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Edwin was free from the fairies for approximately one week, three hours and five minutes. After spending too much of his life trapped, locked in a maze and made to run, to hide while their horrid war creature sought him out. An experimental monster built to hunt. Edwin had been its prey, being regenerated over and over again by the magic of the Council. Edwin's punishment for something he'd never done.
That does not matter.
What matters is finding a new food source, humans have been his best luck, the majority of them are rather clueless on creatures like him. Only used to his sister species, regular fairies that do not hunt each other for fun. He's been regularly sneaking into their houses, the more expensive looking ones, knowing they could afford to lose a few fruits.
The last house he'd been using was growing suspicious, so he knew it was time to move on for a while. His plan was to go back to the school he'd used for the first few days, they were rather limited on fruits, but the food was sustainable for growing human boys and would help him out greatly.
St. Hilarions was a School only for human boys, a similarity to Edwin's culture. But Edwin had spotted a few creatures there on his last visit. A dragon, which wasn't too shocking as they'd been the first creatures to intertwine themselves with humans, a few werewolves lurked about, he was sure.
As always, Edwin went at night, shrinking himself down to his, technically, regular form. He flew most of the way there, following a familiar path through the woods and down to the lake that sat there. As he crept closer, he realised he wasn't alone.
A group of boys stood around the lake, throwing rocks into it—no—at something?
"Come on out Charlie!" A blonde boy yelled cheerfully.
Another boy cackled. "C'mon Charlie! We know you can take it!" As he pelted a rock into the lake’s surface.
Edwin sat on a branch away from the chaos, watching it carefully. What on Earth was going on here?
"Where's he gone?" the brown haired one asked.
Edwin watching in growing horror as a dragon, emerged from a different side of the lake, utterly drenched and wincing in pain and he dragged himself up. Oh dear.
Edwin couldn't sit here and watch as those horrid humans chased him. Like a predator chasing its prey. He could not let them kill that poor dragon.
He collected his magic from where it lay in his skin, feeling as it rushed towards his hands. "Hos pueros confundere, eos avertere cogere." He hissed as he directed his hands towards the boys, cursing them. (To confuse these boys, to force them to turn away.)
He flew after the dragon, becoming ever so thankful as the dragon followed his old path, heading right towards Edwin's cave. Stumbling as he crept inside.
Edwin grew to his human size. He’d never seen one of these creatures in person, a Dragon, he never even expected to see a Sun Dragon. He had believed those to be story tales, an image conjured to give power and hope to others. A popular piece of propaganda. He never expected one to be sitting in his cave.
The dragon was magnificent, brown skin and red scales that faded into a glowing orange, matching the necklace hung around his neck, a beautiful gold. His horns had not fully developed into the glorious arc, meaning he was still young. Truly fascinating.
His clothes, however, were rather damp, the sickly Grey-blue tinge to his skin was awfully worrying. Not to mention the shivering. He kept his marvellous wings close to his body, as if to shield himself from the harsh winter wind.
Oh dear.
He looked around the area, looking for something-anything- Aha! He cradled the branch in his hands letting his magic run through his veins, pumping energy through him and there it was.
A lantern, sure to warm this dragon.
Edwin took a deep breath, and went in.
“Who’s there?” Was the immediate response, one Edwin couldn’t blame.
“I thought this lantern might help.” Edwin nodded to the dragon’s form, a trembling pale thing.
“Thanks, mate,” He smiled, and Edwin was sure the sun itself was embedded into the dragon's very being. He’d always thought sun dragons were just fire and gold mixed into something, but this was Life.
Utter beauty Edwin hadn’t seen anyway before, aside from his books.
(A part of him ached for his library, so well built up before Simon had to destroy it all, rip apart the books until there was nothing left. Nothing left of Edwin, which was.)
Edwin nodded and rummaged around for a blanket before handing it to the dragon in complete silence.
“Cheers,” the dragon gave another incredible smile, and Edwin knew he would do so many things to see it again. “I’m Charles by the way,”
“I’m Edwin Payne.” Edwin replied sitting down next to Charles, the lantern between them.
“This is your place then?” Charles asked and Edwin nodded.
“Temporarily.”
“Sorry for barging in, mate,” he said apologetically.
“It is no problem.”
“Not a talkative bloke then?” Charles asked.
“I am unaccustomed to it. I’ve recently escaped.” Edwin admitted bluntly.
“Escaped where?”
“I believe you call us Aggressive Fairies.”
“Holy Shit!” Charles swore, eyes almost comically wide as he stared at Edwin. “That must have sucked, glad you got out, mate.”
Edwin tucked his head down, hiding the smile on his lips. The one that showed his teeth and was ‘inappropriate’ for others to see, so his mother said. “Thank you,” he murmured.
“No problem, mate,” he seemed to be doing a lot better now.
“Are you feeling better?” Edwin asked, wanting to know if he really was helping or just delaying the inevitable.
"Yeah! This lantern is well brills, where did you get it?" Charles asked, changing the subject. Something Edwin was thankful for.
"I made it," Edwin explained. "There's a spell that allows a person to influence an object to change its shape, not completely alter it, but change. I used a few branches I found outside and made the lantern,"
"That's bloody wicked mate!" Charles grinned.
Edwin smiled bashfully, feeling pure heat flooding his cheeks at the ray of praise.
"Thank you, Charles." Edwin sniffed and turned to look at him more clearly. "Are you feeling better?"
Charles nodded, rather quickly. "Yeah actually, dunno how you managed it, but it hurts less now."
Edwin nodded. "Yes, intent in a spell is rather important, when done correctly it can create additional effects when performing a different spell. My spell was to influence a change of shape, but my intent was to help you heal." Edwin happily explained. Edwin realised he'd been swaying as he spoke, the joy at getting to talk about one of his spells had needed a physical outlet. He jerked and held himself still, ignoring the restless building in his stomach.
"You alright, mate?" Charles asked and Edwin snapped back into the present.
"Yes, of course. I apologise."
Charles scrunched his eyebrows and tilted his head, looking awfully like a confused puppy. "Nothing to apologise for mate. You're saving my life."
"I'm sure anyone else would do the same."
Charles let out a dark laugh. "Unlikely."
"Why?" Edwin questioned. He'd thought humans were better than his own kind, in all his stories they'd always been helping one another.
"I'm half Indian and half dragon. Not everyone is as kind as you are about that." He explained. And Edwin remembers the boys who were throwing rocks at Charles- the boys Edwin had thought of as predators.
"I'm afraid I don't understand, I'm unfamiliar to what Indian is." Edwin did not like not knowing things and he did not want to bring up the boys.
"It's a country, and my mum's Indian, so it makes me half Indian." Charles explained kindly.
Edwin nodded, knowing later on he'd go find some books on the topic and maybe ask Charles more questions.
"Those boys hurt you because of that?" Edwin asked, hesitantly. If he remembers correctly, that was probably a personal question. His lessons on manners are a blur nowadays.
"Yeah, mate, cause I'm brown, right? And half dragon they thought it wouldn't do shit to me," Charles explained in a sour tone.
"But Sun Dragons are incredibly weak to cold water, especially at nighttime." Edwin thought out loud, looking at his lap.
To his surprise Charles laughed. "I'm not a Sun Dragon, mate. I'm just a regular gold one."
Edwin looked at Charles sternly. "No. You are not. You're a Sun Dragon."
Charles grinned while looking at Edwin pointedly. "Think I know what I am,"
Edwin huffed. "I think you know what you have been told. It's obvious that you are the Sun Dragon."
"Prove it then," Charles demanded playfully.
Edwin rolled his eyes. "I can read your magic signature, I can feel the sun all over you, even if I am still getting used to seeing it again." Edwin stated. "I will show you a book on the topic once you are fit to leave."
"Oh, will you now?" Charles teased. "I'll believe that when I see it, mate. There's no way I'm a Sun dragon."
Edwin huffed again and looked away from Charles.
"Wait what was that about seeing the sun?" Charles asked.
"When I was stuck with my kind I was not permitted to see the sun." Edwin stated clearly.
"But why?" Charles' smile had dropped from his face, now replaced with a frown Edwin desperately wanted to be rid of.
"I was being used for an experiment as my punishment."
"Punishment?"
"I was found out to be a homosexual." Edwin choked out.
"And they hurt you for it?" Charles whispered, his voice breaking in the middle.
"Yes." Edwin breathed out.
"You didn't deserve that." Charles stated. "Honestly, mate. You didn't do anything to deserve that."
"I know." I think.
"Do you?"
Edwin went silent for a moment. "It does not matter right now, what matters is making sure you are well." He decides.
Charles looked like he wanted to protest to try and get Edwin to listen to him but decides against it. "That's alright mate, I'll have plenty of time to convince you."
"Whatever you mean?" Edwin asked.
"I'm sticking around," Charles grinned. "Can't get rid of me now."
Edwin spluttered. "You cannot just choose to do that based on your feelings! I live in a cave, Charles! You cannot stay."
"Oh, I think I can, mate. You're stuck with me." Charles hadn't lost his smile while speaking and it was driving Edwin mad.
Edwin huffed. "Very well then."
Secretly Edwin was glad to have someone around. An actual living, breathing person. Edwin had spent so many days with just the memories of fairytale as company. Now he'd get someone to actually talk to! That was rather exciting.
Though Edwin still couldn't help but think that it wasn't fair on Charles. Edwin didn't have a proper source of food or water. No money to speak of and he certainly couldn't go to any shops in the magical community and not immediately be imprisoned or worse.
"Charles, you must know it won't be easy with me. I'm not good with people and I have no way of getting the food you'll need or any money. It isn't fair on you."
Charles looked at him sternly now. "You're not getting rid of me, mate. We'll figure it out, yeah? Sure, I can convince a few people to give us a hand."
"If, you are sure." Edwin hesitatingly starting to agree.
"Absolutely positive, mate."
"Where will we even go, Charles?" Edwin asked, frustrated. "We cannot stay in a cave, not one so close to that awful school!"
"Could go to one of the dragon resorts, should welcome me and I can prove to you I'm not the sun dragon." Charles responded cheerfully.
Edwin huffed. "Very well."
Edwin looks at Charles, in the eye and sees sincerity, the pure honesty glinting gold in the light from the lantern. The way he looked at Edwin was care and curiosity and not hatred.
Edwin wasn't used to those looks, ones made up of kindness. He was used to be hated, that was normal, that was how things were meant to be. No matter how quiet or small Edwin would make himself, there would always be something fundamentally wrong about him that everyone else could see but him.
Now it seems Charles cannot see it too.
Edwin finds he quite likes it. The way Charles looks at him, as if Edwin is someone worthy of his attention and care. Charles has only just met him, yet he feels so strongly about Edwin he's willing to risk it all to stay with him.
"When you are feeling better, we will head to one of those dragon resorts. Then we can go from there." Edwin decided.
"Good." Charles grinned seemingly unbothered by the staring Edwin had been doing before speaking.
Edwin can't help but think that everything will be completely okay as long as Charles looks at him like that.