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Long ago, in a distant time and faraway place, a boy stood at the entrance to a cave. Clad in a light brown robe, he carried a traveling bag at his side, and firelight from the burning torch he held drew out a reddish hue to his dark brown hair. From his neck dangled a simple pendant bearing the emblem of a vast, branching tree.
Just as he had done many times before, the boy now held out his torch, trying to peer into the murky darkness.
The subject of his attention was none other than a dragon, coiled at the back of the den they had dug out for themself. Bright red, slitted eyes met light blue, as they returned the boy’s gaze with utmost disdain. The dancing torchlight bounced off an array of iridescent scales, causing them to glitter all hues of deep purple.
The dragon flicked their spiny tail in annoyance. Until now, they had simply chased this human pest away, but he would always return without fail. By this point, they were sick of seeing him— which was why they now decided to utilize a different approach rather than letting out a threatening shriek as they had before. Perhaps the human would finally, finally let them be.
<Who are you, and what do you want? I am getting tired of having to deal with your persistence.>
Already aware they were not able to replicate the vocalizations of humans, they sent their words directly to the boy’s thoughts instead.
“Ah, so you can speak! Though not quite in the manner I was expecting.” His face seemed to light up with an expression the dragon could not comprehend.
“My name is Galle. I am but a humble traveller who comes seeking answers.” The boy swept out an arm in a grand gesture.
“Would you happen to have one as well, great…” He paused, and after a moment of pondering, continued his question. “...whatever you are? I am admittedly not certain what you would call yourself.”
<Are you some sort of fool? I am a dragon. Earth dragon.>
The two red-hued crests that framed the dragon’s face fanned out, briefly swelling in pride, before they regained what Galle was coming to learn was their usual demeanor.
“I see! How intriguing.” He wedged his torch in a rocky crevice, then pulled a leather-bound journal from his bag and quickly jotted something down as the dragon’s intense gaze remained fixed on him. “And what of your name, great earth dragon? Surely you do not want me to call you that forever.”
<My name is of no importance to you, human!>
They snapped, their maw curling upwards into an annoyed snarl. Allowing him to approach had been a mistake after all, as he clearly did not know his place. A low growl pulsed from their throat, and they took a step forward to chase him off like they had done so many times before.
Except, to their mild disbelief, Galle now refused to budge, only peering up at them. He stood with his arms neatly folded, almost as if he were waiting for something.
That irritated them. It only irritated them more when he responded, voice just as level as it had been before.
“Alright, alright, sorry. Well, like you said, that’s not important, I guess.” He held out his hands and shrugged nonchalantly.
<Are you not afraid, human? Surely you must know of the threats we pose to your kind.>
They craned their slender neck so that they were glaring down from high above, flaring out their crests to add to the gesture.
<I could end you with one swipe of a claw, one snap of my jaws. Even a careless misstep on my part could crush your body as if it were nothing.>
“...See, here’s the thing. I do know, and I was afraid of you, the very first time I tried to speak to you. I can’t say that I am anymore.”
True to his words, Galle appeared entirely indifferent to the spectacle.
<And what makes you not afraid of me now?>
The words practically roared in his mind, and the dragon suddenly thrust themself downward with a snarl, their malevolence regained.
Galle found himself face to face with two enormous crimson eyes, blazing with fury. He felt the dragon’s hot breath brush his face, and a low growl emanated from their throat as they bared rows of jagged fangs, clearly trying to change the fact they were no longer perceived as a threat.
And yet he did not so much as flinch, continuing to calmly speak.
“If you were going to kill me, you already would have. I mean, come on, I’ve been bothering you for the past who-knows-how-long.”
<How dare you try and tell me what I would and would not do? You will pay for that, insolent human!>
An audible screech accompanied the thoughts, causing a deafening echo to tear through the cave, and the dragon reared backwards in preparation to strike.
“Go on then. Kill me.” Galle closed his eyes and spread his arms, holding his breath in anticipation of the attack.
The attack that never came.
Opening one eye, he peered up at the dark figure in front of him, who had raised a massive claw and yet, against all odds, seemed to be hesitating.
He exhaled, and couldn’t keep himself from smiling. Yes, maybe provoking them had not been the best idea, but… his plan seemed to have worked.
“You’re intrigued by how I boldly approached you, aren’t you? Not so common for humans, I’d say! Anyways, like I said, I figured that if you were actually going to kill me, you would have done so the first time we met.”
The dragon was speechless, for once, and slowly lowered their claw while giving Galle nothing short of a bewildered look. It was a moment before they finally spoke again.
<...What in the world is wrong with you?>
“Nothing, I hope! I just know how to get what I want, really,” Galle responded with a soft laugh. “Now that that’s over, will you finally speak with me?”
<...Fine. I will humor you. What is it that you want to know?>
They narrowed their eyes and paused for a moment before asking another question.
<And why are you so determined to ask me that you would risk your own life?>
“That’s something of a long story. I’ll give you the short version–what more is my life when I have already risked everything to be here?”
There was a sparkle in his eyes, one that the dragon could not help but be fascinated by. Noticing them relax, Galle smiled and continued on.
“As for why I’m asking you, well. You just happen to be the first—and only— dragon that I have ever seen. Nothing more than that.”
<Wait… where did you even come from for you to have never seen a dragon until now? You act as if we are myths.>
“Oh, did I forget to mention that part?” He laughed once again, and the dragon shot him a brief glare, yet allowed him to speak.
“Far away. Very far away. An entirely different land, in fact, one so far that I arrived here by sea. Back there, creatures such as yourself are nothing more than a myth, and not one that many believe in. But I did. And that’s why I’m here.”
<Let me get this straight. You embarked on a perilous journey and crossed the sea in pursuit of a legend you could not even be sure was true?>
“Yep, that’s about right.”
<...Why?>
For a moment, the harsh, distrusting tone that had been characteristic of the dragon’s voice until now slipped and was replaced with a twinge of open curiosity. Noting this, Galle could hardly hold back his excitement as he launched into an explanation.
“As you know now, my home lies in a faraway land. Well, I suppose ‘home’ is subjective… I have been a traveller for many years now. I have no definitive home. But I have met countless people, and heard countless stories. And I know better than most that there are oftentimes truths behind legends.”
“You see, the state of my homeland is… abysmal, to say the least. It is fractured, torn by war and struggles for power, leaving many to suffer in the wake of violence. I was lucky to have been taken in by practitioners of the old faith, those devoted to using their knowledge to help, to heal. But when years of our efforts have done little to solve the greater problem at hand… What else is there to believe in?”
“Believe me, I knew it was far-fetched. That I may be risking everything to find out that the legends of great and powerful beasts in the unknown land across the sea were indeed nothing but the stories of sailors. But I had a feeling, a feeling that there was truth to this, despite what I was told. I knew that the only way to bring change, true change, could be found within the legend of this mysterious power. And that is what brought me here. To you.”
The dragon was uncharacteristically silent, and a moment passed before Galle heard their thoughts once more.
<Well, I am real. We are real. There is your answer. Is there anything else you are dying to know?>
Not wanting him to take that as an invitation, they hastily added to their thought.
<Or will you finally get lost?>
“Actually,” he spoke slowly now, and the expression on his face had hardened with serious intent.
“There is. You see, one telling of the legends I heard was… different from the rest. It was what ultimately inspired me to make the journey here, what proved to me that there may be a stroke of reality within the old tales.”
<And what would that be? Spit it out already.>
Galle took a deep breath.
“I heard that a great beast—dragon—such as yourself is capable of bestowing your limitless power upon a human, granting the ability to perform impossible feats.”
The dragon was silent again, and try as he might, Galle could not guess what was going through their mind.
After what felt like ages, the cave was suddenly filled with a peculiar, harsh sound, which quickly grew into something that sounded almost like laughter.
<Nonsense, utter nonsense! What makes you think that I would ever share my power with a human? And even if I would, this is unheard of! There is absolutely no way you could handle such an absurd undertaking without meeting your doom!>
“I ask you this, great earth dragon– have you ever tried?”
The abrupt question caught them off guard, and their laughter swiftly ceased. Galle took a step forward.
“I understand you are not fond of humans. Truly, you have made that exceedingly clear. And I do not even begin to understand what power you may hold.”
The dragon’s crests swelled as if to say ‘that is right’.
“But I believe there will never be any harm in discovery. Maybe it is absurd! However, if this idea were to work... I implore you to think of what it could do. For you, for me, and for the world.”
He fell to his knees, bowing his head to the dragon. A hand drifted to the pendant around his neck, and he clutched it as he spoke.
“Great earth dragon, I humbly request you allow me to return to my homeland with a portion of your power. If you are connected to the earth we cherish...it could very well bring untold peace and prosperity beyond both our expectations.”
He remained still, patiently waiting for a response, threat to his life, or both.
Unbeknownst to Galle, the dragon’s mind was buzzing with thoughts, and they indeed seethed over the human’s audacity in making such an outlandish request. But the more they pondered it, the closer they came to the realization that, if this worked, it may end up solving not just one, but all of their problems.
Think of what it could do, alright.
Bestowing a part of themself upon a human could very well prolong their own life. They were not exempt from the threat of madness that currently faced dragonkind, after all. And they would certainly not consider their magic the type to bring prosperity, of all things. This unsuspecting human could easily deliver nothing but ruin to his homeland, and, even better, the humans there would be wholly unprepared to face it. That would certainly be quite amusing.
Of course, they did not plan on letting Galle know this. Rearing their neck upwards, they huffed, beckoning the boy to raise his head.
<You make a strong case for yourself. I will grant your request to share in my power.>
“Really?! I mean,” he caught himself and steadied his voice, “I am deeply honored that you would accept my request. Thank you, great earth dragon.”
The dragon snorted in disgust, outright ignoring his gratitude.
<Let us get on with it, then. How did that legend of yours claim this was possible?>
“...About that. It never really said how, just that it was.”
<Oh, you have got to be kidding me.>
The dragon’s exasperated statement was accompanied by an array of archaic grumbles as they spoke a string of draconic curses out loud. Luckily, the meanings were entirely lost on their human companion, who only raised an eyebrow in response.
<You mean to tell me that you would go so far as to approach me, ask me to grant a ridiculous request, and then not have any idea how to proceed from there? Your complete lack of foresight astounds me.>
“Hey, I like to plan as I go, okay? Plus, you’re the great and mighty dragon here. You know your own power better than I ever would.”
The dragon paused, now taking a moment to ponder it themself. Soon after, they spoke up with a solution.
<I suppose I have one idea as to how this might work. My… mentor once told me that the lifeblood of dragons holds our vitality, our essence. If you were to consume mine, it may provide the outcome you seek.>
“Consume… your blood?” Galle looked bewildered. “I can’t imagine that being pleasant.”
<Clearly, you do not have any better ideas,> they snapped in return.
Galle sighed, somewhat dejectedly.
“I guess not. Well, if that’s the only way this will work–“
<Might. It might work.>
He paused at the sudden interruption, looking upwards.
<You do know that I am not entirely aware of what this may do to you,> The dragon lowered their head to meet Galle’s gaze, and he found himself peering once again into a crimson, slitted eye nearly bigger than he was tall. <...correct?>
“If I cared, I wouldn’t still be here,” Galle responded, returning their gaze with an unwavering stare. “I guess we’ll just have to learn, won’t we?”
<Then learn we shall.>
They drew away and, in one swift slash of a claw, reopened a healing wound on their forelimb. Deep red blood oozed from the gash, and they leaned down to position themself in front of Galle, holding out the limb and wordlessly beckoning him to approach as the blood began to run down towards the cave floor.
Galle took a step forwards, slowly at first, but began to move quicker when the dragon shot him an impatient glare. After a small amount of blood had dripped into a cupped hand, he drew it back towards himself and paused.
“Say, before we do this, would you reconsider telling me your name? I feel like that’s something I should know before I. Uh.” He used his free hand to gesture at the blood that dripped down from the dragon’s claw. “Consume your lifeblood and all.”
The dragon hesitated, and silence flooded the cave. Just when Galle figured he had asked too much— a humorous thought given what was about to occur— their voice rang out in his mind once more.
<...Loptyr. It is Loptyr. Once, I may have had titles to add, but that does not matter now.>
“Well then, Loptyr who-has-no-titles. It’s a pleasure to meet you! And also drink your blood. And maybe die from it.”
Loptyr ignored his friendly gesture with a slight huff, mustering as much of a disgusted expression as a dragon could. Nonetheless, the malice had all but left their voice when they began to speak again.
<You will not die. If there is anything I am certain of, it is that.>
They lowered their neck to Galle’s eye level.
<Make no mistake. I do not like humans. I do not like you. But I cannot deny that you have proven yourself to have an exceptionally strong will. I have no doubt you will survive.>
“If that is what you believe, then I will trust in it.” He looked at them and smiled, a genuine smile, which was met with nothing short of a harsh, questioning stare from Loptyr.
With a brisk nod and a final glance at the dragon, Galle raised his cupped hand to his face and drank.