(once again inspired by one of Uraraaaaaaan drawings on Tumblr)
Being a half dragon was a lonely life. Feared by humans, ostracize by dragons, most small magic based creatures scurried away from him. His father died many years ago, and he never knew his mother apart from the stories his father had told him.
Thank goodness his father had taught him how to fend for himself since a young age or Keith doubt he would have survived those harsh years after his father's death. He could feed and shelter himself, the forest had everything he needs to survive and few creatures or humans could match him in a fight.
The only thing he didn't learn was how to mend himself, relying on his thick skin and dragons scales to prevent most injuries and if something had managed to break his skin it would often heal within a day, two at the very most.
This ignorance eventually led to his current predicament.
Keith had fought a chimera three days ago, it's snake tail had managed to bite Keith on his side; just below the ribs. The bite had not gotten better in the past three days, instead, it had only gotten worst; the purple that once only surrounded the puncture marks had now spread halfway over his stomach and starting to head up towards his chest.
He reluctantly had to admit; he needed help or death could be on his door. He had recalled hearing rumours, whispers in the forest from creatures and human that passed through about a half-elf that lived on the west side of these woods. One that was a healer, with talent like few others for potions.
Though he shouldn't trust the person that most likely gave potions to the adventures that tried to fight him; like some kind of proving ground for their skills…. Even so, he didn't have many other choices, there was a chance a half elve would help him and there was no chance, any human healer would help me... That was if he managed to make it into a village without being attacked.
So with the bare essentials and a hooded cloak over his regular clothes to hide his horns. Keith travelled to the west edge of the forest, slower than he would have liked but the poison was taking its effect, slowing down his body.
Keith assumed he found his destination when he came across a wooden cottage, with a roof covered, and growing more plants than he could name.
Dusk was beginning to settle and the fireflies began to wake and glow, flowing around the house. Keith assuming they were drawn by one of the many plants growing on the roof.
With a deep breath and some hesitation, he approached the cottage, knocking his glove-covered hands against the door.
"Comming" Called a female voice from inside the building, Keith raised a brow listening to the footsteps, they sounded much too light, either the half-elf was agile on her feet or…
The door creaked open, Keith finding himself needing to look downwards as the half-elf barely reached his chest. It was strange since usually half-elves and elves, in general, were known to be fairly tall. Her hair and eyes were a soft honey brown, when most half-elves; at least the ones that tried to fight him, usually had pale coloured hair and eyes that were some kind of shade of purple or blue.
Though she could have gotten her height and colouring from her human parent, as she still had the ever-present pointed ears of an elf.
"Hi do you need healing or are you lost?" the little half-elf asked.
"Healing" Keith answered his left-hand instinctively covering his injured side at the question.
She softly smiled and opened the door all the way for him. "Than come on in and let's take a look" she replied, turning her back towards him ushering him in with a wave of her hand as she wandered further into her home.
Keith freezing as he saw glimmering shinning wings on her back; covered in some kind of thin fog. The fog was probably caused by some kind of glamour she used to hide her wings. If it wasn't for his dragon eyes they probably would have been hidden from him as well.
Suddenly her height made sense, this small woman was a fairy or part fairy, not an elf. Keith almost decided to run at the sight, Fairies were tricksters, with maleficent tendencies when the mood struck them, and given their emotional nature, it was said that could happen at a drop of a hat.
The throb of his injury the only thing grounding him from running and choosing to take a step into the fairy's home.
There was a soft gentle light that illuminated the place, the source seemed to be bottles filled with some kind of glowing liquid, hanging from the roof. It was much nicer, steadier light than using candles or a fireplace for light. As much as, fire was a necessity for his survival he wasn't particularly fond of flames.
The place was a mix of neat and messy, there wasn't a speck of dirt or dust anywhere he could see, but the shelves looked stuff to the brim, with mismatch bottles and other nick-nakes he couldn't name.
"Please close the door behind you" she requested, as she placed a new sheet over her examination table.
Keith gently shut the door behind him, before gradually approaching her. Wanting help but also preparing himself for some kind of trick.
"You can take your clock off if you want" she offered "you don't have to hide what you are here"
"But you do?" he questioned back.
She paused for a moment looking puzzled before realization flash in her eyes "oh you can see my wings" she concluded.
Keith simply nodded in return.
"Sorry I deal with a lot of humans, it's easier pretending to be a half-elf than deal with their paranoia" she explained her wings fluttering a few times brushing away the fog before dropping back down and resting flat against her back once again. "Humans always seem to think I'll steal their children or curse them at any given moment" she sighed.
Keith feeling guilty for having similar assumptions, he had his fair share of peoples prejudiced and paranoia. He still didn't trust her, but he didn't truly trust anyone.
Keith returning her open gesture by taking off his cloak, revealing his horns, and his eyes becoming more visible as well.
She smiled up at him and patted the examination table next to her, Keith taking a seat.
"How can I help you today?" she asked with a smile, the fairy almost a head shorter than him even while sitting down.
Keith undid his top, pulling it off to the side, revealing his injury.
The Fairy's happy demeanour quickly shifted to a much more serious one, as her eyes scanned over the injury, her glasses reflecting off the light in the room as she leaned in to get a closer look at the bite mark.
"Bite from a Chimera's tail?" she questioned.
"Yes" Her replied.
"How long ago?" the fairy asked her small fingers gently grazing over the purple tint of his skin that surrounds the bite.
"About three days" he answered.
"Dragon blood or not you're lucky to be alive, but I have just the remedy for this," she said with a nod, Keith not sure if she was talking to herself or to him. As she wandered away and towards her supplies.
The Fairy using her wings to hover up to one of the higher shelves as she gathered a few different supplies. Keith wondering if had to climb those shelves when she had human patients.
She gathered what she needed and quickly returned to him, her small hands were gentle and nimble as they worked to clean the area around the bite, before dipping a needle into some kind of green liquid, then proceeding to poke serval spots along his purple tinted skin. There was only slight discomfort but it surprised Keith that the needle was able to break his skin at all.
"The needle is made out of dragon claw, and don't worry it was a chip off. The dragon was never harmed," she replied to his unspoken question.
Cleaning and drying her hands, before smearing some kind of cream over his skin and injury, washing her hands again then finally wrapping it all up in bandages that wrapped tightly around his torso.
"There that should do it for now" the fairy nodded moving to wash her hands one more time.
Keith was halfway through putting his shirt back on when the fairy suddenly grabbed his arm.
"Woah~" she awed in amazement looking over a patch of scales along his upper right arm. She probably didn't notice them before too focused on the injury and the task at hand. "I've never seen Dragon scales in person before, they're so vibrate and pretty."
Keith feeling a blush creeping onto his cheeks at her words, he had heard many words to describe his appearance especially ones that showcased his dragon heritage. 'Pretty' had never been one of them.
Her small fingers gently running over the surface of his scales "their so smooth as well" she added with wonder.
Keith felt a warm shiver run up his spine at her touch, forcing a little uncomfortable cough out of his throat as he tried to fight back the growing blush on his cheeks.
The small fairy suddenly realized what she was doing then and quickly retracted her hands. "Sorry, I've only ever read about dragons before your the first one I've actually met" she explained bashfully, embarrassed for her actions.
"It's alright" Keith assured surprised she was so calm around him if he really was her first dragon. Keith shrugging the rest of his coat back onto to him.
"Anyways" the fairy began, trying to change the subject. "You should probably stay the night, just so I can make sure your healing properly in the morning" She replied shifting back into doctor mode "I have a few beds in the next room for patients" she explained, while cleaning up her supplies and other tools.
Keith nodded in agreement glancing outside, the sun had long since set and the night only brought out more danger in the forest. "I will, thank you-" he paused, realizing he didn't know the little fairies name.
"You can call me Pidge" she replied putting the last of her things away.
"Thank you, Pidge" he nodded "my name's -" Keith was suddenly stunned silent, the little fairy magically flashing in front of him, pressing a single finger against his lips.
"Never tell a Fairy your real name, it's dangerous" she warned, with a soft almost sad smile, "just give me a nickname" Pidge suggested as she slowly pulled her finger away from his mouth.
"I… I don't have any nicknames" Keith confessed, his father only called him Keith or son, and he never had any other kind of positive interactions with others to gain a nickname he wished to repeat.
"Than how about I call you Red?" Pidge suggested.
"That works for me" Keith replied with a small smile and a nod.
Though a part of him couldn't help but wonder why telling a Fairy your real name was so dangerous, he had never heard anything like that before. Or why Pidge had such a sad far off look in her honey brown eyes as she warned him.
(come check out my tumblr page for other reblogs and post of mine cacophony-eg .tumblr . com (minus the spaces)