Chapter Text
Five humans and two vampires stood around a warmly glowing beacon, waiting for their final member to arrive.
Legundo hesitated at the doorway. His foot had already crossed the threshold, all those present turning their gaze to him. One by one he studied their faces in the moment. Confusion, worry, trepidation, and fear marked them all in varying degrees. He cleared his throat and fully stepped inside the watch tower.
"Now that we're all here," Cleo spoke up. "Apo and I have some...disturbing news." They nodded to Apo, who nodded back and continued in their stead.
"Scott is making plans, possibly to destroy Oakhurst and everyone in it. He showed us a book and said it had spells in it. Spells that could control people."
There was murmuring among those present. Legundo stayed silent, already hearing all this from Owen just a few minutes earlier.
Cleo clapped her hands, gathering the group's attention once more. "There's more. Scott has a target in mind already, although he didn't say who exactly."
"Did he give ye any hint at all to who this target may be?" Ren asked.
Apo tilted her head. "Sorta? He mentioned that someone in town wasn't a human or vampire. Didn't say what they were though."
Martyn began to anxiously look about at all those gathered. "Well I'm sure he wasn't talking about me. And we already know Cleo and Apo were human before they got turned. Anyone here feel like fessing up?"
The murmuring started up once more, mostly filled with the repeated phrase "It's not me." Everyone cautiously looking over their neighbor before looking over at another.
Legundo's shoulders tensed up at every glance directed his way. He couldn't meet their questioning eyes. His gaze was directed towards the ground, memorizing the cracked patterns etched into the stone.
"Please, guys," Pearl spoke up. "We're divided enough already. We can't start interrogating ourselves for every tiny detail. That's exactly what Scott wants. Who even knows if his book can do what he says? He probably just said all that to get us distracted."
"That sounds like something a person would say when they're hiding something big." Martyn tossed in. "Anything you'd like to share, Pearl?"
She frowned. "I'm 99.9 percent sure I'm human, if that's what you're asking."
"Wait, why not 100?"
"None of your business."
"Aye, lay off the poor lad," Ren stepped in. "He's only worried for the town, don'cha know?"
"More like worried for himself," Cleo hissed out. "Why don't you share with the rest of the class, Martyn? I'm sure we're all eager to know the real reason you were dropped off in the woods."
"Why you!" Martyn rushed forward, about to jump over the beacon to charge at Cleo, when Ren managed to grab hold of him. Pearl did her best to restrain a snarling Cleo, Apo helping as well. M decided the best way to help was to give encouraging words to Martyn, which only fueled the boy to try again when Ren momentarily let go.
What began as a tense yet peaceful meeting had now fully devolved into shouts of anger. Humans and vampires shouted and snarled back and forth across the room, only barely being stopped from starting a physical altercation. This was far from the united front Legundo had been hoping to find inside the tower. There was barely even a reason to fight, and yet they all jumped at the slimmest chance to metaphorically and literally go at one another's throats.
He wondered if saying anything would help assuage their fears. The other possibility would be they turned their ire onto him for something he had no control over. Not exactly a new experience in the ancient doctor's view, but bothersome all the same. If the people of Oakhurst saw him as less an ally and more a foe, it would only make it that much harder for him to help.
Legundo finally looked up from the ground. Abolish was calmly leaning his back against the wall, dark eyes piercing directly into him.
That gave him all the courage he needed.
"It's me!" Legundo shouted over the others. Immediately, the room went quiet as all those previously fighting now directed looks of shock his way.
"Scott was talking about me." Legundo sighed out, running a hand over his hair. "I don't know how he found out, but I'm pretty sure he was talking about me."
Humans and vampires shuffled slowly back to their original spots around the room. They seemed to be waiting. For what, Legundo was unsure of. He stood waiting right alongside them all.
And then M spoke up. "If you aren't human or vampire, then what are you?" The author slapped a hand over his mouth after asking. He gave a sheepish look then said, "Sorry if that's offensive to ask."
Legundo shrugged. He should've guessed that was the question they were all waiting for him to answer. But when he opened his mouth to speak, he hesitated. Worries plagued his mind and stilled his tongue. He looked across at them all once again. There was no hostility present. Only simple and insatiable curiosity.
"I am a dragon." He stated plainly.
The room filled with uncomfortable silence. Then Ren cleared his throat. "Is there a way to provide proof, don'cha know?"
"Proof, uh, right." He honestly hadn't thought that far ahead. He couldn't ever remember having to provide proof to that claim.
"Can you breathe fire?" Martyn asked, eyes wide above a large grin.
"Not in here!" Apo called out.
"I can't do that anyways," Legundo shook his head. "A lot of my abilities were locked away when I was put in this form. Oh! Well, you can feel my arm, I suppose."
He held an arm out towards the others, no one daring to step up.
Abolish rolled his eyes and pushed his way through to Legundo's side. He pulled off a glove then placed his palm down on the doctor's arm. His eyes slightly widened, not expecting the bumpy texture. "Huh, those are definitely scales."
"Scales!?" M shouted and rushed forward, also smacking a hand down on the doctor's arm. Legundo did his best not to flinch at the unexpected contact.
"He's right!" The author shouted over his shoulder to the others. "They're so teeny tiny, you can hardly see them!"
One by one, the rest gathered closer, forming a little cluster around the doctor. He stood as still as possible as they poked at his arms and shoulders, remarking about how weird his scales felt. He could feel heat venting out of his nostrils as his discomfort increased.
"Okay, everyone!" Cleo stepped back and shouted to the gathering. "I think that's enough. Poor Doc here looks like he's about to explode."
Immediately, all bodies shuffled away. Legundo hadn't realized he was holding his breath until he allowed himself to relax. Smoke huffed out from his mouth as he released a large breath.
Cleo leaned forward, but thankfully did not place a hand on him. "Are you alright?"
He nodded a few times back to her. "Yeah. I am not....used to so much physical contact at once."
"What's with all the smoke?" Martyn waved his hand around, trying to make the remainder of it dissapate quicker. "Thought you said you couldn't breathe fire?"
"I can't," Legundo nodded. "But I still have fire in my chest. It flares up when I get stressed or angry, but all I can really do is spit out smoke. Which can look scary, but its pretty much harmless."
"I don't see why Scott would want a defective dragon then."
Apo smacked Martyn in the back of the head.
"Ow!"
Legundo chuckled. "You're not wrong though. I was sealed into this body a very long time ago. Scott may have a spell to control me, but I'd be useless to him in this form. Especially against a vampire, with all of them being at their highest strength now."
Abolish nodded his head. "I saw how easily Owen overpowered you by the pond."
"But the assault on the castle," Martyn spoke up. "I saw you taking out Owen."
"I'm stronger than the average human," Legundo answered. "Stronger than a fledgling or weakened vampire too. But that's as far as my power goes. I would claim my best strength is all the knowledge I've accrued, but none of it is exactly helpful when it comes to vampires or escaping Oakhurst."
He was met with a lot of hums and sounds of acknowledgment passing around the room. And of course, the sound of a pen scribbling madly away on parchment.
"Excuse me, doctor." M piped up, looking to Legundo with eyes full of wonder and curiosity. "But how old are you?"
"Don't you know its rude to ask a dragon his age?" Apo rolled her eyes as she responded before Legundo could.
The dragon barked out a short laugh and shook his head his a smile. "Sorry, but I genuinely lost track a long time ago."
M brightened regardless of the lack of information. He was just happy to receive engagement with his questions at all. "Oh! What about a hoard?"
Ren raised an eyebrow. "Aye, that's a dangerous question to ask any dragon, doncha' know?"
"It's alright," Legundo waved his hand. "You're probably thinking I have some kind of treasure. But I think you'd be disappointed. Most dragons don't collect precious gems or materials. It's a bit of a misnomer, really."
M seemed so sag with a pout, but continued to write away regardless. "Well if you don't have treasure, then what do you have?"
"I mean, the idea of what counts as treasure is just different between the two of us." The Doctor scratched at the side of his jaw. A scale came loose and he flicked it to the floor with little to no thought. A few of the others watched the small flake fall to the ground, catching scant torchlight in faint iridescent shimmers.
"To me, knowledge is the ultimate treasure. So most of my hoard is made up of books and scrolls I've collected over the years. Or personal keepsakes from past friends." His tone grew softer as he thought about the polished shoulder pauldron beside his bedding in his home.
A hush came over the others, unsure of what to say or do as an air of melancholy draped itself over the doctor's shoulders. And then Pearl stepped forward, fishing around for something in her pocket. When she finally pulled her hand out, she presented a simple wooden button in her hand. "Here," she said. "I know it's not much, but, something to remember me by."
Legundo's eyes widened at the small but immensely meaningful gesture. He gently picked up the button and held it in his own palm with care and reverence. "I'm....touched, Pearl. Thank you."
"Well I'm not gonna be left out of this." Martyn stepped forward, undoing the bandana around his head and holding out the strip of fabric. "Here, Doc. I've got a spare I can wear, but you can have this one."
"Ah, thank you, Martyn." Legundo spoke, stunned by the continued gesture of goodwill.
One by one, the residents of Oakhurst approached their friend and gifted him whatever they found on their person. A scrap of tanned leather from Apo, a full bottle of distilled spirits from Ren, the very pen M had been using to write, a glove from Abolish, and even a lock of snow white hair from Cleo. Legundo accepted each item with care befitting that a medal of honor rather than the various trinkets they really were. He held them in a gentle grip and close to his chest. Everyone could see his eyes begin to water and all chose not to comment.
"Thank you," he whispered. "All of you. thank you."
"You're one of us, Doc." Pearl spoke up. "Human, vampire, dragon, whatever. You're our friend, and we'll stick by you, no matter what."
He looked over them all again, renewed hope blossoming in his chest. Perhaps they could make it out of Oakhurst yet still. All of them, not just the people he currently shared space with. He still held hope for the coven in the castle. He still held hope for Owen.
"Still," M interrupted the comfortable silence. "No shiny gems or metals at all?"
Legundo shrugged. "I guess I've got an affinity for copper."
Immediately, he was bombarded by complaints of how many unwanted copper items took up place in several homes. As well as many, many offers for him to take it off their hands.
The dragon laughed. It appeared his hoard was about to grow by quite a lot.