Chapter Text
The son of a Duke walked away crestfallen, his shoulders slumped and his expression upset. His parents hurried forward to comfort him and some servants brought forward some treats. Several dragons watched as the large party of humans slowly made their way off the sunning rocks and back down the mountain.
But Nagito couldn’t care less about what the humans were doing or feeling.
Instead, he spread his wings out and flapped them a few times to stretch them out. He then launched himself into the sky and flew towards a cliff higher up the mountain. To his delight, it was empty. So he landed and settled onto the smooth rock.
Once comfortable, he took some time to look around the mountain range he and several other dragons called home. It was quiet, and it let him think over what had just occurred.
He knew that humans considered him a unique existence, with him being almost completely white and being more magically gifted. So it really shouldn’t have been such a surprise that so many would attempt to bond with him. But what Nagito didn’t understand is why the humans kept trying.
Multiple times a month, a new human would approach him, some bearing gifts, and doing their best to win his favor. But he sent them all away.
He wasn’t stupid. He knew that all of them wanted to bond with him due to his rarity. But he thought that him refusing every single one would deter others from trying. Nagito cursed under his breath at the human race’s tendency to be persistent.
He was determined to never bond. And he had his reasons for this.
Before he could lose himself in bad memories, the sound of wings flapping caught his attention. He focused more on his surroundings and saw a dark blue dragon flying towards his location. He recognized who it was and didn’t bother to move.
Soon enough, the blue dragon landed and walked up to sit next to him. “Another one today?” a female voice asked, the sound coming from the light blue crystal located on her chest near the base of her neck.
His own green crystal sounded a response. “Yes, I’m assuming that his parents thought he would have a shot due to him being younger. But I made it extremely clear that it wasn’t going to happen.”
They both looked down the mountain, where they could see the Duke’s traveling party leaving, several carriages pulling out and away from the mountain. If Nagito focused enough, he could see the tearful gaze of the son peeking out and up at him. He couldn’t help but sneer at the pathetic display.
“I don’t think I will ever understand why you like humans so much, Tsumugi. Or why you would want to tie yourself down to one,” he said offhandedly.
A bond with a human involved the dragon removing one of their scales, filling it with their own magic, and presenting it to their chosen. If accepted, the scale would embed itself in the human’s sternum and their lives would be intertwined. So much so that the bonded two would pass away at the same time.
He knew the reason for why many did. Dragons were creatures of magic, able to create and release magical energy as easy as they breathed. The magic they released helped to keep the land fertile and healthy. But when a dragon bonded with a human, their magical output doubled. So bonds were created to help their land.
However, Nagito still saw no reason why he needed to bond. He was born with triple the magic capacity as an unbonded dragon. So he could help contribute without a pesky human tying him down.
Tsumugi looked over at him with a sad expression. She was well aware of his distaste for humans and bonds, but didn’t know the reasons why. No one but him knew, and it was a secret he was determined to keep to himself.
Deciding that he was being slightly too negative, as he knew Tsumugi longed to be bonded one day, he changed the subject. “How has your newest project been going? Were you able to find the materials and help to make it?”
His friend immediately brightened when her projects were brought up. She was extremely passionate about her work. “Yes actually! There was some beautiful blue silk brought in and I have been working on a flowing dress with ripples. It will remind people and dragons of the ocean if it comes out right!”
Since she had been a young hatchling, Tsumugi had always admired the fashion trends of humans. So much so that she began trying her claw at it. She was able to sketch out her ideas and she got some people to help her make them. Her designs took off and were apparently popular in the human cities. Some of the proceeds from the sales came back to help support their Dragon Haven, which the proprietor greatly appreciated.
The blue dragon was about to make another comment, but her eyes looked upward and widened slightly. That was all the warning he got before he felt something land heavily on his back.
“Helllllooooo!” a high pitched cheerful voice said. Nagito turned his head to see a small purple dragon splayed out on his back with a smug grin.
“Kokichi! You can’t just do that! You could hurt Nagito’s back,” Tsumugi scolded.
Kokichi raised his head, so that his white crystal was visible. “What? Me? Landing hard on someone’s back? I would never do something like that. You have no proof it was me!” he exclaimed cheekily.
Both Nagito and Tsumugi let out sighs, knowing that they wouldn’t get much further with him. The blue dragon then asked, “Aren’t you supposed to be getting a bath around now? Did you sneak away?”
Kokichi’s snout scrunched up. “The caretakers were trying to wash me with some smelly soap and I didn’t like it. Besides, I wanted to see how badly Nagito made that uppity human’s child cry.”
The purple dragon then turned and bit down on a portion of Nagito’s mane, tugging at the white hair. “Speaking of caretakers and crying, didn’t your caretaker just quit because you tormented them so much?”
Nagito snorted, a bit of steam flowing out of his nostrils along with air. “Indeed they did. I don’t need a human to take care of me. I am more than capable of cleaning my cave and myself. And I can fly myself down to get food during mealtimes.”
Kokichi’s eyes then grew sharper, losing the hatchling-like sparkle. “You know that they won’t stop bothering you about it. They will keep on trying to find someone, regardless of how stubborn you have shown yourself to be.” He then let go of Nagito’s mane and smirked. “Who knows? They might even manage to get someone who is just as or more stubborn as you are.”
Nagito scoffed. “Highly doubtful. There are not many humans that would dare stand up against a dragon. I’d like to see them try.”
**********
Jin Kirigiri, the proprietor of the Mountain Dragon Haven, sat at his desk with his head in his hands. He needed to find a replacement caretaker to the white dragon. But he was becoming reluctant to try anymore. The last few had reported that their reason for leaving was constant harassment from the one they were assigned to care for. How was he going to find someone with a strong enough backbone to stand their ground against Nagito?
He was unsure as to what had happened to him to become so resentful of humans. He had been brought to this Haven as a young hatchling. But even back then, he displayed his displeasure towards the caretakers. Other dragons reported him to be a very friendly and welcoming presence to his own kind, even having the patience to put up with Kokichi’s antics.
Tapping at his window interrupted his thoughts. He rose out of his chair and opened it. He was greeted with the sight of his daughter Kyoko atop her dragon Makoto. The dragon was a medium sized light brown one with a golden communication crystal. They had bonded last year and were often with each other. Together, they helped out around the Haven, even sometimes going to deliver messages to places outside the mountains.
Jin smiled at the pair. “So how did it go?”
Makoto’s ears drooped and his head lowered slightly. “Not well, he made the kid cry.”
Jin’s smile only dropped slightly. He let out a sad laugh. “I can’t say I’m surprised. Hopefully the kid doesn’t take it too hard. We did try to warn them.”
He raised a hand to scratch his head. “If only we could find someone to match him in attitude. That might help somewhat.”
“Actually, that might be possible,” Kyoko spoke suddenly. She patted her bonded’s side. “While we were traveling to other Dragon Havens, we heard a lot about a particular caretaker that has traveled around to various places, taking on their most difficult dragons. By the end, they are all way more manageable and friendly. Perhaps he could help.”
Jin stood there shocked at the news. Their Haven was a bit more isolated so not much news reached these parts. Hence why he had not heard of this until now. He then rushed to his desk and began writing a letter. “Do you happen to know where this individual is?” he asked his daughter.
“I believe so. I heard he was at the Seaside Dragon Haven on our last trip. We could probably reach it in a day if we leave within an hour.” She seemed to have an idea as to what her father was getting at. She then looked at Makoto. “Are you up for a long flight?”
The brown dragon gently grabbed the letter from Jin’s hand and gave it to his human. “Absolutely! Let’s go get supplies.” And with that, the two flew over to the storehouse.
Jin watched as they disappeared from sight, before closing the window again. He sat back down and leaned back in his chair. He hoped to everything that this caretaker agreed to come. He wasn’t sure what he would do if he refused.
**********
After gathering the necessary supplies, Kyoko and Makoto took off towards their destination. Several hours were spent in the clouds but Kyoko didn’t mind. These long flights were relaxing. And she knew that Makoto could handle the flight, as he had incredible stamina.
Towards the end of the flight, Kyoko began to ponder about this caretaker they were attempting to find. What kind of person was he? What made him so good to be praised by so many? Would he really be able to handle Nagito if he agreed to come?
She ultimately decided to not worry about things at the moment, as she called out to Makoto to turn slightly.
They finally spotted the Seaside Dragon Haven around the evening, the beginning of a sunset coloring the sky orange. A beautiful view when framed against the ocean.
They must have been spotted, as when they got closer to the land, Kyoko could see a few people making their way over to them. One of them being the proprietor of this Haven. Good, they wouldn’t have to go searching for him.
Makoto landed and Kyoko climbed off. She patted the scaled neck behind her before turning towards the proprietor. “Welcome back, Miss Kirigiri and Makoto. This is quite the unexpected surprise visit.”
“Apologies for not sending notice. This trip was a bit spontaneous,” Kyoko responded, smoothing out her windswept clothes and hair.
“I see. Well in any case, allow us to give you two accommodations for the night. Makoto, you can follow these caretakers and they will set you up with some food, water and bedding. Miss Kirigiri, if you would, follow me, and I shall escort you to a room.”
Both nodded and went their separate ways for a bit. The proprietor brought Kyoko to a seaside cottage, where she placed her possessions and food was brought in by some staff. Throughout the meal, she explained why she was here and who she hoped to find.
“Ah, you must mean Hajime. I can confirm that he is as good as they say. He is able to earn the respect of every dragon, no matter how much of a spitfire they are. In addition, he is an incredibly fantastic caretaker,” the proprietor said.
Kyoko paused for a second to grab the letter from her father. “I was asked to deliver this to him. It’s a proposition to have him work with one of our dragons.”
“It’s that white dragon, isn’t it? I’ve heard stories about all the failed bondings and the people he has scared away. I can understand why you would want Hajime.” The man stood up from the table and started walking towards the cottage door. “I have no problems with him leaving if he agrees to go. He will be missed but I understand that his skills are needed elsewhere. Now, let’s see if we can find him.”
Kyoko also stood up and followed the man. “Much appreciated.”
The proprietor asked around, inquiring as to where Hajime was. They were directed towards the dragon pools, where some went to relax after a hot day.
The two walked towards their destination, several humans and dragons calling out greetings. As they turned the corner, the proprietor stopped for a second and then laughed. “Looks like Makoto found him first.”
The light brown dragon was halfway out of a pool, wings stretched out beside him. A human was massaging his wing joints and Makoto looked like he was in bliss.
As she walked closer, she studied the person. Tall, tan skin, brown hair with a cowlick, and fairly young looking. It was a bit surprising that he looked to be around her age, considering how much skill he apparently possessed. But his expression told her that he was confident in what he was doing, which helped to reassure that this was the one they had been looking for.
The proprietor called out to both of them and their heads turned in their direction. Makoto’s eyes brightened and Hajime’s remained neutral.
“Thanks for taking care of Makoto, Hajime. He just came all the way from the Mountain Dragon Haven,” the proprietor started off the conversation with.
The brunette nodded. “That’s what he told me. I figured his wings would be a little sore after flying so much so I brought him here.”
“Are you sure you aren’t using magic? Cause it feels so amazing.” Makoto’s speech was a little slurred, as Hajime continued kneading the area around his wing joint.
“Anyways, we are here to talk to you Hajime. Or, more specifically, Miss Kirigiri here is. She has an offer that you might be interested in.” The man gestures towards her, and she stepped forward. She saw her dragon’s eyes widen slightly as he realized that Hajime was the one the letter was for.
The person in question stopped the massage and looked at her curiously. Kyoko pulled out the letter and handed it to him. “This is a request from the Mountain Dragon Haven’s proprietor. Please look it over.”
He took the letter and wasted no time in opening it. For the next few minutes, there was silence as he read over the letter. He threw up an eyebrow at one point and asked, “Are you sure that the proprietor didn’t miswrite the wages? This number seems way too high.”
Kyoko gave him a smile. “I can assure you that whatever my father wrote, it was not a mistake. After all, this is quite a challenge we are asking of you. Do you have any other concerns or questions?”
Hajime did a quick skim of the letter again, and then folded it back up. He placed it in his back pocket and met her eyes. “I don’t believe so. This does sound interesting. Sure, I’ll come and I’ll see what I can do.”
Kyoko couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. “You have our gratitude. How soon will you be willing to come?”
Hajime shrugged. “I can come whenever. I don’t have many possessions so I could essentially leave at any time.”
The purple haired woman nodded. “Perfect. Then would you like to travel with me and Makoto tomorrow?”
Hajime turned to look at the dragon. “Would you be fine with me riding on you?”
Makoto perked up. “Yes, that’s absolutely fine! I might have to take a break at some point cause I’m not used to carrying two humans.”
“Just let me know when you want to take it and we will rest,” Kyoko assured her bonded before sticking her hand out towards Hajime. “Thank you for accepting.”
Hajime grabbed her hand and they shook. “Thank you for having me. I look forward to working with you.”
