Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of the characters
"Give us the dragon scale!" Silver sighed as he barely gave the bandits a second glance. He kept one hand over the dagger on his hip and he used his other hand to twirl the scale between his fingers. The metallic scale was the size of a plate and it easily reflected the light of the sun. Dragon scales were rare and sold for a high return on the black market so it often drew the attention of thieves.
He lived in the mountain and didn't come across others often. Silver would no sooner give the men the dragon scale than he would sell the scale. Not bothering to engage with them, he started to walk away with the scale in his hand. He always had a disdain for weak humans but he didn't bother to fight them when he already knew the outcome of the battle.
"Don't walk away from us!" Their leader snarled and Silver wished they knew better than to anger him. Even without his powers, he could easily overpower them. He wouldn't let the dragon scale fall into the wrong hands and see history repeat itself. Steeling his heart, he pulled his dagger from its sheath and waited for them to attack him.
Just as they rushed him, their leader fell to the ground. A whip was wrapped around the man's ankle and Silver followed its path to see a tiny woman standing a distance from them. He didn't know if she was an ally of not but decided to be cautious. "Don't worry sir! I'm an ally of justice and I'll save you. In exchange, I'll only need to know where you found that dragon scale!"
"Not another one," Silver sighed. Despite the whip giving her an advantage over the thieves at a distance, he doubted she could keep that advantage. The thieves outnumbered her and he knew she could overpower him with raw strength alone. Should he help her when all she wanted was his dragon scale? He was surprised when she darted in front of him as if she could protect him.
"I won't forgive anyone who would try to cause conflict on the sacred grounds of the dragons! Please leave the Golden Mountains or else I'll be forced to hurt you." She warned and Silver could see how stiff her shoulders were. He could hear the deep respect in her voice and he would be inclined to believe it if the words weren't spoken by a human.
The thieves started towards them and she merely let her whip uncoil lifelessly to the ground. Like a snake, her whip's attack was quick and deadly. Despite living many years, he never known someone who had such control over their weapon as she did. With a simple turn of her wrist, she disarmed one man. But watching her, Silver knew that she wouldn't win because she lacked the drive to kill.
The small woman's goal was clearly to disarm them. After their weapons had fallen to the ground, she turned away from them and took his hand. Despite her weak arms, she pulled him away from the group. He let her drag him away, thinking that he could slip away from her after they outrun the thieves. He doubted they would give up when he still had the dragon scale.
"Don't worry, I know a path down the mountain to my village. You should be safe there and you can tell me where you found that scale." She said over her shoulder and Silver immediately started to pull back. He hadn't left the mountain for years and he refused to do so now. How could this woman think that she could simply drag him away from his mountain?
"Wait," He pulled his hand back when he realized they were heading towards a steep fall and she stumbled to a stop beside him. The thought of leaving the mountain brought back painful memories and he snapped back. "This mountain is my home and you have no right to take me from it. I don't need a selfish human like you to save me. I'm my own master."
"There they are!" Silver turned to see the thieves come towards them. He turned to face them and saw that they threw a knife at them. Reacting quickly, he gathered her in his arms and jumped away from the knife. He held the small woman against his chest so she couldn't face him. He needed to deal with the thieves before he could force the woman to leave his mountain.
He tilted a glare at the men, allowing his dormant powers to flow through his blood again. The power he emitted was enough to intimidate them without having him fight and reveal himself. How long had to been since he had to use his powers? Fear controlled humans as much as it did dragons. They seemed to understand the threat in his eyes for they turned and ran.
"This is why I stay in the mountain away from people," Silver sighed and set himself apart from the tiny woman. Wanting to leave her quickly, he started to walk away but she ran in front of her. He was already tired and didn't know if he should use his power on her. He pointed to the path that led to the base of the mountain. "Return to your village."
"But I can't go back yet!" She screamed. "I can't go back until I find the last dragon. You see, my village is constantly attacked. That's why I need to find a dragon and ask for its protection. I know that dragons had become extinct long ago but legend said that one survived. It might be foolish but I want to find him. Then my village won't have to worry about surviving anymore."
"So that's your goal." Silver laughed coldly. "Dragons are like animals to you- something to serve your needs or to show off to neighbouring towns. When you don't need dragons anymore, you'll just rid yourself of them. Who would call someone like you their master?"
"I don't want to be their master. I want us to be allies!" The woman stomped her feet and her quivering lip stopped him. The determination in her brown eyes almost made them burn. "How can I even think to take away a magnificent creature's freedom? I just want to ask the dragon's for his help. I met him once so I know that he's kind enough to help our village."
She took the broach on her cloak and held it out to him. "I know you won't believe me but I met the last dragon when I was young! I was playing near a waterfall and fell but the dragon saved me. It had the most beautiful sapphire scales. He gave me its scale and my sister fashioned it into a broach for me. You and my sister are the only one I told this so please take me to where you found that scale."
Silver grabbed the broach from her hand roughly. Panicking, she tried to take it back but he turned his back to her so he could study the broach. He wasn't able to keep his balance as she tried to take back the broach. He fell backwards and she fell with him since she was clinging onto his shirt. He could feel her heart stop as they went over the steep fall.
"Damnit, humans are trouble." Silver muttered beneath his breath so she wouldn't hear her. After adjusting his hold on her, he grabbed onto a branch to stop their fall. Her body shook like a leaf against him and contemplated what to do with her.
"Know this: just because I'm going to save you, it doesn't mean that I'm going to obey you." Silver said much more loudly and she looked at him in confusion. Before she could ask what he meant, he pushed away from the cliff. She screamed and buried her head into his neck. Holding her small body against him, he vowed he wouldn't let her become the next dragon master.
"Thank you for saving me," Lyra thanked Silver but he didn't turn to face her as he stirred a fire to life. After he jumped away from the mountain side, they landed at a church. While her village was filled with powerful warriors, she didn't know one that could jump such a large distance.
"You said that your village is at the base of the mountain, didn't you?" He finally spoke and Lyra's back straightened. His auburn hair was longer than most would wear it and his metallic eyes were sharp. It was clear that he was a strong warrior. "I'll take you back tomorrow. It's getting late so it'll be dangerous to walk through the mountain."
She asked him where they were and Silver wondered how much he should tell her. She deserved to know and he gave in. "This is the church for dragons. We've been protecting the remains of dragons here to keep it from being used for evil. Many dangerous spells require parts of a dragon to complete. Luckily this church has been hidden in the Golden Mountains for so long."
"A church for dragons," Lyra said softly. With soft eyes, she stared up at the high ceilings and imagined dragons flying through the church. Ever since she was young and saved by the last dragon, she was fascinated by the creatures. She turned and smiled at Silver. "We're actually very much alike. My village and I have been protecting the Golden Mountain like you have been protecting this church."
"We are nothing alike," Silver muttered but she heard the disinterested words. He watched her look over the objects on the altar and it was clear that they fascinated her. She said that she was looking for the last dragon and he couldn't help but think about the other dragon masters he met in the past.
"You humans had killed dragons. Do you think this last one would help you? He was left out by his kin and that was for a reason. The dragon killed his master and fled the battle to survive. Do you really want a cowardly dragon like that to protect your village?" Silver watched her as she looked at him in horror. "The dragon that saved you wasn't the last dragon so get those thoughts out of your head."
Lyra stomped towards him and slapped him before she could stop herself. His shock reflected on her face since didn't think of slapping him, her body merely reacted. They stood in silence for a while and backed away. When she did, he raised his hand and she closed her eyes sharply. Instead of striking her, he took a blanket from a bench and threw it over her head.
"We'll leave early in the morning so get some rest. It's not much but you can sleep here for tonight." He didn't look into her eyes when he gestured towards a bed made from straw in the corner. He felt her eyes on him so whispered. "If you knew the truth about me, you would've stabbed me instead of slapped me."
"Wait," She called for him to stop. "My name's Lyra. What's yours?"
"Silver," He answered shortly. How long had it been since he heard his own name? Her whisper echoed his name and he found it strangely comforting. Why did he even answer her when they would part soon?
The fire Silver made burned in the fireplace but Lyra felt cold. She looked through the stained glass and wondered what kind of person the last dragon was. It was said that dragons often took the form of humans so they could avoid detection from humans.
After she first met a dragon, she spent most of her life studying them. The only time she didn't dedicate to learning about the creature was whenever her village was attacked. They lived at the base of the mountain that was said to hold gold and dragon heirlooms so they were often attacked. She wasn't a strong fighter compared to others in her village.
The only thing she had were her knowledge and her whip. Lyra only wanted to be able to protect them like they do for her. How many times had she seen her sister come home with wounds? Everyone did their part while she was left in her lab, studying dragons and magical items. If she brought back a dragon, she could protect the people she loved.
Remembering the moment she left the village, her heart tightened. Her sister, Crystal, tried to stop her but she was determined to search for the dragon. How could she go back as a failure? Pulling the blanket around her tighter, she tried to sleep but couldn't. A stray tear formed in the corner of her eye but they were brushed away by a warm hand.
She looked up to see Silver staring at her. Their eyes met but he quickly tore his eyes away from hers and pushed something into her hands. Opening her hand, Lyra found that it was a broach but the sapphire scale was replaced by a silver one. "The scale fell out when I dropped it in the jump. I couldn't find the scale so I replaced it with a spare dragon scale we had."
"Thank you," Lyra held the broach to her chest. He was assigned to protect the sacred objects of the dragons yet he gave her a scale. She didn't know why but the thought he gave her made her happy. He couldn't know how important the broach was to her. How much different would her life be if she hadn't been saved by a dragon long ago?
"Don't look so thankful. It's not like I searched all night for it or anything. I just thought that it was important to you and you'll waste our time searching for it in tomorrow. That dragon scale isn't much of a replacement, I'm sorry." Silver looked at the broach in her hands and realized that teardrops had fallen onto it. Looking into her eyes, he saw tears. "Why are you crying?"
"I'm sorry. I don't even know why I'm crying because I'm really happy you did this for me. I'll go wash my face." Lyra quickly brushed away her tears. As she started to stand, Silver took her hand and pulled her into his chest. Despite the strength she saw him wield earlier, his hands were gentle as he stroked her hair. No man had held her so closely before.
"My sister told me that it's a man's job to comfort a woman. I don't know how to deal with a crying woman so stop crying. Whenever I felt upset, she would hold me like this." Though his voice sounded irritated, his hands were gentle. His rough kindness and kind tone he had when he spoke about his sister made her wonder what kind of life he had protecting the church.
"My sister warned me against searching for the last dragon. I know she cares and worries about me but this is the only thing I can do for her. Whenever there was a battle, I was left behind and I felt a little lonely and useless. I wonder if that's how the last dragon feels too. Even if the last dragon is as you described him, we all feel lonely sometimes."
Lyra pulled away from him and sat straighter. "You must understand that feeling as well, don't you? This church is large and beautiful but I didn't see anyone when you brought me here. It must be lonely left behind to protect these treasures. If you wish, you can stay in the village when you take me back."
"This mountain is my home so I can't leave. I don't feel lonely so you don't need to worry about me." Silver said curtly and Lyra laughed to herself slightly. What else did she expect him to say?
She stared at the dragon statue behind the altar and wondered if it would accept her friendship. Despite how silly it saw, she spoke to the stone dragon as if it were alive. "If you're here, Sir Dragon, please come out! I know it must be lonely in this church and won't leave your side. The people in the village will also treat you kindly!"
"You really are a strange woman to offer friendship to a dragon." Silver muttered and she gave him a silly grin. The more he learned about her and the more time he spent with her, the more he thought her strange. Her words sounded honest and something tugged at his heart. He didn't know why he was growing embarrass at her words but she won't on.
"So please come back to the village with me Sir Dragon. We can live together and-" From the corner of her eyes, she saw that Silver's face had become red. She sensed how embarrass he became and realized how she must've sounded. Quickly shaking her head, she said. "You don't need to blush like that. I'm not saying it to you but I'm practising what to say to the last dragon."
"I don't think that little speech will change a dragon's heart. You-" The door of the church flew open and they both turned to face the intruders. Silver's eyes changed for a moment, becoming more feral, but Lyra didn't know if it was a trick of the light or not. Silver pushed Lyra aside and faced the group himself. As he tried to keep Lyra from their attention, one of the men shot an arrow into his shoulder.
"I thought that it was useless to send my weaker men to search for this church but it seems like they were able to trail you two here." He recognized the group of thieves. He tried to stand to fight again but his body suddenly felt heavy. "You must be strong to still be alive after being shot by that arrow. But no matter how strong you are, we outnumber you so I suggest you hand over the dragon's treasure quickly."
"Stop!" Lyra ran into their path and fell to her knees beside Silver. With one arm, she held Silver and with the other she tried to use her whip to keep them from coming closer. She knew there was little she could do but she found herself screaming. "I'm not going to let you hurt Silver!"
"What can a tiny woman like you do? Take her and the treasure." The man laughed and Lyra stiffened. Silver moved in her arms and she was shocked. He ripped the arrow from his shoulder as he looked up to see the thieves point their arrows at Lyra.
"Like Hell I'm going to let you hurt her!" A powerful wind pushed Lyra back but it didn't seem to affect Silver as he rushed forward. A wing spread out before her, stopping the arrows from reaching her. More than that, Silver's body began to change. His right arm had become a dragon's claw and wings had spouted from his back.
A dragon stood before her now and its large for was everything and nothing like the dragons she read about. It large form was covered in scales and the sight of it was overwhelming. While most dragons were said to have divine colours like gods, Silver was black and grey. But still, she thought that he looked powerful. The last dragon.
Lyra could only stare as Silver rushed forward to attack the men. Even though his powerful claws easily took down the men, he couldn't move easily in the small space of the church. If he fought on his own, he could be defeated by his own strength. With that thought, she took her whip and ran into the fray. She struck one and forced his feet out from under him. "I told you I won't let you fight alone, Silver!"
With deadly control, she broke the arrows the thieves tried to use against Silver. She couldn't hope to be as strong as he was but she could help him in her own way. The men were much easier for him to overpower if she disarmed them. As she fought, she heard Silver's voice in her head. Get down, Lyra.
Lyra didn't hesitate before falling to the ground. Silver's claw came down on her but it didn't crush her. The scales on his claw kept her safe as he breathed black fire over the thieves. The heat didn't hurt her and she felt safe. After a moment, silence fell upon them and he lifted his claw. She looked over the damage to the church and there was no trace left of the thieves.
Turning back to Silver, she saw that he was lying lifelessly on the ground. His dragon form slowly burned away until he appeared human once again. She ran to his side and placed her head on his chest to hear if he was breathing. When she heard his heartbeat, she felt relieved but reminded himself that the arrow had been poisoned. He was a dragon so she didn't know if sucking out the poison would work?
"Don't worry Silver, I'll save you!" Lyra ran to the dragon artifacts to find something that could save him. The first thing that caught her attention was a large tome and she desperately read through it. It was written in an old dragon language that she only had a rough understanding of. Her eyes caught on the word heal and human.
Making a rough translation in her head and looking at the illustrations, Lyra prayed that she could heal Silver. The ritual was said to make a dragon stronger and increase their healing abilities. Taking a knife made from dragon scales, she cut her palm as the ritual required human blood. She placed her hand over his mouth, hoping he would drink her blood.
Lyra heard him swallow slightly and felt relieved when she saw his wound close. The colour returned to his face so she carefully moved his body closer to the fire and placed a blanket over him. She couldn't be certain that he was cured from the poison so decided to watch him carefully throughout the night. She only left his side so she could retrieve a bucket of water and a cloth.
"So you're the last dragon," Lyra said softly to herself as she wiped the sweat from his brow. He didn't look different to her now that she knew he was a dragon but she wondered why he would call himself a coward. Dragons were often used in the war so she could only guess what humans put him through. It would explain why he was so irritable with her.
"How long have you been in this church alone?" Lyra asked him despite knowing that he wouldn't answer. She began to wonder if she could convince him to protect her village anymore. When he was a dragon, he was grey unlike the blue dragon that saved her long ago.
"Silver? What happened here?" Lyra looked up see a woman walk into the church. Instinctively, Lyra positioned herself in front of Silver in case she had to protect him. The woman barely gave Lyra a glance, her focus on Silver. She pushed Lyra aside and knelt next to him. Her eyes widened before she glared at Lyra. "What did you do?"
"I-" Lyra didn't know what to say when she could clearly see the contempt in her eyes. Who was this woman that appeared before her so suddenly? She seemed to know about the church despite it being hidden away in the mountain. Lyra quickly took the dragon tome and handed it to her. "He was poison and I was trying to save him. I used the healing ritual in the book."
Her hands shook as she read the tome. "You didn't heal him. You made a dragon contract with him. When a human and dragon accept each other as partners, they both become stronger. But this contract is for life. Silver vowed never to have a human master again yet you performed the ritual…"
I'm not dead :P just got really into the OTSKO fanfic I was writing. This idea got into my head and wouldn't get out so I don't know if I'm going to go forward and finish Paintings. When I first made this I was afraid that it would be too much like my Mononoke Island so I decided to have the setting be fantasy and medieval. This is mostly SoulSilvershipping and setting up the conflict so the next chapter will be setting up the other characters (mainly Blue and Gold's).
I really like this idea but I'm going back and forth between writing this or writing another OSTKO fanfic. I really like both ideas equally so I'm going to sit on both concept and decide on which one I'm going to finish first. I wrote the first chapter of each and posted them already.