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“Two weeks?”
The owl shrugs.
“Maybe three.” she mumbles.
She’s unpacking a few things. Unrolling a sleeping mat, some rations stacked against the mine wall, a few thin long flasks with undisclosed liquids, with a wide variety of colors in them, resting next to her soon empty rucksack.
“Never you cease to amuse me, little one.” Kronii is laying atop her hoard, a few coins roll over when she lowers herself to watch the owl carefully.
“Mumei.” the human quickly corrects.
Mask temporarily off and carefully laid atop her makeshift nightstand, a chest she emptied when entering the time dragon’s lair, much to the later one’s disdain.
“Why two weeks?” the dragon’s curiosity kept her glowing gaze glued on the tiny creature invading her personal living space, narrowing her eyes to over analyze every small movement.
“Mumei!” the human turns her way, arms crossed, pouting at the large dragon.
“Mumei,” the beast rolls her eyes, mocking tone when speaking her name, “why two week?” she asks again, a faint growl growing in her chest.
“You want me to leave?” Mumei teases.
Now it’s a full fledged growl, one that makes even the coins shake in fear.
Yet, Kronii does not succeed in scaring Mumei, only earning a scorn as response.
“It matters not to me,” scaly tail slightly flinging back and forth, soon making a mess of the rest of the cave, treasure rolling down and spreading all over the cavern floor “do as you please!” the large dragon rolls over, sending coins and jewels flying further away from the hoard.
Mumei catches with grace one of the shiny treasure bits that was about to hit her. Beams at Kronii’s back like she won an unspoken game.
Kronii sighs exceedingly loud.
Glowing crystals cover the span of the cavern. It was located at near the end of a mining tunnel, to the misfortune of its owner. In it lay not only an impressive quantity of gold and precious stones scattered about in a large pile, but also its owner. A formidable dragon, last of its kind, dormant when they encountered her but now active. Currently hosting, against her will, her self proclaimed savior, something she wouldn't admit to so lightly. But alas the situation they found her in had her weakened enough to require the help of a human. How could she, then, deny the whimsical wish from said human savior to, in her eyes, spontaneously, crash at her place?
‘Whatever,’ Kronii thinks, watching the small human sleep peacefully, ‘whatever! She can stay for her two weeks or three.’ Low rumble on her chest threatening to wake up her guest.
The following days are filled with the smell of open fires. Not that Kronii minds, no. What does catch her attention is what’s being cooked in it.
“Fish?”
“Mmmn” Mumei mumbles, skewering the last small fish she caught. She scratches her arms, stopping to wince in pain.
Kronii swiftly changes shape, climbing down her hoard, slithering now low on the ground in Mumei’s direction “Did you get hurt?” asks the now small reptile, coiling on her lap.
Mumei freezes for a second. On one hand being vulnerable in front of a dragon is an awful idea. On the other hand…she did not expect Kronii to be worried enough to get to physical contact with her.
“I’m good…” she smiles faintly, just to reassure Kronii “Did you want some fish that badly, oh, great one?”
Kronii stays still for one, two seconds. Then flares her segmented white hood to Mumei, eyes narrowing down in anger, hissing.
Mumei giggles “I’m joking, Kronii.”
Kronii grumbles something unintelligible before quieting down. Not leaving her spot on Mumei’s lap as the owl busies herself turning the fish over to cook it evenly.
“Are you cozy there?” Mumei asks in a semi mocking tone, taking one of the fully cooked fishes.
“Mmph,” Kronii flicks her tongue a few times “I’m simply indulging in your warmth, the least you could do is let me use you as part of my hoard!” Kronii says as her body is slowly rising, following the trajectory of the cooked meal.
Contrary to her initial instinct Mumei decides against rousing the time dragon any further. After taking a bite of the fish she hums in delight, it had a crunchy exterior and soft white meat, salted just right. Couldn't help licking over her lips after the bite. Her eyes land lower, on the drooling dragon in snake form.
Mumei wants to laugh so hard. Instead she just chuckles.
Before any protest can come from Kronii, Mumei lowers the skewered fish to her eye level.
“Want some?” she asks, smiling.
“…I shall accept this offering” Kronii answers, trying her best to look royal and menacing in her noodle form. Then she digs her sharp fangs on the tender meat.
Her eyes sparkle, body loosens to the point she’s melting down on top of the rest of her lengthy body.
Mumei giggles.
Kronii has the most amusing reactions she has seen on any sentient high being. It’s always a treat for her inquisitive eyes, something she wishes not to record on her notes, but would rather like to burn as eternal in her memories.
They feast on fish and roasted vegetables, which Kronii refuses to touch, until nigh time.
Kronii back to sleeping on her dragon pile while Mumei, much preferring the warmth of the embers, remained on her sleeping mat.
As the week progresses it’s obvious to the dragon that something seems to be ailing her human. Her human! Under her care! Could some other animal have attacked her? It would make sense with any other human but Mumei, not one that would take on a mission to defeat a dragon. She wasn't that fragile. Then what could it be? Yes, even the best of warriors take injury. But was it an old one? Recalling ancient flares of pain was not uncommon for some, she’d heard.
‘I should ask today,’ she thinks, as the owl was once again out to hunt some game for them to feast on, a thing that was becoming common place to both of them ‘I should ask, no, demand! She owes me an answer, damn it, barging into my lair with no further notice! She owes me that much.’ Hiding her true concerns under the veil of authority.
There’s blood on her neck.
“I hunt a boar!” Mumei is smiling, large animal already dropped on the cave floor, to begin butchering.
There’s blood on her neck.
Behind her ear.
“I didn’t know if you’d like it but I just couldn't pass the opportunity!” Mumei keeps speaking like nothing was wrong.
Blood soaking her feathered mantle.
Red, vibrant, flowing.
“Kronii?!” Mumei blushes.
A very naked semi human Kronii is tilting her head. With a grip that does not suit a beast that represents so much power. Clawed scaly fingers trace her neck, sending shivers down her spine, a mix of fear, excitement, confusion, so much in just one second.
Kronii rolls the liquid between her index and thumb.
Something fluffy stuck there.
“Feathers?” she speaks in the most clear her voice can be, in this human form more suited for it than her usual roared words.
Mumei pushes her away “Kronii!” she covers her eyes, blushing profusely “Clothes!!!” she squeaks.
“Right, right, human decorum…” her heart beats normally again. An odd thing, her pulse calming down, her curiosity picked. ‘Not an injury’ she thinks, breathing at ease. Wait, when did her breath become so uneven?
Her shape changes once more, in the blink of an eye, down to the ground again, this form more suited as an in between to be with the human, and for her not to wear any clothing.
“Your neck…” Kronii starts.
Mumei finally lifts her hands from her eyes “What about it?” she answers slowly, head tilted.
Kronii flicks her tongue, slithering close to Mumei, who sits down close to the slaughtered animal she should really begin to butcher.
“It’s bleeding” Kronii speaks, tone flat. Unsure of what took over her to react that way. Something to ruminate later.
Mumei allows Kronii to nest on her lap, like previous nights. Somehow she looks dejected. Maybe a bit embarrassed?
Mumei touches her neck, looks at her hand, ‘oh’ she mouths. Undoing the latch of her feather mantle in one swift motion, then running her fingers down her neck once more. She flinches when finding the small patch of feathers that cover the back of her neck, right under her ear.
She brings a bloodied feather close to Kronii.
“I’m molting” she says, flatly.
‘Molting! Of course!’ suddenly it all clicks in Kronii’s brain.
“So that’s why you’ve been scratching yourself so much!”
Mumei smiles. It doesn't reach her eyes. She doesn't feel like explaining her upbringing. Doesn't feel like she needs to either. Kronii appears to understand all too quickly, not asking any further questions on the touchy subject.
Mumei takes the chance to start preparing the boar meat, hide set aside, maybe she can ask Kronii to preserve it in time, she has no tanning equipment with her, and it would be a waste to let it rot.
Maybe it was the quick way she was accepted. Maybe the lack of judgment she was often subjected to due to her nature. But her tongue seemed to loosen after eating, no leftovers from the roasted meat remained. It still felt surreal seeing such a small snake eat so much.
“They change to help me…” Mumei mumbles, catching Kronii’s attention quickly “or so would the biology be if I had the gift of flight. They change because that’s what’s programmed in them, the details of their nature say they must be ready for the next season so I can be fit to fly and survive the wilderness, but I cannot fly and never will-” a tinge on her back stops her rambling.
Kronii raises, sensing something wrong with her. Not knowing how to aid she coils on her neck, tickling her cheek with her forked tongue.
Mumei giggles. Tentatively raising her hand, hovering close to Kronii. Second guessing and lowering it a second later.
A mumbled thanks.
“Some get stuck, it kind of hurts to remove them forcefully but if I don’t do it they can get complicated…”
“How so?”
“Grow under my skin… or in the best case scenario just grow crooked.” The memories of previous childhood molting’s haunt her dreams when the season draws near.
Silence grows between them once more.
Mumei stares at Kronii again. Opens her mouth as if to say something, but, when rough amber meets perfect sapphire, her mouth feels dry, and her hands uncomfortably sweaty.
Mumei turns her head away “So, yeah, I just have to let most of them fall on their own, try not to scratch too much, and plunge the ones that are stubborn.”
Kronii nods, then climbs on Mumei’s head, body coiled on her neck like a scarf. It felt nice and cold on the irritated skin.
“And so, you, of course, decided it should be best to be in the caring, trust worthy, sturdy, reliable, claws of my greatness!” pridefully showing her tiny self to no one in particular.
“Yeah, yeah,” Mumei scoffs “not because my friends are busy, but because I request the aid from you, oh, great beast.” she feels Kronii’s tail hitting her shoulder.
That night they both sleep fully at ease with one another’s presence.
The next morning Mumei wakes to a human Kronii. Dressed on a shirt and some of her spare pants, to her heart’s relief. Limbs still covered in pristine blue scales, her tail a shorter length yet looking all the same lethal as the fully sized one.
“I suppose this form is more convenient to help!” Kronii makes up excuses for unspoken complaints.
“Help?”
The dragon nods.
“My molting?”
She nods again, hands on her hips, proudly looking down at the still groggy looking researcher.
“I figured you would require my aid with your back, perchance?” Kronii asks smugly, fangs poking out her toothy smile.
Mumei blinks. She’s not wrong but the change in disposition, and the abrupt awakening are making it hard for her to process it.
“Ah, well, as you probably know,” Kronii starts, clearing her throat on her clawed hand, albeit with a light blush that Mumei is amused by “we don’t shed skin, but sometimes will shed some patches of scales… mostly when injured…” her voice quiets, mind far away in thought of times that none currently alive have experienced nor would have any memories of. For a moment she is elsewhere, dull sapphires transported to another time, when she wasn’t the last one.
Now it made sense. Kronii was trying to tell her in a roundabout way that she cares enough about her to repay what has been done to protect her. That she would take care of her wounds in the same way Mumei helped when she needed her.
Mumei silently sits up, removes her shirt, using it to cover her front, hair still stuck to her face from sleeping deeply.
Without the need for any beckoning Kronii sits behind her.
The light from the crystals is more than enough for the task. Specialized reptile eyes scan her back. Surely, there they are, patches of feathers, stuck ones, about to fall ones. Prominently from her shoulders to about her shoulder blades mimicking a smaller version of her mantle, soft to the touch. Lower back seemingly devoid of them, except from some scattered here and there. A few smaller ones gathered where her tail would be. But for now Kronii’s eyes land on the two large scars running the length of her back. Can’t help her fingertips from running over them. Can see Mumei’s muscles tense up under the unexpected touch.
Yet she asks nothing. If her human wanted to she would talk about it, she wouldn't pry for now.
“Should I just pluck them out, like one would a chicken?” Kronii jokes.
Mumei recoils at the thought.
“You see the potions lined near my knapsack?”
Kronii’s eyes land there.
“You always carry,” Kronii says “the most wondrous knickknacks” marveled by the human’s colorful bottles.
Mumei giggles “A friend makes them for me, they are to help with the process. First should be the blue one.” Mumei instructs.
Kronii complies, grabbing and uncorking the tiny flask, a herbal scent hitting her sensitive nose as soon as it’s done. She can’t help the sneeze that follows.
“Are you alright, miss dragon?” Mumei giggles.
“Quite fine, thanks for your worries, human.” Kronii plays it off, rubbing her nose roughly with the back of her hand.
“Before you apply it,” Mumei repositions herself to sit on her knees “could you scratch me here.” she tries her best to reach a place she clearly can’t.
Kronii does her best not to laugh. The lack of a proper direction is not helping, she blindly scratches near her fingers, guided by ‘lower’ and ‘to the right’ followed by ‘keep going down!’
“Demanding little thing.” Kronii grumbles.
“Mumei.”
“Demanding little Mumei!” the dragon roars a laugh “I’ll apply this now then.”
The liquid is meant to numb her back slightly, along with loosening the feathers further, to speed up the process. As they wait Mumei explains the process, she usually has one of her friends, a rat beastman, help remove the feathers with the instruments she’s pointing to in her tiny hoard.
“No need, my hands are more than enough for this procedure, I assure you it will be painless.” Kronii has her dragon pride, of course her fingers are more than dexterous enough to remove the feathers.
Once the arbitrary time Mumei told her passes she starts plucking her feathers. Turns out it wasn't just Kronii bragging, it didn't hurt at all. It’s the most easy the process has been in her whole life. In fact it almost felt nice, like every feather removed was a small scratch on a bigger itch she’d been having for the past week.
Kronii takes her task very seriously, delicately handling each feather to extract. Seeing as Mumei has relaxed further she herself feels her chest swell with delight, hearing the soft thrill from the half-human makes her smile soften further. The cave has not many sounds. No other living creatures dare live close to a dragon’s dens, lest they have a death wish. Paused dripping can be heard from somewhere in the mine tunnels, but here in her lair there was no such thing. Only the sound of Mumei’s thrills, and Kronii’s swaying tail.
Collecting small stacks of feathers organized by size on the cave floor, a thing that Kronii does on instinct, the task extending for an hour.
“Want to take a break?” Kronii asks Mumei, softly.
She shakes her head “You’re almost done anyways, right?” Mumei asks.
Knew her back and the distribution of the patches; she was correct, Kronii was almost done with it. In a matter of minutes her back was devoid of the feathers. The scars seemed more prominent this way. Kronii stared at them, the crooked lines running down, many things she could discern by their shape. By the shaky looking lines that spoke of unsteady hands, unskilled for the task. Of pain withstood by an even smaller human.
“Now the green looking potion so they don’t grow wro-” Mumei’s directions are cut short.
Kronii is hugging her.
Out of all the things the dragon has done this is the most touchy she has ever been with her.
“M-my- I-” Kronii clears her throat “My temperature should be able to soothe you for a bit!” her voice is shaky.
Dragon hands rest on her lap, Kronii’s head resting atop hers. Mumei is still coming to terms with the action itself.
‘Dragons have boobs?’ her mind is all over the place ‘They’re so soft, wait she has a shirt on right? Yes, so it’s okay, right? Why is she hugging me? They’re so soft, what the heck?! Big stupid lizard, needs no udders, why does she even have them in human form, is this an evolutionary trait to attract humans? She’s still clothed, thank the gods!’ she gulps ‘ It feels nice…’
Mumei rests her weight back on Kronii. Reaching down to hold one of her hands. Clawed hands hesitant on movement, a clumsy hold on them. Intertwining their fingers slowly, scared. Mumei can feel Kronii sigh after they both finally fall in place.
Kronii feels the stupid urge to nestle her face on Mumei’s neck.
There’s a bit of blood there.
She licks it better, like she knows wounds are meant to. Forgetting for a moment she could fix it with her dragon breath. Indulging in the unspoken tenderness that can only be understood by another one of her kin.
Kronii starts to separate.
Mumei squeezes her hand.
“What is it?” her voice is soft.
“Nothing… I’m just happy I met you”
“Who wouldn't be! I’m the perfect friend for anyone, you should feel honored to have such a perfect being help you!” Kronii takes the chance to fall back into the usual banter. Lucky enough that Mumei is still not facing her.
“Yeah, yeah,” Mumei giggles, tilting her face to look her in the eye “just apply the green liquid and I’ll be gone, you silly dragon” eyes filled with an indescribable warmth radiating within the amber.
So ends the week and a half spent in a dragon nest, a feat not many can speak of.
“What’s with the stupid smile” Bae stopped counting her coins to regard her friend.
“I don’t need you anymore” Mumei jokes.
Bae feigns being stabbed “My daughter!” she says in a fake male voice.
They laugh.
Mumei would be visiting the dragon’s den once more sooner than later. Full of fuzzy feelings in her stomach, and bearing more gifts than the dragon would accept.