Title: Of Tales and Legends
Writer: Amariys
Words count: 8319 words
Fandom/Characters: Haikyuu!/Kageyama Tobio, Hinata Shouyo, Sugawara Koushi – Freeform, Sawamura Daichi – Freeform.
Pairing(s): Established KageHina, mild DaiSuga – Freeform.
Disclaimer: Haikyuu! is not mine. No trademark infringement or profit meant from the writing of this story.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: The mission: Getting the scales of the Silver Dragon. Surely it won't be that hard for Kageyama Tobio.
Warnings: Word vomit. Dragons, beware of dragons. Flimsy plot it may as well doesn't exist. OOCness due to first fic in fandom.
A/N: Dragon fic, people! Dragon fic! Don't expect anything but pure silliness and fluff though since I just want an excuse to write Dragon-fic. The types of dragons in this fic are taken from World of Warcraft (WOW) and basically there are five different types of dragons, each appointed to guard a different aspect of the world—Green over nature, Blue over magic, Black over earth, Bronze over time and Red over life and living things.
About names, each of the type has a different naming convention. For Black dragons it's –ion and –ia; for blue –gos and –gosa; for red –strasz and –strasza; for bronze –mu and –mi; for green –rus and –ra. Silver dragon is an entirely new type I create on my own; their naming convention is only –shi.
ABOUT SUGA. In my mind, dragon-Suga doesn't really have a gender. That's why I use the pronoun it. But whenever Suga takes human form, it prefers the male version of the race, without no real reason at all.
Tobio likes to think he has enough knowledge about the desert. After all, he's always the first to run along whenever a traveler comes to their kingdom, ready to share terrific stories about the desert they have to beat before stepping into the safety of Karasuno kingdom. He never makes the mistake of underestimating it like some arrogant, foolish adventurers; he respects the challenge the vast dry land will certainly give and he has made sure to ration his provision to last for at least a week. After all, he knows better than anyone else finding the dragon races taking refuge on the volcano hills beyond the desert won't be an easy task.
Truth be told, he isn't going into this adventure willingly. True, he has always prided himself as a capable warrior, but unlike most who wants to take glory by slaying dragons, Tobio prefers to leave the majestic creatures alone. He has never said it to anyone else, but deep down he has always been amazed by dragons and if one day he shall meet one of them, the only thing he wants to do is observing it from up close.
Of course then the bane of his life who unfortunately is also the king of Karasuno kingdom, Oikawa Toru, suddenly decides that Tobio has to prove his strength and loyalty by giving him the scale of the rarest silver dragon. Remembering that still makes Tobio's blood boil. There's no reason for him to prove anything to the king—Oikawa only gives the order out of his whim and perhaps because he doesn't want to see Tobio's face at the moment.
(In retrospect, they did just have one of the biggest fights ever so Tobio wasn't really surprised by the order, but still.)
Swallowing the curse hanging on the tip of his tongue makes him all the more aware about his parched throat. Tobio's jaw tightens as he takes another step forward through the desert and feels sands slipping into his sandals, irritating his feet wounded from the long journey. Up ahead, the sun is merciless eventhough it shouldn't have been that long since it rises. The heat seems to burn straight through his skin; he half expects to see scraps of it mingling along with his sweat. Not that night in the desert is any better. Despite the unmistakable torture he has to endure now, Tobio still prefers the heat than the bone biting cold of the night. He can survive the heat—has enough water to last for few more days—but the flimsy excuse of blanket he brings won't help him much. He still considers it a miracle he managed to survive last night.
Besides, it shouldn't be that much further until he reaches the oasis. He has been walking for a whole day and a night; he should have covered half of his intended distance by now and the travelers have said the oasis is smacked right in the middle of the desert. He can certainly use some fresh water right now. The sweat has made the thin linen tunic he wears stick to his skin and although he isn't really anal about self-hygiene, but it's started to feel disgusting.
"Where the heck is that oasis anyway?" He grunts. Wiping at his sweaty forehead, Tobio takes out the map one of the travelers has drawn for him and studies it. He's quite sure he's not lost, but it's still better to be certain of it. "Let's see here," mumbling to himself, Tobio looks at the red dot he has written on the map in lieu of his position. Just as he expects, he's still on the right route and the oasis shouldn't be more than a half day walk from here. He gives himself a small nod, lips curling into a smirk before putting the map away, and starts walking again.
The oasis is a refuge taken by basically everyone who comes across the desert. However, it's more often than not used as a base by the thieves at night and Tobio doesn't want to attract the wrong kind of attention. He needs to keep moving on; he has no time to waste here.
xXXx
Thankfully, the sun is still staying on the sky when Tobio finally arrives at the oasis. It's a tiring walk, even more so since he has walked faster to race against time, but once he sees the sparkling wide lake surrounds by lush, vibrant green trees, all of his exhaustion seems to seep out of his pores. For a second, he can only watches in awe at the scenery. After seeing endless space covered in only golden sand and grey stones, the colors in the oasis are almost blinding.
He manages to overcome his amazement when he swallows reflexively and immediately winces at the feeling of his throat being ripped apart. Now the lake doesn't just look beautiful, but also tempting. Almost reverently he steps closer towards the lake. He puts his belongings behind bushes near a distinctive rock in the hope of hiding them from unwanted people. Tobio then kneels on the edge of the lake, near enough he can feel the coolness of the water on his skin without actually touching it. His reflection stares back at him with wide eyes before a ripple disturbs it as he dips his hands under the water.
A sigh escapes from him as the water soothes his parched throat. That one taste awakes greed in him and soon he's dipping his whole head into the water without any reservation. The immediate coolness is a blessing for his overheated head and he thinks he'd stay like that forever if not for the sudden awareness of another presence being near.
He snaps his head back with wariness of a hunter and stills any movement. His ears are trained to catch any little noise and his eyes narrow as he watches out towards the lake. There, the presence is getting stronger. Tobio tilts his head cautiously when he hears the sound of rippling water—almost like someone is waddling or perhaps swimming in it. Curiosity piques, he stands up silently and threads closer towards the noise's source. He makes sure to stand under the shades as he watches a distant figure swimming towards the lake's edge.
At first, he can only see the bright orange hair of the figure (and he almost can't believe his eyes because seriously whoever has orange hair?!) before they reaches the edge and slowly walks out of the water. Tobio's eyes are greeted by a small yet strong back. The olive colored skin still glistens from droplets of water and the muscles flex with each step their owner takes. As he continues to watch, Tobio can't help moving his gaze lower only to blush afterwards.
The figure, apparently, has no qualm about modesty as they don't even wear anything during their swim. It should be embarrassing; Tobio knows he should have diverted his gaze away from the figure but for some unexplainable reasons, he finds his gaze fixes onto the stranger. Without blinking he watches as the figure shakes their head and body like a dog would to dry itself, before they turns lazily towards Tobio's direction, making them recognizable as a boy.
The squeak escaping from Tobio afterwards is involuntary. He's quick to close his mouth with both hands, but the damage has been done. The small sound makes the strange boy turn his head so fast that Tobio doesn't have enough time to do anything before a pair of intense bronze eyes pin him in place. There is no hostility in those eyes, but still the intensity is enough to make Tobio's breath catch in his throat.
The stranger keeps their eye contact for what seems to be forever before his lips move to whisper words too low for Tobio to hear. Then the connection is broken when the stranger blinks. The intensity melts away as a bright grin curls the stranger's lips instead.
"OOII! You are a person, right? Right? I've been waiting to meet someone here! Aaaah, I'm so happy! What's your name? I'm Hinata! Let's be friends!"
The stranger, now known as Hinata, yells exuberantly. The grin looks ready to split his face and he even bounces lightly as if he can't contain his excitement in any other way. This only serves to make Tobio even more wary. He narrows his eyes in suspicion and decides to keep watching Hinata instead of giving any answer.
Sadly, it's not enough to discourage the other.
"Can you hear me? Maybe you should come closer! Or maybe I should come to you! Yes, I will come closer so don't move okay? I really want to talk!"
Tobio's eyes widen once more. Surely the stranger is joking. But then, to his fear, Hinata really takes bold steps towards him, still with that confusing wide grin on his face. In response, Tobio takes out his hunting knife and holds it protectively in front of him. The sight of the weapon is enough to make Hinata halt. The grin finally falters into confused line.
"Don't come closer, you strange pervert! I have no intention to talk with a nudist like you! You should be ashamed!"
Immediately, Hinata's face turns bright red. He squeaks out something that may be an apology once he realizes his nudity. Thankfully, he seems to take the hint and doesn't wait for any response before covering his private parts and bolting towards his pile of clothes.
It's a chance for Tobio to turn around and to leave the stranger for good, but he can't say he isn't intrigued. Despite the intensity he once exudes, Hinata doesn't seem like a dangerous person. Against his better judgment, Tobio finds himself wanting to know the reason why he's here. So he puts his knife away and walks back towards the bushes where he has dropped his bag. At least he will be able to protect his belongings if the stranger suddenly decides he doesn't only want to talk.
xXXx
Hinata can barely keep himself from jumping around in excitement. A person! He finally meets another person here after days of simply waiting around! Oooh, he can't wait to tell the others about this! But of course, first he has to know more about this stranger and he can't do that if he keeps playing around!
With determination in each step, Hinata approaches the stranger. As he gets close, he's greeted by a cold glare, but that has never stopped him before. Instead of being deterred, it just makes Hinata even more curious about his companion who is now sitting atop of a rather big rock with his knife in hand.
No matter how dense Hinata is, at least he can see a warning as it is.
He wisely changes his mind about sitting beside the stranger and opts to stand near him instead. He grins when he realizes the stranger doesn't move away. It's a good sign, right.
"Hello again! I'm sorry about earlier. I, uh, was just too excited to see you," he starts sheepishly before holding out his hand. "I've said this before, but I'm Hinata! Nice to meet you!"
Silence fills in between them before finally the stranger sighs and takes Hinata's hand in his. "… Kageyama Tobio."
"Kage-yama To-bio? Can I call you Kageyama, then?" the grin on Hinata's face widens even more when Tobio nods in agreement. This time he doesn't hesitate in taking a seat beside Tobio, crossing his legs and looking up at his new friend with undisguised happiness. "So, Kageyama! What brings you here?"
"I'm here for a break. I have a mission on the volcano beyond the desert." Tobio grunts. The expression on Hinata's face is so open he finds it hard to believe he has any hidden agendas. Though that still isn't enough to make him put away his weapon.
"The volcano?" Big bronze eyes blink before Hinata tilts his head like curious puppy. "Why would you go there? It's not a safe place for human."
"I know." Tobio rolls his eyes because even he is not that stupid. "I'll be alright though. I'm not that weak."
"I can believe that," Hinata smiles wryly. He has seen the way Tobio handles the knife in his hand and it's not something an amateur can do. "You didn't answer me though. Why would you go there? Far as I know, there's nothing of interest in that volcano … except if you're looking for dragons."
"And what if I am?"
Hinata's brows hit his hairline because he hasn't expected the defensive tone Tobio uses. "Whoa, I didn't mean to offend you!" he puts his hands up in placating manner. This Tobio can be quite scary when he's angry. "but … well, I don't think that's wise. It's just that … dragons won't just show up because you barge into their home. There's no guarantee you will find them and even if you do, they are dangerous. I don't think it's worthy enough to risk your life."
The glare Tobio bestows on him hasn't receded one bit. Hinata tries to not flinch under that gaze and holds Tobio's eyes stubbornly. After a while, Tobio finally scoffs and turns his head away. It's not exactly an agreement, but Hinata still feels satisfied nevertheless.
"It's an order from my king. I can't exactly disobey him."
"Your king? What, you are a knight? You don't look like one—I mean, uh, you're not wearing armor or anything so … yeah." Hinata quickly adds when Tobio whips up yet another devastating glare at him. "Besides, your king doesn't seem like a good person if he ordered his knights to hunt dragons without a good cause."
"He didn't order me to hunt them. He just wanted me to bring some scales from the silver dragon to prove my loyalty and strength."
"The silver dragon … huh. You're aiming for the impossible."
"Nothing's impossible unless you never try." Tobio shrugs negligently. "What about you? Why are you here? You look far too weak to travel the desert alone. Are you lost?"
"Excuse me? I'll let you know that I can take care of myself just fine!" This time, it's Hinata's turn to glare. Admittedly, his isn't as impressive as Tobio's, but at least it can convey his irritation. "I came from the volcano area actually, and I'm told to visit the kingdom to learn about the civility there."
That certainly captures Tobio's attention. "Wait, you came from the volcano area? So you know the shortest way to get there, right?"
"Right, but I'm heading for the kingdom, remember? Kingdom, volcano, they're kind of placed in the opposite way."
"Do you have anyone you know in the kingdom? You will need a recommendation if you want to pass the border guards."
"Wait, what? I didn't know about that!"
"It's a new rule. No wonder you don't know about it yet." Tobio's smirk is way too smug, but he doesn't care one bit. "I can give you recommendation, if you want. Even better, I'm a royal knight. You'll be allowed to enter the castle if you're with me."
Hinata narrows his eyes. "In return, you want me to bring you to the volcano area."
"Good to know you're not as stupid as you look."
XXXx
"Have you ever seen any dragon before, Kageyama?"
"… Once. Although I just saw its silhouette flying above me."
"Really?" Hinata sounds intrigued. He turns around to face Tobio, easily walking backwards on the desert as if he has memorized each stone and slope. The agility and familiarity he shows at navigating the desert makes Tobio grudgingly acknowledge him. It's not something he would have expected from someone who looks so small and weak. "You're blessed then. I've been told dragons don't like to show their selves to humans."
"True. I was just a kid back then though, so maybe the dragon didn't feel wary of me. I've never seen any dragon after that."
"Haha, looks like you've run out of luck. So what do you think about them? They are amazing, right?"
"… Yeah, they are." Tobio sighs softly. Without his realization, a small smile has already forming on his face as he remembers back on the only dragon he has ever seen. He may be wrong, but Tobio is almost sure it was the silver dragon itself. "They are beautiful actually and it's always fascinating to learn about their powers. I'm especially intrigued by the Bronze Dragons—the one guarding time—and the Silver One, of course."
"Everyone is intrigued by the Silver One." Hinata agrees with a grin. "It's to be expected though. It is, after all, the only dragon who doesn't fit in any classes. I'm surprised to hear your interest in the Bronze Dragons, though. Almost sure you'll be more interested in the Red Dragons—the one guarding life and living things."
"To be honest, I'm intrigued by all of the classes. It's just that the Bronze Dragons seem to be more … I don't know, fascinating to me." Tobio hums his answer. He's too lost in thought to notice the wide grin or the excited flush on Hinata's face. By the time he finally glances back at Hinata, the flush has already disappeared. "You know quite a lot about them too. I'm surprised."
"Duh, I came from the volcano area. Of course I know a lot about dragons."
Tobio has suspected as much, but then a realization dawns upon him. He suddenly stops on his track and looks at Hinata with what can only be described as envious. "You've met dragons."
"I have." Hinata nods eventhough Tobio's words are a statement, not question. "I've met a lot of them and I may even take you to see some of them too. I just have one condition."
"What is it?" Tobio tries to not sound too sulky, but it's hard. He doesn't like being conditioned in doing anything, but Hinata may as well be the only person who can bring him to see dragons and for that, he won't mind ditching his overly big pride. He still can't help glaring at the way Hinata grins all too knowingly at that though.
"It's nothing difficult, don't worry." The corners of Hinata's lips quirk up again before suddenly it's replaced with a sharp smile. Once again, Tobio is faced with intense bronze orbs seemingly penetrating into his soul. When Hinata speaks up, his voice is deep and gravelly—so unlike the cheerful one Tobio has gotten used to—and he knows he's dead serious. "Promise me you won't threaten the dragons in any way. You won't take out your weapon and you will only take what is given to you. If you can't promise me that, then it'll be better for us to part way right now."
"… I promise." Tobio never intends to kill any dragon anyway and if he can't get the silver dragon's scale … well, he can still handle Oikawa one way or another.
Hinata is still staring intensely at him as if searching for something. It takes all of Tobio's strength to not flinch under that unblinking eyes, but then the carefree grin returns to Hinata's face and the moment passes just like that. "Good! I will trust you, Kageyama! Now, let's go and meet some dragons!"
xXXx
Another whole day, they finally passes through the desert. It still takes them yet half a day before finally their surrounding changes into thick forest Hinata claims to be the beginning of the volcano area. Tobio has lost count the amount of uncertain glances he throws at Hinata, but every time the other will only grin and nod, as if telling him to trust him. Against his better judgment, Tobio finds himself doing just that.
The forest is filled with old trees seemingly reaching up endlessly to the sky. The green foliage creates natural roof above their head, banning even sunlight to filter in, and in the almost complete darkness Tobio can only follow Hinata's bright hair as he threads through the forest in certainty.
Again, that feeling of astonishment at seeing Hinata acts so calm and natural in dangerous surrounding like this manifests in Tobio's chest. Any early doubt he has had about Hinata is gone now and in its place is something akin to curious admiration for the small boy who is a lot more than he looks. Of course, Tobio won't say any of this even under torture, but sometimes Hinata will look back at him and grins in a knowing way as if he can read Tobio's mind nevertheless.
(Tobio finds it even stranger that he doesn't mind that possibility at all. He doesn't mind having Hinata in his head and in a way, that's the scariest thing he has ever experienced yet.)
"How much longer until we reach the volcano area?" Tobio asks while cutting yet another branch hindering his path. He curses under his breath for the inconvenience and glares at Hinata's back. It's so unfair how the forest seems to open up a path willingly for the smaller man.
"In case you haven't noticed from the heat—which hasn't decreased at all since the desert—we have reached the volcano area. Only, we're not on the hills part yet." The answer comes with far too cheerful hum. Hinata obviously has missed the glare aims on his back. "We'll reach the hills part soon, don't fret much. Though I'm curious what you'll do once we arrive there."
"Why?"
"Because the hills are not easy to climb. Especially not by some human like you." Hinata glances back at him once, giving yet another one of his infuriating grins, and continues walking.
Tobio doesn't bother to muffle his cursing this time. "Don't underestimate me! If you can climb those hills to get down to the desert, then I can climb up too! I will not lose to someone like you!"
"Well, you're free to try. Though, don't be ashamed if you fail. Very few people manage to climb up on their first try. If you're so sure about your skill though …," Hinata obviously pauses for dramatic effect as he stops his track and turns towards Tobio. He tilts his head up slightly and as Tobio follows his gaze, he can't help the slacking of his jaws. Cue another dazzling grin from Hinata. "Be my guest, Kageyama."
Hinata's cheeky words don't even filter in Tobio's ears anymore. He's still watching, slack jawed, at the enormously high hills suddenly looming in front of them. His feet move forward almost unconsciously and he reaches out to feel the solid stone with his own palms to make sure he's not dreaming. All the while, Hinata observes in silence, although his thrumming excitement still can be felt despite everything. Tobio doesn't even have the mind to snap at him now.
"Whoa," he can't help the sound. No matter how far he tries to crane his neck, Tobio still can't see the top of the hills. He takes few steps back, hoping it will allow him to see better, and although the top is still eluding him, but now he can see what seems to be a cave around the middle part of the hills. "Is that a cave?"
"Yes! That's my home actually. There are a lot of other caves like that in the hills. Some are even more hidden than the others. Dragons like to use them as a nest."
"Really? Is there actually a dragon nest near here?" Tobio whips his head to look at Hinata so fast he almost gets a whiplash. The whole expression on his face screaming excitement and that's maybe the first time Hinata sees something other than a frown or scowl on his face.
"I know at least two dragon nests around, right." The excitement on Tobio's face is influencing Hinata, making him want to answer honestly to the question. He knows the dragons won't thank him for that, but … well, it's hard to refuse Tobio anything when he's like this.
"Take me there, then! We can visit your home afterwards, but first let's go to the dragon's nest, please!"
"Whoa, calm down, Kageyama! The dragons won't go anywhere!" Hinata laughs before placing his hands on Tobio's shoulder. He's still grinning as Tobio flushes in embarrassment over his own demand. "We can't go searching for dragon's nests now since it'll get dark soon and we both are tired. There's no harm in resting for a day. Besides, my home isn't that boring, you know."
Tobio purses his lips, but he can see the logic in Hinata's words. "Right … sorry."
"Not at all! I can understand you enthusiasm. It's quite flattering, actually," Hinata chuckles. He ignores the questioning look Tobio shoots at him and just releases the other. "Now then, let's see if you can find a way up to my home."
The sudden challenge makes Tobio quirk his brows. It's unexpected, but Tobio never backs down from a challenge. Lips twisting into an arrogant smirk, he approaches the hills once again and this time starts to search for indents on the stone that can be used as stepping ground. He finds some, but not quite enough to reach the cave Hinata has called home. In fact, the whole hill looks undisturbed by humans—he finds it hard to believe Hinata has actually climbed up and down this hill in daily basis.
Still, if it's true then Tobio certainly can't lose here. Determination hardening his stare, he begins to climb up. It's hard to find a stable ground for his step, but he still manages at first. The stone is slippery from the dampness of the forest; Tobio curses here and there whenever his step slips. However, he still doesn't stop. He's stubborn above anything else and if he wanted to climb up a hill, then he would climb up a hill.
"… Are you seriously going to do this, Kageyama?"
"Shut up! Do I look like I'm joking around?!" Tobio snarls because Hinata's question is messing with his focus. Besides, what kind of question is that?! Why should he sound so concerns? He's doing this on daily basis, so there must be a way up there somewhere. "You just stay there and watch. I will defeat this hill for sure!" He's already halfway through!
"Are you an idiot?! You can't defeat nature force like this! You'll die if you fall, Kageyama! Stop this!" Now Hinata sounds absolutely panic.
"No way! I won't lose from you, Hinata!"
Hinata reels back as if slapped when Tobio finally calls his name. His eyes widen as he watches his first friend tempting death by his silly pride. Gritting his teeth in a mixture of irritation and guilt, he finally shouts, "YOU STUBBORN OAF, I LIED OKAY?! I LIED TO YOU SO STOP THAT!"
Just like that, Tobio suddenly freezes. He's still hanging precariously on the hill, but Hinata's words make him stay still. Ever so slowly he looks down at Hinata. His voice scarily calm as he asks, "What."
"I-I lied, okay? I've never … never climbed up that hill. Not like what you do right now. No one has ever done that and comes out alive. I'm sorry for lying, but please—" Hinata's breath hitches. "Please come down before you die."
"So the cave … it's not your home?"
"It is," the sigh escaping Hinata is soft. "I didn't lie about that."
That doesn't make sense at all and Tobio says as much. "How do you enter your home if you've never climbed up the hill then?"
"I said, I've never climbed up that hill the way you do. Don't mean I've never done it at all." Hinata corrects, but Tobio is unimpressed. Yet another sigh escapes from Hinata. He looks up to see Tobio calmly watching him and seems to decide something. "You see, whenever I want to go home ... I never do it in this form."
Tobio opens his mouth to ask what Hinata means, but then he shuts it back with an audible click. His eyes widen as he watches strange bronze light gathering around Hinata before finally even that light becomes too bright for him to see anything. In reflex, he moves a hand to cover his eyes—and gasps when he realizes where he is at the moment. That move makes him lose his grip. He can't even scream as his body is pulled fast onto the ground. He shuts his eyes tight, hoping irrationally that if he can't see, then his death won't be too painful.
"See?! This exactly is what I'm afraid of!"
Suddenly a rumbling noise somehow similar with Hinata's voice can be heard. Tobio's breath catches as he feels something gently closes around his body, cradling him protectively and halting his fall. Carefully he opens his eyes—only to wish he hasn't when the view that greets him is that of the ground far below him. A sound similar with terrified squeak escapes from him unbidden, prompting what can only be described as a chuckle from the mysterious voice.
"You can relax, Kageyama. I won't drop you."
The voice assures. Tobio twists around so he can look up at the creature that has him and once more his breath is caught in his throat. What he sees is a bronze dragon gently flying towards the cave on top of the hill. The dragon's claw is carefully wrapped around his body, making sure none of the sharp point nicks him. He watches with mouth agapes as the dragon twists its serpentine neck to peer at him. Tobio swears it's grinning when its bronze reptilian eyes stare at him.
"Are you comfortable there?" The dragon asks, clearly amused, and it's the familiar teasing tone that finally snaps Tobio out of his dumb-founded condition.
"You—Hinata? You're a dragon?!"
The sheer astonishment in Tobio's voice is enough to make the dragon tilt its head and hoot in laughter. Tobio tries to hide his flinch when a small fire ball accidentally bleaches out of Hinata's mouth and explodes on some blank spot of the hill, but even as he watches, the melting stone seems to stop before slowly it hardens back until finally it regains the original form; almost as if time has been turned back around.
"Oops, sorry about that." The dragon—Hinata—at least is decent enough to sound sheepish. "Accidents happen sometimes. Just don't tell that to anyone, okay?"
To be honest, Tobio isn't sure he can say any about this to anyone, but that's not what's in his mind right now. "You're truly a dragon. A Bronze Dragon at that—the Guardian of Time. Oh God, I can't believe this."
"You'd better get used to this knowledge. This is not the only surprise I have for you." Hinata snorts, releasing wisp of smoke dancing in the air. "Just enjoy the view. It's not every day a human can fly with a dragon."
Well, now that Hinata points that out … Tobio closes his eyes with a resigned sigh. There has been a lot stranger things in his life, he guesses. Besides, he rather enjoys the feel of wind on his face as they fly higher and higher still. Now that he has wrapped his mind around the concept of Hinata-being-a-dragon, it's easy to allow a small smile for himself. Despite being clumsy in his human form, but Hinata seems quite reliable in his dragon form. Tobio may as well enjoy the ride while he can.
"I guess for a dragon … you're not that bad."
"I'm glad you approve." Hinata returns and it's not hard at all to imagine the toothy grin on the dragon's face as he said that.
xXXx
Hinata crashes into the cave none too gently, almost throwing Tobio off of his claw in process, and just dips his head in embarrassment when he receives a glare for his trouble. Thankfully, Tobio's ire isn't directed at him for far too long since his attention is immediately stolen by the interior of the cave. For one, it's far bigger than he originally thinks. The cave's ceiling is high; even dragon-Hinata can stand tall without problem in the cave, and it's far more spacious than it looks like. The cave is deep and Tobio is sure he'll find a lot more room if he ventures further in.
"Welcome to my home." Hinata proudly exclaims. His leather-like wings spread grandiosely. He doesn't bother returning to his human form here.
"You have a nice home." Tobio admits softly. It feels weird praising a dragon for his nest, but he doesn't know what else to do. "Do you live here alone?"
"Mm, not exactly. Come, I'll show you around!" There's definitely a bounce in each of Hinata's step and it's just far too surreal for Tobio to watch a dragon skipping around in excitement that he can't do anything except following closely. "The first room is just the entrance. We don't use it for anything else except for lazing around on sunny days. The second room on your right is the treasure room," he tilts his slender neck towards another spacious room fills with mountains of gold coins and other precious trinkets. "Don't think of stealing anything though. We dragons are very protective of our treasures."
Tobio rolls his eyes but doesn't deem it worth a response. He has no interest in the gold anyway.
They walk even deeper into the cave without passing any other noticeable room. It's getting darker the further they go in and the humidity also seems to increase. Tobio tilts his head when he hears faint sound of trickling water somewhere in the cave and turns to look at Hinata for explanation.
"Ah, there's a lake down there. That's where we usually take our bath—when we want to. I'll show it to you next time."
"Next time?" Tobio echoes hopefully.
"Yup, next time! You're my first human friend, of course I'll bring you here again! Now come on, I really want you to see something!" If it's possible, Hinata seems even more excited. He's almost running as he leads Tobio into the last room in the cave; a very spacious room right at the end of the cave which is filled with piles of straws and grass. The room smells of lavender and further investigation shows that it comes from heap of fresh lavender on the right side of the room.
Despite it being night already, the room is still well-lit by several torches placed strategically on the walls. Tobio takes all of it in with a sense of amazement; finally realizing the magnitude of this event.
Hinata hasn't stopped grinning since he brings Tobio into his home. This is the first time a human ever enters his nest and the reaction Tobio shows is so amusing. Of course, Tobio still hasn't realized the true surprise Hinata has prepared for him—still too absorbed in his new surrounding—but that's alright. Hinata is sure sooner than later the surprise will show itself.
Almost as if in response to his thought, suddenly a low hum resounds through the room. It's not a threatening sound, but still manages to make Tobio tense his muscles. Hinata watches as his human friend scans the room with new awareness in his eyes and sees the exact moment Tobio realizes they aren't exactly alone in the room.
"Shoumu? Is that you?" The humming goes louder, soothing and sweet like honey. Moment after, a lump of silver that can be mistaken as stone suddenly moves before a slender, serpentine neck uncurls lazily from beneath scaled silver wing. A spiked tail swishes as the dragon stands up fully, followed by the slow spreading of two great wings in what can be considered as a stretch for dragons. Then the dragon opens its eyes, showing slit pupils surrounded by ring of grey and they are staring right at Tobio.
At that moment, Tobio's blood runs cold. He's trapped between fear and disbelieve as he returns the Silver Dragon's steady gaze.
Time seems to stretch on and on until finally the silver dragon blinks and breaks the paralyzing spell it has on Tobio. It turns its head towards Hinata and when it next speaks, it sounds genuinely baffled. "Shoumu, what is a human doing in our home?"
"I met him at the oasis, Koushi! Just like you said! He wants to take your scales for his king, but I assure you he's a nice guy! He won't harm you, right, Kageyama?" Hinata grins at the human, totally oblivious to his so-called friend's reaction.
The Silver Dragon—Koushi—sighs in fond exasperation. "It's not like I don't want you to bring humans here, but I think now isn't the right time. Daion will be furious if he finds the human here."
"Eeeh, but why?! Daion usually—" Hinata's protest is cut short when Koushi gives him a very pointed look and curls its spiked tail protectively around itself. Understanding dawns onto the bronze dragon. "Oh. Right."
"Indeed." The wry note in Koushi's voice makes Hinata shuffle ashamedly. However, the silver dragon only shakes its head fondly before returning its attention towards Tobio. "Now then, little human. You can take the scales I've shredded if you want, but you really should go back home soon. Shoumu will make sure you return to the kingdom safely."
Koushi actually sounds quite apologetic as it said that. Tobio knows he should just take the kind offer and walk away as soon as he can, but his brain is stuck on one thing. When he opens his mouth, what comes out is an astonished, "You're hatching eggs ... aren't you?"
Both Hinata and Koushi look surprised at that. They share a look before finally Koushi sighs with a small smile. "You have sharp eyes. Indeed, I'm hatching eggs." It uncurls its tail, showing two bone-white dragon eggs previously hidden beneath the appendage to Tobio. "Thus, your presence here won't be welcomed by my mate. It'll be better for you to go before he comes home, little human."
"Yeah, Koushi's right. Daion usually is kind enough to humans, but in Koushi's current condition, he won't let any stranger near Koushi—let alone a human. I'm sorry, Kageyama. I should've thought this better."
"No, it's alright. It's … a pleasure for me to meet the Silver Dragon. Thank you, Hinata."
The sincere gratitude manages to make Hinata blush. He's eternally grateful for his tan scale for it covers the red flush completely from the human. Of course, it's not enough to fool Koushi which is grinning unabashedly at him.
"Well … uh, I think I'd better take the scales now, if it's alright?" Tobio rubs the back of his neck uncertainly. Now that he's actually face-to-face with the legendary silver dragon, he just feels … accomplished. It's truly regretful he can't stay for a moment longer, but at least Hinata has promised a next time and Tobio intends to make sure he fulfills that promise.
"Absolutely. You can come nearer. It's a little bit of a mess, but I don't really have the time to tidy up lately."
That elicits a chuckle from Tobio. The image of a dragon fussing over the mess its shredded scales creates is just too amusing. Feeling his tension melts away completely, Tobio finally steps towards the silver dragon. From the close proximity he can finally see the scales truly scattered around the dragon and he takes two of the smaller ones in hands. He doesn't want to be inconvenient by the scales, despite how pretty and useful they can be.
"Thank you again for this." He says politely to the dragon who lowers its neck so they are more-or-less on eye level. "I really hope I'd be able to meet you again sometime. Of course, with Hinata too."
"Of course. Shoumu has considered you his friend; thus you're always welcomed here, little human. Come back in two months and maybe you can even play with our dragonlings."
A boyish grin splits Tobio's face. "I will! It'll be my first time seeing dragonlings! And, uh, I-I have another request … if it's allowed."
"As long it's within my power to do so," Koushi nods. Its grey reptilian eyes very gentle as they reflect Tobio's figure back at him.
"Then I want to touch you, to make sure you're actually real." In a gesture so uncharacteristically of him, Tobio gazes up shyly from beneath his fringe. "May I?"
Stunned silence follows after Tobio's request. Both dragons seem speechless by the sheer sincerity in the human's voice. Tobio bears the silence bravely, ignoring the way his ears start to color red.
"Aww, Kageyama, I don't know you can be this adorable!" Suddenly Hinata calls out with loud laughter. The bronze dragon rears up on his back legs and flaps his wings in sheer amusement.
"S-Shut up! I'm not adorable, Idiot!"
"What?! You're the idiot here, Idiot!"
"You're the biggest idiot of all idiots then!"
"Am not!"
"Am too!"
Both dragon-Hinata and Tobio glare at each other. It's quite a comical sight considering Tobio is a lot smaller than Hinata but for some reason, his glare looks convincingly more intimidating. Their meaningless fight will only escalate further if not for boisterous laughter suddenly reverberating through the room. The sound is enough to snap both children (because Hinata still is a children, even by a human's standard) out of their glaring match to turn towards Koushi.
The silver dragon is tipping its head back and laughing to its heart's content. "Oooh, you two are really interesting. Hinata, don't tease little Tobio like that. Tobio, of course you may touch me. I must warn you though, it won't be an earth-shattering moment."
The permission is all Tobio needs to turn his scowling expression into one of unadulterated happiness. For a moment, the smile on his face can even rival one of Hinata's grins. "Thank you very much!" He shouts out because who cares about earth-shattering moment? He already got that moment when he saw Hinata transforming into a dragon.
When he approaches Koushi this time, it's with less hesitation. Even just from spending so little time with the dragon, Tobio already feels safe and protected around it. It's a given, he thinks, since there's nothing but gentleness in each and every gesture the dragon does. It's a wonder how humans can spin tales of horror out of such gentle creature like this. As he gets closer, he can feel the warmth radiating from Koushi's body and it surprises him. For a second, Tobio is dubious. If the dragon's scale is as hot as its flame, it may not be a good idea to touch it with bare hands.
However, he doesn't have the time to pull away. Perhaps sensing his hesitation, Koushi suddenly moves; leaning its neck forward until the side of it rubs against Tobio's cheek. The sensation makes Tobio gasp; the scales are far softer than they look and they are actually cool to touch. His bravery restores, Tobio reaches out to pet Koushi's neck and yet another gasp escapes from him when he hears what can only be described as a purr coming from the dragon.
The grin on Tobio's face can't possibly get any bigger, but not for lack of trying. He actually feels like having happiness right at the tip of his fingers and he will gladly stay like this for as long as he's permitted if not for a sudden roar shaking the whole room.
The three occupants of the room snap up to attention. Tobio turns around to the source of the noise but he's unable to see anything except for a flash of silver and then he screams when heat engulfs him completely. If not for Koushi's wing protecting him, he'd have been burned down to the bones. The blazing heat is enough to make his skin blister and it seems to go on forever until finally the fire dies down, leaving distinctive smell of scorching earth behind.
Only when the fire has truly gone out does Koushi lift its wing from Tobio. Once his vision isn't blocked by the appendage, the human can see an enraged Black Dragon just few feet in front of him. Smoke still curls up from the dragon's nostrils, black and dangerous just like the eyes pinning Tobio in place. Unlike Hinata and Koushi, this black dragon is enormous. Its black wings are spread to their fullest length, almost touching the room's ceilings. Its scales are as black as the midnight sky, glowing blue in some places to visualize the fire within ready to be spat at moment notice.
There's nothing friendly about the dragon. Tobio thanks whatever deities up there Koushi has managed to protect him in time.
"HUMAN! HOW DARE YOU INVADE MY HOME! I WILL BURN YOU UNTIL NOTHING IS LEFT! NOT EVEN YOUR ASHES!"
The Black Dragon roars once again when their gazes meet. It rears back, wings creating strong wind as they flap around it, and opens its mouth wide. Tobio only stares, transfixed, as blue light starts to gather deep inside the dragon's throat. It gets brighter and brighter, increasing the heat with each passing second, and he suddenly knows with such clarity that he will die today. Well, at least I've managed to fulfil my dream. Being killed by a dragon seems fitting, he thinks in wry resignation as he closes his eyes.
But then there's another growl from behind him. Tobio feels rather than sees Koushi straightens up fully. Soon after, its voice rings loud and clear, the authoritative tone it holds just a little bit surprising.
"Cease your foolishness, Daion! You will not harm this human, for he has done nothing to harm me! You will start using your brain instead of muscle now or I won't forgive you!"
The reprimand is enough to shock Daion—the Black Dragon—to close his mouth. More smoke wafts to the air when the blue flame is suddenly distinguished (for one crazy moment, Tobio wonders if the dragon's stomach is undamaged by swallowing its own flame). Daion then tilts his head in confusion as he addresses Koushi, "But this little human was touching you! What if he means you harm? I can't let him hurt my mate, Koushi!"
"I know, but Tobio won't hurt me," Koushi sighs. "Shoumu brought him here. They are friends now so you can't scare him away. In fact, I think you've scared Shoumu plenty enough now."
Now that Koushi has mentioned him … Tobio looks at Hinata who is watching them warily. The poor Bronze Dragon looks unsure whether to intervene or not. Not that Tobio can blame him. From what he can guess, Daion and Koushi are something similar to parents for Hinata—and kids should never get involved in parents fight.
"Ah, I apologize, Shoumu," Daion actually looks regretful. The obsidian eyes soften a bit as they gaze at the smallest dragon, although they immediately harden once again when they return on Tobio. "I still don't like having a human here though."
"We know. Tobio was about to go when you arrived. You return earlier than usual."
"There's nothing unusual when I do my round and I don't feel right leaving you for too long." Daion replies in a way of answering. He approaches Koushi, ignoring Tobio who is still trapped between the two dragons, before nuzzling his snout onto Koushi's. "Aren't you happy to see me?"
"You know I'm always happy to see you," Koushi responds in low rumble. It returns the affection, rubbing their scaled cheeks together before resting its head—and, inevitably, small horns—beneath Daion's snout. Tobio doesn't need to be a dragon to understand the loving expression and it makes him decidedly uncomfortable.
Being a small human trapped between two amorous dragons doesn't sound good.
Thankfully, he's not the only one feeling out of place.
"Oi, Kageyama! Let's get out of here. I don't want to watch another one of their mating rituals. Once is enough!" Hinata whispers furiously from behind Daion—who is still oblivious in anything other than his beloved Koushi—while scrunching his face from the memory.
Tobio has never been more grateful for Hinata at that moment. He knows his relief must be showing on his face, but finds he doesn't care at all. Thankfully, extracting himself away from Daion and Koushi isn't a hard thing to do considering they only have eyes for each other, and when he reaches Hinata, the bronze dragon kneels so he can climb up onto his back. Tobio shifts around until he gets comfortable, hands gripping at one of Hinata's spine spikes like a life-line once the dragon takes flight.
"Sorry about that. They tend to forget everything once together." Hinata says as they fly out of the cave.
"I can see that," Tobio wryly responds although he doesn't sound too upset about it. How can he be? The silver scales Koushi gave to him are solid presence in his arms and just the fact he manages to get them beats everything else. Except maybe for the acceptance Koushi and Hinata had clearly shown of him. He sighs, softly, and out of whim rests his head on Hinata's spike. "You promise to take me back again, right?"
"Of course! We are friends now! I'll take you back once the eggs have hatched! Daion isn't always that scary." Hinata's voice is chipper. If it's not enough, he even cranes his neck to give a dragon toothy grin at Tobio.
Despite himself, Tobio returns the grin. "Hard to believe, but I'll take your words for that. Koushi is nice though."
"Oh, yeeeesh! Koushi is mother. Mothers are always nice."
Tobio can't exactly remember his mother, but the conviction in Hinata's voice feels warm and he wants to believe it. "I'm glad I met you, Hinata."
"Hah! I'm glad I met you too, Kageyama!"
—End.