Early Files - Kavi Chapter 1, a fairy tail fanfic

Early Files - Kavi, part 1 (A Fairy Tail fanfic prequel)

Outside of a rural town, a man dragged his crying son off his horse. The boy pleaded not be left all alone in the dark again. His father had done this many times before. This time, however, he assured the boy not worry about it. It was only moments later that the boy realized what his father actually meant. He mercilessly beat the child, stomping fingers and kicking in ribs. "You die tonight, Kavi", said the man coldly. "Father?", said Kavi, tears rolling down his face. "Don't you call me that!", snapped his dad. "But, what did I do wrong?", pleaded the boy. His father stood over him menacingly. He'd already knocked him to the ground and beat him brutally. "You were born", replied the man coldly. Kavi was terrified and confused. He didn't understand what was happening. He was only five years old. His mother had died giving birth, leaving his father to raise him alone and his father held very rigid beliefs. He'd always had suspicions about his son. The boy didn't fight with the other boys. He didn't wrestle. He didn't pull little girls's hair. Instead, he joined their tea parties and shyly waved at a certain lad from down the street. Perhaps Kavi was too young to see what his father saw, but even so, he had done nothing wrong. His only sin was being true to himself.

"You're filth. You should have died instead of your mother!", yelled the man. Kavi shivered with fear near his feet, too afraid to get back up. "Look here, boy. I know what you are and I won't have it. No one's going to point and whisper when I walk by. I have standing in this town and I won't let you ruin it for me." With that, he grabbed the boy's shirt, hauling him clear off the ground. Kavi's expression begged for mercy, but he knew his words were useless now. One eye had swollen shut. Blood ran from his nose and split lips. His left arm was broken in several places, as well as a few ribs. "Father, please", he wheezed, desperately trying to hold onto the man's arm. "You're no son of mine. I won't have such lies", sneered his dad. With his free hand, he grabbed young Kavi's throat and crushed his windpipe. The poor child kicked his legs, frantically trying to gain purchase on anything. He couldn't breathe. Everything was getting blurry. He couldn't even cry out for help, not that doing so would do much good here. They were miles outside of town in the dead of night.

Waiting until the boy went limp, his father dropped him without remorse into the dirt. He glared coldly over the child, believing he'd rid the world of another sin when in reality, he'd just committed one. Afraid Kavi would survive, he stooped down and removed one glove. He never touched anything with his bare hands. His skin was soft and his nails were manicured to be abnormally sharp. He grasped the boy's throat once more, this time piecing his nails into the skin and pressing deeper and deeper into the flesh. Kavi was still conscious, though just barely. He couldn't move, he couldn't scream. He could only stare with terror at the face of the man he called father. It hurt so badly, he wanted to kick and scream, but he couldn't. Finally, he felt his dad's fingertips meet his thumb deep inside his neck. With a firm grip, he pulled hard, ripping out Kavi's larynx and severely damaging his air way. Blood flowed into his lungs as his father simply walked away, never once looking back.

An hour passed and the child wished for death, his pain unbearable. It hurt to breathe now, his lungs filled with blood. He was slowly drowning. He stared at the night sky just waiting for a release from this hateful fate. Even with his blurred vision, he could tell something was different. Where had the stars gone? Something was blocking them out. Whatever it was passed overhead a few times before landing beside the broken child. Wind from the creature's wings blew the loose strands of hair from his face. In disbelief, he smiled faintly. It was a dragon and it stared down at him with pity. "Are you still alive, child?", she asked. Using every ounce of his remaining strength, he lifted one of his small hands toward the majestic beast. She lowered her massive head to meet her eye alongside Kavi's small face. He looked at her without fear. After all, even she did want to eat him, she would be doing him a favor. "I am Gita, the sound dragon. I can save you if yet have the will to live", she stated. She watched his bloodied features for an answer. He shakily reached out his hand and touched it to her eyelid with a warm smile. She had her answer.

Raking her claws against her own leg, she pulled free a massive scale. She grasped it and squeezed her mighty paw, crushing it into tiny pieces. She sprinkled them over the boy's gaping throat with care, then added a single one of her tears. The boy shook violently as the magic set in. "Don't fight it. There is no life without sound. This is why I am able to save you", grinned the dragon. His throat began to close. He gasped for air, coughing harshly to rid the fluid from his lungs. He turned onto his side instinctively as he hacked. A few deep gulps of air and he finally passed out. Gita smiled to herself and gathered the broken child in her claws. She held him tight as she flew far from the pool of Kavi's blood that remained behind. It would be three days before he awoke again.

Gita, the sound dragon, stretched her wings in the morning light. Nearby, a young boy clinged to life. She kept a close eye on the child, unaware of what exactly he had been through. She'd managed to convince a friend, an old monk from a local monastery, to dress the boy's wounds. The man would bring water and medicine every morning. It wouldn't be long before he showed up again. She watched the horizon, listening closely to the child's vital signs. Despite her size, her magic allowed her to clearly hear his heart beat and breathing. She could also hear the approaching footsteps of the monk. She greeted him with a kind smile as he strode toward her without fear. "Good morning, Lady Gita. How is he today?", asked the man. "He should wake soon", replied the dragon. The monk set down the supplies and changed the boy's bandages. "Simply astounding", he uttered with awe. The child's throat had fully sealed, saving his young life. In place of hideous scars were dozens of tiny scales, covering the entirety of where the hole had been. "Who would do such a thing?", sighed the man, tending to his work. "I wish I knew", said Gita sullenly. She stared at the child with pity. What crime could such a young life commit do deserve such an atrocity? Gita watched him work. Before he left, she caught his attention with a troubling question. "Manach, what does human religion teach to allow such a thing?", she asked, watching the frail, broken body beside her. The monk sighed and shook his head. "Nothing I know of, my lady. We can only hope that is was an animal and not a man", he replied. "This is the work of man, mark my words", stated Gita grimly. "Then we can only pray he gets what's coming to him", offered the monk, heading back home.

Two more hours rolled by. Gita rested her head beside the boy. She opened her eye and watched carefully as his heartbeat began to increase. He was coming to. When he finally opened his eyes, he smiled warmly toward his savior. "I see you're awake. You are stronger than you know, little one", grinned the dragon. "I do not expect you to speak, but please, what is your name, child?", asked Gita. The child reached out his good arm and scratched the letters into the sand, "K-A-V-I". "Then welcome to your new home, Kavi. I am Gita and I will be your new family", said the dragon with a soft tone. Kavi began to to cry at that statement. Not the bitter tears he gave his father, but tears of joy for a new beginning. He nodded, wincing at the pain. He clutched his throat with a look of concern. "Fear not; You will live. I will teach you to speak again. No creature deserves to loose its voice. Speech is the best way to communicate one's feelings. Many men use their fists instead of their minds... I will show the right way to coexist in this world."

Months rolled by. Gita taught Kavi many things. She expanded his reading and writing skills exponentially. Though he was only five, he had the skill of a child twice his age. She taught him how to meditate and find peace within himself, a way to let go of his horrid past. He occasionally went with Manach to help out around the monastery in thanks for his assistance in saving his life. A few villagers showed concern at the sight of his scales, making him feel unwelcome around others, so Manach gave him a gift, a set of new clothes, featuring a high collar that buttoned shut up to the boy's chin. "Isn't that better?", grinned the man. Kavi looked at himself in the mirror and nodded gratefully. He hugged the monk, glad to have a friend. "You'd best get back to your mother now. Lady Gita worries so when you're late", said the monk with a friendly smile. Kavi nodded and ran home. In time, he would regain his voice. When his injuries were all completely healed, Gita began to teach him things other than philosophy and literature. She started teaching him magic, dragon slayer magic. She promised him that with practice, he could manipulate the ambient sound waves to mimic speech. Getting his lips to match the words, however, would take a lot more practice, but he had time.

Three years later, Kavi, always the bright pupil, had nearly mastered much of the magic Gita could teach him. He was finally beginning to speak again. By then, the old monk, Manach, had passed. To honor him, Kavi chose to use the man's voice a framework for his own. He had no physical ability to speak now. It was only with the use of magic, he had a voice at all. The day's lessons were in session. He'd finished his reading and now practiced a new language with Gita. She taught him a new one as soon as he mastered the last. By now, he was up to his fifth. She told him knowing the various ways to speak would open many doors in the world. She told him he ought to know as many as he could remember, again citing speech as the best way to settle differences. This suited him well. He didn't like to fight, but he did know how to defend himself. His keen hearing picked up a familiar sound coming toward them. He looked up excitedly at Gita. "May I?", he asked. "Go ahead", grinned the dragon. Getting to his feet, Kavi ran as fast as his legs could carry him toward the wooded area nearby. A network of caves offered plenty of places to hide and play, and more importantly, travel for someone else. A shadow peaked over the hill. "Auntie Veda!", yelled Kavi, jumping to hug her.

The naga embraced the child warmly. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and she wasn't even human. Her skin was blue-green, from her head to the tip of her tail. Her nails and teeth were sharp. Her pointed ears showed through her luscious locks of hair. Vibrant blue eyes stared lovingly at the boy. "Did you miss me?", teased Veda, setting the boy on his feet. "Of course I did!", beamed Kavi. He reached into his pocket and held out a clutched hand. "I made you something!", he said proudly. Gita watched with amusement in the distance. "You're so talented", said Veda, scruffing the lad's dark purple hair. He opened his hand, producing a carved shell pendant. "How lovely", sighed Veda. "Why don't you hold onto it for me until I find a chain for it? As you can see, I don't have any pockets", she grinned. Kavi nodded and tucked it away. She wore little, mostly covering what seemed to trouble her visitors. Her scales naturally hid anything of interest to the opposite sex, but the curves were still there. Taking her hand he walked alongside her as she slithered toward her long time draconian friend.

"I was starting to think you weren't coming this month", taunted Gita. "Forgive my tardiness. It was that time again", replied Veda. Kavi's small ears perked with interest. "Did you save it for me this time?", he asked shyly. Veda chuckled. "What on earth would you do with my shed skin?", she laughed. Kavi stared coyly at his feet. "I don't know. I just want to see what it looks like...", he trailed. Gita gave him a chiding eye, reminding him of his manners. He went back to his studies while the friends caught up. The two friends spoke at length while Kavi eventually turned his focus to braiding the naga's long silver hair. "What would you have me do?", asked Veda, intrigued. Gita sighed. "It is the fate of your species. It is not my place to decide", replied the dragon. "Perhaps, I'd like to hear your thoughts. Such musing may save an entire people", said Veda. Kavi listened silently. He knew he was far too young to interfere on such important matters. The nagas were a dying people. Veda was one of the few remaining, sustained by ingestion of Gita's blood. The practice had gone on for decades, causing Veda to bare more draconian features herself. A pair of horns and single wing had sprouted from her lithe flesh.

When their discussion had ended, Veda bid her friends goodbye, content to return to her personal affairs for another month. She'd always enjoyed her monthly visits with Gita, but she'd come to grow rather fond of the young dragon slayer, as well. She only partook of Gita's blood once a year. The rest of her visitations were purely for company. Kavi often asked her to tell him stories of her people, interested in tales of foreign lands. It saddened him to know the naga were now dying out. Veda took it in stride, keeping her crushing feelings safely hidden from him, knowing he already carried a burden of his own. In fact, it was Veda that uncovered the truth of what Kavi had been through the night he met Gita. Veda was a mage, as well. Gita never asked Kavi about his past life, sure it was best left solely in the past. During the years Kavi could not speak, Veda would communicate with him inside his dreams. The recurring nightmares that made him toss and turn during one of her prolonged stays is what prompted her to pry. She wielded a form dream magic, inserting herself into the young boy's mind. She watched the nightmare play out as it always had, the events of the horrid night being relived again and again. Once she'd seen enough, she intervened, and dispelled the nightmare, binding the memory deep within his subconscious. He would always recall the trauma, but it would no longer hold power over him.

Time went on and Veda grew to love the boy. When Gita, and the other dragons, disappeared, it was she who came to Kavi and offered him a new home. He was nine years old at that point. The loss of his mother hit him hard. He was no longer so open with those he met, nor he did smile nearly as often. It pained Veda to see him to distraught, so she did what she could to give him a new family and a chance at friends - She created Serpent Wing. In time, many mages came to the banner and Kavi seemed all right. Perhaps not happy, but content. A town started to grow around the guild. To prevent any issues, Veda remained in the cave system beneath the now blossoming town. Only those in the guild knew their master's true identity and only Kavi could relay her wishes.

To be concluded...