunned to silence, his eyes of light pink widening towards Levac when the dragon straightened his posture. The furry creature was scrawny and tiny compared to the mighty Levac but despite that, Levac was on his guard with a shadowy blade at hand. The lupine creature was shaking and even Levac didn't know if it was out of fear or excitement, but all Levac cared about was the color of the creature.
There was.. so much pink. He wasn't sure if it was too much pink. He was split unevenly between light and dark and a lengthy tail, somewhat curled at the tip, was wagging behind him. Light reflected magnificently from the lupine beast's crystalline tail and Levac had never seen anything like it. He would be lying if he said he wasn't somewhat entranced by the crystals that made up the newcomer's tail. He snapped out of it quickly, instead staring at the awestruck newcomer. He faintly perked when he realized Irri had joined his side when she had realized Levac had found something. Particularly, he found someone. Someone unknown. Yet another unfamiliar face to add to the list.
The scrawny creature kept wagging his tail in complete disbelief towards his hero standing in front of him. His eyes were bright and he wore simple clothing and breeches, nothing too spectacular or impressive to Levac.
"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" The small, pink canine exclaimed wildly, stammering over his words when he tried to organize the jumble of sentences cluttering his brain. "I'm- uh, hello! I'm uh- my name... Bailey! And you're Levac! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" The canine, presumably Bailey, stammered ceaselessly.
This lupine beast was pathetic. The way he swayed to each side indicated how close he was to passing out, either from shock, horror, excitement or even a mixture of all three, and his eyes were open so incredibly wide that Levac thought they were going to pop out of his sockets any moment. This small, furry pink blob already knew who Levac was and that deeply concerned him. But, just like always, he said not a word and just watched Bailey fumble over his sentences to try and get his point across.
"You're... Bailey?" General Irri repeated, her gentle expression contorted with clear interest and amazement instead of anger. She was impressed beyond comprehension, that this lupine creature with such bright colors had managed to sneak onto military grounds undetected. She knew she'll probably have to do something about that.
"Uh.. yeah! Name- Bailey. That's me! I'm Levac's biggest fan! He's so cool and remarkable and impressive and strong... He's soooo cool!" Bailey exclaimed, his crystalline tail of remarkable diverse pink-red colorations wagged excitedly behind him. He was enthusiastic but also somewhat frightened from the fact Levac was staring him down, unblinking, refusing to make any hints of any sound.
"Did you... sneak onto these grounds on your own?" Irri slowly questioned, watching as Levac began to stalk closer towards the newcomer. His predatory eyes hardly blinked, fixating themselves upon Bailey with the intensity of two sharp blades preparing to strike. His pupils were mere slits and the fur along his tail was puffed out in the slightest during his moment of unease and uncertainty.
Oh! Uh.. yeah." Bailey stammered faintly, averting his pink eyes towards Levac. He trembled with both horror and excitement the closer Levac stalked. "I- well, I... I just wanted to- Levac, he's cool. I wanted to- uh.. see him. Closer up." He stared at the menacing dragon who was now directly in front of him, his looming figure casting a dark shadow over Bailey's differently-colored pink fur. His ears subtly flattened towards the beast who he deemed as his hero.
The poor canine looked ready to pass out, even more than a few moments ago.
Irri went deathly silent, watching the intense scene unfold as Levac leaned closer to the newcomer. He was so close to Bailey that his smoky-warm breath wafted against the canine's pointed face, ruffling his pink and magenta fur. He had sheathed his blade at his side, the familiar coolness of the shadows proceeding to bounce along the icy-cold blade. He could feel the coldness of the dark matter along his large, furry claw, the feeling of soothing chaos emanated from the dagger. It was comforting in a way when he remembered how the shadows were always materializing to help him with whatever it was that he needed, and the languidly festering darkness was not at all chaotic. It was calm, collected, and was icy-cold to the touch even though the blade itself, made from an unidentifiable metal, was the only thing anyone else could physically touch.
Levac was the only one that could truly touch and control the festering blackness that was the shadows.
Levac didn't have time to fully comprehend what happened next, because in an instant, he swiped his claw forward. He snatched onto the arm of Bailey when the canine very clearly had passed out from Levac being so close to his face, and it took a moment for Levac to really understand what just happened. His feathery tail swayed uneasily behind him as he instinctively pulled the brightly-colored canine against his muscular body, his dark colors and muscular visage the complete mirror opposite of Bailey. He peered over the edge of the roof and, for a few moments, he had forgotten that they were on top of the storage unit and against the rickety shingles.
Levac stared down at the unconscious trespasser he had saved from a possible concussion. His eyes fixated upon General Irri when she quickly made her way over to them, her steps silent against the roof tiles beneath her. She knelt down beside them and placed a hand over Bailey's forehead, her claw surprisingly gentle against the pink fur of his. She quietly minded Bailey's crystalline tail and the soft reflection of sunlight that trickled upon it. Instead, she just avoided the tail altogether as though she was afraid the pretty material could accidentally cut her.
"Yeah. He's... out cold. What did you do?" The General questioned, lifting her gaze to focus on Levac's confused expression.
His expression clearly said enough for Irri for her to know he didn't know what happened. He didn't know what to do and the fact he was holding this small, seemingly helpless canine was utterly foreign to him. His hardened gaze faltered from his silent internal turmoil of not knowing what to do. He always had some kind of foresight, knowing what he wanted to do next three steps ahead. He had reacted on impulse when he caught Bailey from falling off the roof as one of many examples, a strange sense of familiarity clinging to Levac's helpless gaze.