Chapter Text
The sound of the icy sea lapping against the rocky shore forms a soft melody that permeates cold, abandoned halls, punctuated by a sharp breeze that whistles past the windows. The only other sound comes from a small child as makes his way carefully up a broken staircase, right hand diligently tracing the wall to avoid becoming lost in the dark. The steps are a bit tall for his six-year-old legs, forcing him to take them slowly... not that it would be a good idea to speed up anyways. A damp scent permeates the air, the smell of the nearby sea where he and his brother would sometimes watch the crashing waves. Even though he didn’t get a chance to see outside before the knight his grandmother had sent, sealed the door, he knows where he is. Peletta Castle, once the home of exiled nobility, now home to something far more terrifying, if the rumours were to be believed.
Kishiar doesn't know exactly why his grandmother ordered one of her knights to kidnap him in the middle of the night and dump him here, although he can make some guesses. He's heard the people start whispering about an old prophecy, heard his father and his grandmother fighting a lot recently, though they all fell awkwardly silent when they noticed him there. Despite his best efforts, he could never learn any more than that, the speakers remaining close lipped until his mother inevitably found out and steered him away.
He finally reaches the top step, and continues to follow the wall, mindful of the uneven floor. He still has to be cautious not to run into things, but by now, his eyes have adjusted enough to the dark that he can make out the rough outlines of objects, instead of relying on touch alone. It's funny. Ever since he first learned about the ruins, Kishiar had always wanted to explore them, but he had never thought that he’d be doing so in this manner. Seeing the jagged silhouette on the horizon, had peaked his curiosity the first time he'd seen them, a curiosity had only grown with the adults’ insistence that he stay away from such a sinister place. Some warn of vengeful ghosts, but most speak of a terrifying monster that sleeps within the Castle, supposedly the very one that destroyed the previous Orr empire and which could bring about the same destruction if it ever awakened. A monster more terrifying than those slain by the heroes in the bedtime stories that his mother would tell him every night, her rich voice colouring the elaborate fantasies of a young boy who dreamed of becoming a hero, just like in those tales. Of hunting down terrible monsters and defeating them, saving everyone in the process.
Except, now that he might actually meet one, it doesn’t seem so grand. A small pout forms on his lips. He knows that his nanny would likely scold him and tell him that he should have been careful what he wished for, but he doesn't think that's a very fair saying in his case. None of the heroes his mother told him about ever had to face their monsters wearing just their pyjamas and armed only with the bag of candy that the chef had snuck him just after supper-
Kishiar stumbles slightly as the wall beneath his touch suddenly veers right and it takes him a second to realize that it’s because the hall is opening up into a wide room. A canopy of stars shines through the gap where the roof once stood, illuminating the debris scattered across the floor. Despite his earlier nerves, the young boy stares in awe at the constellations above. He’d never seen stars so bright… or are they stars? Suddenly the shape above him shifts, allowing a pair of glowing eyes to stare down at him, and Kishiar realizes that he isn’t staring at the sky at all, but rather, at the hide of some otherworldly creature. Is this the monster everyone is talking about?
Instinctively, he takes a step backwards, and the creature’s head swoops down. He flinches, but instead of attacking, the eyes stop about a foot above him, tilting first one way, then another, as if studying him.
Huh. It doesn’t seem aggressive. From the few fragments he managed to gather about the monster, they all described it as a terrible beast, that only dormancy prevented it from destroying everything around it to quench its unshakable wrath. But this creature simply seems curious by his presence, even though he is the one encroaching onto its domain. Now that he thinks about it, it is rather rude of him to arrive unannounced without even a gift, but it’s not like he has any… ah, wait.
“Hello,” Kishiar chirps, brightly, “Apologies for dropping in so suddenly like this. My name is Kishiar Peletta and it’s very nice to meet you. Would you like some candy?” He holds the bag open in offering. The entire bag is too much for him anyways; the chef had given it to him after he’d told her that he liked them and he hadn’t had the heart to tell her that he only wanted one or two at a time.
The creature looks confused for a second, then lowers its snout (muzzle? …beak? He’s not sure what to call it. The creature gives the impression of a dragon, but its form is constantly shifting and a bit fuzzy, making it difficult to discern how it actually looks) into the open bag. There’s a crunching sound and when it removes its head again, Kishiar sees the bag is empty. …that was quick. Then again, he supposes that even the entire bag of candy isn’t very much for such a large creature.
The creature snuffles around Kishiar as if looking for more candy, tickling the boy and making him giggle, involuntarily. Hesitantly, he reaches out a hand to brush the creature’s head, finding the surface smooth, like flowing silk. A low rumbling sound echoes around him and after a second, Kishiar realizes that the creature is purring.
“Hmm, you like that, don’t you?” Kishiar grins, shifting to scratch behind what he thinks are the creature’s ears. The rumbling intensifies. “Do you want some more candy? I don’t have any on me, but I can get some if I go back to the palace…” Though it would probably take him all night to make it back on foot. If he could even find an exit… but as soon as he shifts away from the creature, the creature’s head snakes forward, sweeping him off of his feet.
“Eep!” Kishiar makes a startled sound, finding himself being flung into the air, only to land on the creature’s flank. It coils its body around him, not tight enough to hurt, but snug enough that he is quite thoroughly trapped. He lets out a little sigh, though he doesn’t feel as bothered by this as he thought he might be.
“I take it this means that you don’t want me to leave,” Kishiar sighs a bit dramatically, then returns to scratching the creature’s neck. The creature starts purring again, and settles down comfortably on the floor. After a few minutes, Kishiar finds himself resting his head against the creature’s side and after a couple more moments, the two of them fall fast asleep.