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The first sign that something was wrong with Nom was that he stopped complaining. Scott had learned that Nom complaining was, strangely enough, a good sign. If Nom was annoyed, he was fine. If Nom was grumbling about his armor, he was fine. If Nom was loudly insisting that he was absolutely not tired while practically falling asleep standing up, he was fine. But today? Nothing. Nom had been sitting at the Blue Kingdom's table for nearly twenty minutes, staring at a cup of water he'd barely touched. Scott watched him from across the room. "Nom." No response. "Nom." A twitch of the Knight's ear. Scott frowned. "Are you alright?" "I'm fine." There it was. Too quick. Scott stood. Nom immediately looked away. "I'm fine, Scott." "You've said that three times." "And?" "And you're usually much more convincing." Nom grumbled something under his breath. Scott walked around the table. Nom tried to stand. He made it halfway upright before his entire body suddenly seized. His hand slammed against the table. Scott caught his shoulder. "Nom!" "I'm—" Nom sucked in a sharp breath. His face had gone pale. Scott stared at him. "What hurts?" "Nothing." "Nom." "Nothing." Scott's eyes narrowed. Nom had one hand pressed tightly against his side.
His other hand was gripping the edge of the table hard enough that his knuckles had gone white. Scott's expression softened. "How long?" Nom didn't answer. "How long have you been hurting?" "...A while." "How long is a while?" Nom looked away. "Few days." Scott's jaw dropped. "Days?!" "It's manageable." "You can barely stand!" "I can stand." Nom attempted to prove his point. He immediately stumbled. Scott caught him again. "You're getting checked." "No." "Yes." "I'm fine." "You're absolutely not fine." Nom pulled himself away. "Scott, I don't need—" "You're getting checked." "I said no." "And I heard you." Scott stepped in front of the doorway. Nom stared at him. Scott stared back. For several seconds, neither moved. Then Nom sighed. "I'm going back to my room." "No." "I'm going to bed." "No." "I don't need a healer." "Then let me check you." Nom froze. Scott immediately noticed. "...Why did you react like that?" "I didn't." "You did." "I didn't." Scott sighed. "Nom." Nom turned toward the door. Scott's heart sank. "Nom, please." The Knight kept walking. "Nom." His hand reached for the door. Scott grabbed his arm. Nom immediately flinched. Scott let go. "Sorry." Nom looked down. Scott stepped closer, keeping his voice gentle. "Please don't run." "I'm not running." "You are absolutely running." "I just need to—" "Nom." Scott's voice cracked slightly. That finally made Nom stop. Scott swallowed. "I don't know what's wrong with you. That's what's scaring me." Nom's shoulders dropped. "I don't want you involved." "I already am." Silence. Scott took a slow breath. "Please let me help." Nom's fists tightened. For a moment, Scott thought he would refuse. Instead, Nom whispered, "...Fine.
A little while later, Nom sat stiffly on the edge of the bed. Scott closed the door. "Armor off." Nom looked horrified. "Do I have to?" "Yes." "Can't you just—" "No." Nom groaned. Slowly, painfully, he began removing his armor. Scott noticed something immediately. Nom wasn't simply taking it off. He was being extremely careful. Almost protective. When the final pieces were removed, Nom still wouldn't look at Scott. "Shirt too." Nom went completely still. "Scott..." "I need to see where the pain is." "It's nothing." "Nom." The Knight's hands trembled. Eventually, he pulled his shirt over his head. Scott's expression immediately changed. Bandages. There were bandages wrapped around Nom's entire torso. Not one layer. Several. They were wound
incredibly tightly around his body, disappearing beneath his arms and around his back. Scott stared. "Nom..." Nom looked down. His fists were clenched tightly against his knees. "What's that?" Nom didn't answer. "Who did this?" No response. Scott crouched in front of him. "Nom, look at me." Nom didn't. Scott gently reached toward one of the bandages. Nom flinched. "Don't." Scott stopped. "Does it hurt?" "...Yes." "Then why are you wearing them?" Nom swallowed. "Just leave it." "No." "Scott." "I'm worried about you." Nom's voice became quieter. "Please don't." Scott's heart twisted. "Nom, I'm not angry." Nom said nothing. "I'm not going to hurt you." Silence. "I just need to know what's happening." Nom shook his head. Scott carefully began loosening the bandages. "Don't." "I have to." "Scott." "Please." Nom's fists tightened harder. "I can take care of it." Scott looked at him. "You've been hurting for days." Nom's eyes stayed fixed on the floor. "You're clearly not taking care of it."
That made Nom wince. Scott slowly unwound the first layer. Then another. And another. Until the last bandage fell away. Scott stopped breathing. Scales. Dark scales covered Nom's back and sides, disappearing beneath his shoulders and down his torso. But that wasn't what shocked Scott most. His eyes moved upward. Two enormous wings were folded painfully against Nom's back. Black. Deep black along the outer edges, with rich red running through the membranes. They were beautiful. Absolutely stunning. And they were in terrible condition. The wings were cramped from being forced into a position they clearly weren't meant to stay in. Scott stared in disbelief. "Nom..."
Nom immediately hunched forward, trying to hide them. Scott's voice came out barely above a whisper. "You're a dragon." Nom's eyes squeezed shut. "Don't." Scott blinked. "Don't what?" "Don't look." Scott's heart broke. "Nom, they're beautiful." Nom shook his head. "No." "They're gorgeous." "No." Scott slowly moved closer. Nom recoiled. Scott stopped. "Okay." He gave him space. "But I'm not going to pretend I don't see them." Nom's voice trembled. "I've hidden them my entire life." Scott stared at him. "Why?" Nom didn't answer. Scott looked at the wings again. Then back at Nom. "You've been binding these under your armor." Nom nodded once. "Every day?" Another nod. Scott's expression turned horrified. "Nom..." "I have to." "You've been forcing your wings against your body every day?" "I have to." "Why?" "Because people can't see them." Scott's ears flattened. "Why would people seeing them be bad?" Nom finally looked at him. "Because I'm supposed to be a Knight."
Scott frowned. "You're a Knight whether you have wings or not." Nom looked away. Scott carefully examined one of the wings without touching it. "Where I come from, dragons are noble creatures." Nom blinked. "What?" "Dragons." Scott gestured helplessly toward him. "Where I'm from, hiding something like this is... taboo." Nom looked confused. Scott continued. "And not just dragons. Elves. Humans. Any race. You're supposed to be allowed to have your natural features." He glanced at Nom's tightly compressed wings. "People don't bind their ears flat. They don't hide their tails. They don't cover scales." His voice became increasingly horrified. "And they certainly don't hurt themselves just to make their body look more acceptable." Nom's gaze dropped. Scott knelt beside him. "Nom." "I'm okay." "No, you're not." "I've managed." "That's different." Scott looked at the wings again. "How long has it been since you've actually stretched them?" Nom didn't answer. Scott's eyes widened. "...Nom." "Don't." "How long?" "...I don't know." Scott closed his eyes for a second. When he opened them again, there was genuine distress in his expression. "You don't even know?" Nom shook his head. "I never learned how to fly." Scott stared. "You've never flown?" "No." "But you're a dragon hybrid." "I know." "You have wings." "I know." "You've never used them." Nom's voice was tiny. "I don't know how." Scott's expression softened immediately. "Oh, Nom." Nom looked away. "I don't need them." Scott glanced at the beautiful black-and-red wings. "They're part of you." Nom's fingers curled. Scott didn't touch him. Not yet. Instead, he simply sat beside him. "You don't have to hide from me." Nom's eyes became glassy. "I'm not asking you to show anyone else." Nom looked at him. "But you need to stop hurting yourself." A long silence followed. Finally, Nom whispered, "...Can you help?" Scott smiled gently. "Yeah." Nom hesitated. "Even though they're dragons?" Scott gave him an incredulous look. "Nom, I'm an elf." A tiny confused smile appeared. Scott shrugged. "We're basically obligated to be fascinated by weird magical things." Nom gave a weak laugh. Scott smiled. "Now let's take care of those wings." And for the first time in years, Nom didn't have to hide them.
Scott had expected Nom to be nervous. He hadn't expected him to be this nervous. Nom sat on the edge of the bed while Scott gathered a basin of warm water, soft cloths, a few clean bandages, and a little brush. His wings remained tightly folded. Scott glanced at them. "Can you stretch them?" Nom immediately shook his head. "I don't know how." "That's okay. I'll help." Nom looked uncertain. Scott moved slowly, giving him plenty of warning before placing his hands near the base of one wing. "Tell me if anything hurts." "It already hurts." Scott winced. "Right. Bad choice of words." Despite everything, Nom gave a tiny laugh. Scott carefully guided the first wing outward. The membrane slowly unfolded. Then the second. And Scott just… Stopped. "Oh." Nom's face immediately turned bright red. "What?" "Nothing." "You made a noise." "I did not." "You absolutely did." Scott stared. The wings were breathtaking. Black scales lined the bones, gradually becoming a deep crimson toward the membranes. They caught the light whenever Nom moved, giving them a subtle sheen. Scott's ears lowered. "They're beautiful." Nom looked down. "You don't have to say that." "I mean it."
Scott carefully examined the wings. Some of the scales were loose, ready to fall away naturally. Others had become dull from being trapped beneath the armor for so long. Scott picked up the soft brush. "I'm going to clean them." Nom nodded. Scott began gently brushing along the outer edge of the first wing. Nom's shoulders immediately dropped. "Oh..." Scott paused. "Okay?" Nom nodded quickly. "Yeah." Scott continued. He worked carefully between the scales, removing dirt and dust that Nom couldn't reach himself. Every so often, a loose scale came free. Scott would catch it rather than letting it fall onto the bed. "This one's already loose," he murmured. Nom nodded. "Some of them have been bothering me." "I can tell." Scott gently removed another. Nom shivered. "That feels weird." "Bad weird?" "No." Scott continued. Soon, the tense Knight began relaxing more and more. His head slowly drooped. Then came a strange little sound. Scott stopped. Nom's eyes snapped open. "...What?" Scott blinked. "Was that you?" "No." A soft rumble came from Nom's chest. Scott raised an eyebrow. Nom turned crimson. "I don't know what you're talking about." Another rumble. Scott smiled. "You're purring." "I am not." "You absolutely are." "I'm a dragon." "Dragons can purr." Nom muttered something unintelligible. Scott returned to cleaning.
The rumbling continued. Scott moved carefully beneath one wing, cleaning a patch that Nom clearly couldn't reach. Nom practically melted. "Oh, that's nice." Scott smiled. "Found a good spot?" Nom nodded sleepily. "Mm-hm." Scott's smile faded as he looked at the loose scales collecting beside him. He thought about how tightly Nom had bound these wings. How long he'd been hiding them. How he'd been wearing armor over everything and pretending nothing was wrong. Scott carefully brushed another section. "Nom?" "Hm?" "Why did you do this to yourself?" The purring stopped. Nom looked down. "I told you." "I know." Scott gently cleaned another scale. "But knowing why doesn't make me less sad." Nom's eyes flicked toward him. Scott sighed. "You've been treating something beautiful like it was something you needed to be ashamed of." Nom didn't answer. Scott carefully lifted the second wing. "And you've been doing this for years." Nom's cheeks were still red. "I didn't know it could be different." Scott's expression softened. "Well..." He gently brushed the wing again. "It can be." The purring slowly returned. Scott smiled. "See?" Nom gave him an embarrassed glare. "Don't tease me." "I'm not." "You are." "I'm really not." Another loose scale came free. Scott caught it. "Your scales are shedding naturally, by the way. That's normal." Nom looked relieved. "I thought something was wrong." "Nope. Your body is just doing what it's supposed to." Scott continued cleaning, carefully working around every scale and along the wing joints. When he reached a particularly difficult spot between Nom's shoulder blades, Nom practically sagged. "Right there," Nom murmured.
Scott carefully brushed the area. Nom's eyes fluttered shut. His purring became louder. Scott couldn't help smiling. "There you go." Nom's head drooped. Scott looked over his wings again. Fully stretched, they were enormous. The black and red pattern was even more striking now that they weren't crushed beneath armor. Scott gently ran the brush along the edge. "They really are beautiful." Nom's face went red all over again. "You're going to keep saying that, aren't you?" "Probably." "...You're annoying." "And you're purring." Nom grumbled. Scott laughed softly. Then his expression became serious again. "I'm glad you finally let me see them." Nom opened his eyes. Scott carefully folded the cleaned cloth. "And I'm really, really sorry you've spent so long thinking you had to hide them." Nom stared at him.
The purring continued quietly. For once, he didn't argue. He simply let Scott keep cleaning the parts of his scales and wings he couldn't reach himself. And for the first time, his wings were allowed to stretch completely free. Scott carefully folded the cleaned bandages aside and looked at Nom with an expression that left absolutely no room for argument. “You're not allowed to bind your wings anymore.” Nom's head snapped up. “What?” “No binding them. No forcing them underneath your armor. No making yourself uncomfortable just so nobody sees them.” Nom's face immediately fell. “But—Scott, what about everyone else?” Scott blinked. “What about them?” “They'll notice.” “Probably.” “They'll ask questions.” “Then you can answer them.” Nom stared at him like Scott had just suggested something completely ridiculous. “And if they say something bad?” Scott's expression changed. He smiled. It was a very calm smile. “Then I'll fight them.” Nom's eyes widened. “Scott—” “I mean it.” Scott lifted one hand. A little swirl of water appeared around his fingers before expanding into a floating bubble. Nom stared. “Scott.” “If somebody decides to be cruel about your wings,” Scott continued, “well……I can just put them in a water bubble.” “You can't just water-bubble people!” “I'll still do it.” Nom couldn't help it. A tiny laugh escaped him. Scott grinned. “There. That's better.” Nom looked down at his wings again, still uncertain. “But my armor…” Scott glanced toward the discarded armor. Then he noticed something. “Wait.” He picked up the breastplate and examined the back. There, hidden beneath years of wear, were several narrow openings running along the armor's back. Scott looked at Nom. “Your armor has wing slits.” Nom froze. “…It does?” “You never noticed?” “No.”
Scott turned the armor around so Nom could see. “They're clearly designed for wings.” Nom stared at the openings. For years, he'd assumed they were simply part of the armor's unusual design. Scott's expression softened. “Nom… this armor was made for someone with wings, wasn't it?” Nom hesitated. “It was my mom's.” Scott went quiet for a moment. Then he smiled gently. “Then I think she would have probably preferred you actually use the part of the armor that was made for you.” Nom carefully reached toward the openings. His wings twitched. Scott stepped back to give him room. “Go on.” Nom slowly let his wings unfold. Instead of being forced underneath the armor, they slipped naturally through the openings. The armor settled around him perfectly. Nom stared over his shoulder. “…It fits.” Scott chuckled. “Of course it does.” Nom flexed his wings experimentally. No pressure. No discomfort. Just room. His expression slowly changed from nervousness to amazement. “I've been wearing this wrong the entire time.” Scott laughed. “Apparently.”
Nom's wings gave another little flutter. He immediately looked embarrassed. Scott pretended not to notice. “New rule,” Scott said. Nom sighed. “What?” “Your wings stay free.” Nom looked at him. “And if anyone has a problem with that?” Scott's water bubble appeared again. Nom snorted. “Scott.” “I'm prepared.” “You're ridiculous.” “Maybe.” Scott dismissed the bubble and smiled. “But your wings aren't something you need to hide.” Nom looked down for a long moment. Then, very carefully, he let his wings stretch all the way out. For once, he didn't try to make himself smaller. And Scott stayed right there beside him.
Scott stood at the front of the Blue Kingdom meeting room with his hands clasped behind his back. Eloise sat in the monarch's seat, looking mildly curious. Mae was beside her, Owain stood with his arms crossed, Graecie was quietly watching Scott, and Nom was conspicuously absent. Eloise raised an eyebrow. “Scott, you said this was important.” “It is.” Mae glanced around. “Where's Nom?” Scott smiled. “He's here.” A few confused looks passed around the room. Scott took a breath. “Nom and I have something important to show everyone.” Graecie immediately looked concerned. “Is Nom all right?” “He's fine.” From somewhere around the corner came a muffled: “No, I'm not doing this.” Everyone turned. Scott sighed. “Nom.” “No.” “Nom, come out.” “No.” Owain looked toward Eloise. “…Should we be concerned?” “Probably,” Eloise said. Scott walked around the corner. There was a brief silence. Then— “Scott, absolutely not.” “You need to come out.” “No.” “You can't hide in there forever.” “Watch me.” Scott rubbed his forehead. “Nom.” “No!” Mae blinked. “Is he... hiding?” Graecie sighed knowingly. “Yes.” A moment later, there was a tremendous amount of shuffling from the other room. “Scott, let go!” “Nom, stop!” “I am NOT going out there!” “You're going out there.” “NO !”Scott appeared around the corner, physically dragging Nom by the arm. Nom had planted his boots against the floor in a desperate attempt to resist. Everyone stared. Eloise slowly leaned forward. “What exactly am I looking at?” “An extremely stubborn knight,” Scott said. “I am NOT showing them!” “Yes, you are.” “Scott!” “Nom.”
Nom finally gave up resisting and allowed himself to be dragged into the room. His armor looked different. There were unmistakable openings along the back. But everyone was too confused to understand why. Scott positioned Nom beside him. Nom immediately tried to step backward. Scott caught his shoulder. “Nope.” “Please.” “No.” Graecie looked between them. “Scott, what is going on?” Scott looked around the room. “I need everyone to understand something before we do this.” His expression became unusually serious. “If any of you say anything bad about what you're about to see, I swear I will put you in a bubble.” Mae's eyebrows shot up. Owain looked genuinely puzzled tilting his head. Eloise looked like she was trying very hard not to laugh. Graecie simply stared at Scott. “Scott.” “I mean it.” “I'm sure you do.” Nom muttered, “This was a terrible idea.” Scott glanced at him. “It wasn't.” “It absolutely was.” Scott gently nudged him forward. “Show them.” Nom's face went bright red. Slowly, reluctantly, his wings unfolded from behind him. The entire room went silent. Black and red wings stretched outward, catching the light from the windows. Mae's mouth fell open. Owain's eyes widened. Eloise stared. Graecie looked completely stunned. Nom immediately ducked his head. “…There.” Nobody said anything.
Scott folded his arms. “Well?” Mae was the first to speak. “Nom has wings.” Nom's shoulders hunched. “Yes.” Owain shook his head several times. “Actual wings.” “Yes.” Eloise stood. “Nom.” Nom visibly flinched. Scott immediately stepped closer. Eloise noticed. Her expression softened. “I'm not angry.” Nom cautiously looked up. Eloise walked closer, studying the wings with genuine curiosity rather than disgust. “Why didn't you tell anyone?” Nom opened his mouth. Nothing came out. Scott answered quietly. “He was afraid of what everyone would think.” The room became even quieter. Graecie looked at Nom for several seconds before finally speaking. “Nom... those are beautiful.” Nom's head snapped up. “You're not scared?” “Why would I be?” “Because I'm—” “A dragon hybrid?” Graecie finished. Nom nodded. Graecie smiled. “Then you're a dragon hybrid. ”Mae shrugged. “Honestly, this explains a few things.” Nom stared at her. “What things?” Mae smiled. “Your tendency to hoard things.” “I don't hoard things!” “You absolutely do.” “I do not!” Owain looked toward Nom's room. “Your collection of mugs says otherwise.” Nom looked betrayed. “You've been in my room?!” “I was looking for you once.” Scott covered his mouth, trying not to laugh. Eloise finally smiled. “Well. I suppose this meeting has become considerably more interesting.” Nom looked around at everyone. Nobody was laughing at him. Nobody was horrified. Nobody was reaching for a weapon. His wings slowly relaxed. Scott gave him a small, reassuring smile. “Told you.” Nom muttered under his breath. “…I still think the bubble threat was unnecessary.” Scott immediately raised one hand. A tiny sphere of water appeared above his palm. Nom pointed at him. “Don't.” Scott grinned. “Behave, and I won't.” Mae burst out laughing. Even Eloise couldn't keep a straight face anymore.