Dracarys 2
Challenges were something that Akashi relished. They added flavour to his life and kept him on his toes.
The harder the challenge, the more satisfying the victory was when he overcame it.
That being said, the sudden revelation of being a dragon seemed to be proving a tad trickier than he thought.
"Your arm's on fire again," Kagami said.
Practically instinct now, Akashi opened his eyes and glared at the offending flames creeping up his arms before willing them away. They flared bright red for a second before vanishing all together.
Kagami let out a low whistle. "You know, when you said you were having problems controlling your powers I didn't think it would be quite this bad."
"A valuable observation," Akashi said dryly, giving his arm another shake where the flames had started once more.
Currently the two were outside in the manor's rock garden. Akashi surmised that the lack of flammable foliage would do them good for Kagami's first lesson. As it was, Akashi had barely given the other boy a chance to deposit his bags in his room before ushering -read bullying- him into the garden to solve Akashi's habit of spontaneously combusting.
"It's a pretty basic problem," Kagami said after watching Akashi put out another flame on his knee. "It's just a result of your body trying to get used to the sudden influx of magic."
"And how do I stop it?" Akashi asked, checking his pants for signs of damage. There were none.
Kagami shrugged. "Depends. How long has it been happening?"
Akashi thought back. "Two days."
Kagami was quiet for a moment. "It'll probably only last a day or so longer I suppose. I'm guessing you haven't burnt anything yet."
Akashi gave him a glare. "No."
Kagami put his hands up quickly to pacify the other boy. "I'm just asking. If you had then that means you have less control of your magic than I thought. And that would be where the real problem begins."
Akashi thought on that information for a moment. "So these flames can burn things but only if I chose?" That was interesting to note. So far he had yet to actually singe anything with his flames but that still didn't mean he hadn't been cautious.
"Yep." Kagami bent down and picked up a leaf. "These types of flames are actually supposed to be more transformative than combative." A sudden flame over Kagami's hand and when it died down in it's place was a dragon's claw. The leaf remained untouched.
So that's why he hadn't burnt anything yet. Akashi supposed he should have realized it was that simple when he woke up one morning engulfed in flames. He'd come out unscathed and, remarkably, so had his bed but the incident had been enough to make him extremely cautious.
"You know you're taking this pretty well," Kagami commented, breaking Akashi out of his reverie.
"You mean suddenly finding out that I can turn into a dragon and that I'm supposed to be some sort of mystical guardian to a magical world which I've never believed in up to now?" Akashi asked. "I'm taking all that pretty well?"
Kagami looked sheepish. "From the looks of it... yeah."
"Well I suppose I'm taking it as well as one can considering this is entirely new to me," Akashi said, sitting down on the ground and crossing his feet. The movement was so casual that it stunned Kagami for a moment. He didn't think Akashi would be one to sit on the ground of all places. It just seemed... odd.
"For the record, I am capable of sitting on the ground and floor and other such places when the need arises," Akashi said, seemingly reading Kagami's thoughts.
Kagami's brow ticked. "Well sorry," he drawled. "I just find it odd that the mighty Captain Akashi would actually use the floor and dirty his good slacks."
"It's not a matter of dirtying oneself," Akashi said simply. "It's a matter of taking stock of what's usable around you and making it work to the best of your ability to achieve your goals."
Kagami rolled his eyes. he had a feeling that Akashi was talking about much more than just sitting on the floor but that wasn't an argument he wanted to have with the other boy. He just wanted to teach what needed to be taught and get the hell out of dodge as quickly as possible.
"So what other abilities may I come to expect," Akashi asked.
"An increase in strength, speed and stamina. So much so that it'll seem inhuman at first but then you'll be back to human standards. Your senses should get better as well," Kagami said. "Smell and sound might be the hardest to deal with at first but you'll get used to it."
Akashi flexed his fingers as though he could already feel the new strength in them. "Any thing else?" he sounded eager.
Kagami rubbed the back of his neck in frustration. "You know, I'm doing this all backwards. Teaching you about your powers before you even know what you're supposed to do with 'em. Di would skin me."
"Then what is the 'correct' order," Akashi asked. "Sensei," he added slyly.
Kagami scowled. "Don't call me that." Akashi looked unapologetic.
"And it would be explaining what it means to be a dragon. Specifically, what it'll mean to you now that you're a dragon."
Akashi looked interested now.
"Dragons have the responsibility of making sure the magical world and the human world remain separate."
"For the sake of the magical world I suppose," Akashi stated.
"And for humanity's sake as well," Kagami replied. "If the past is anything to go by, humans aren't the best at dealing with magic. Even if one or two accept it, humanity in general isn't ready for magic as a norm. they'd abuse it and the magical creatures around them. For that reason, we have to keep them apart. If that's impossible, then we make sure that there's no major influence on either world."
"So there are cases where the two worlds intersect," Akashi hummed.
"Quite a few major 'human' corporations are either headed or controlled by some magical entity or the other. It's risky, but necessary in order to keep humans from sniffing too close to magical territories," Kagami said. "In situations like that, guardians are responsible for making sure there isn't too much friction or that humans aren't being abused."
"So dragons have some amount of control in these corporations?"
"Not in the way you're thinking but us dragons have very effective methods of... persuasion..." Kagami grinned. Akashi saw a flash of razor sharp teeth before they returned to looking human.
"But aside from that there isn't any real magical entity who wants to be too involved with humans," Kagami said. "We prefer to stick to our own. Saves a lot of trouble."
"You seem rather comfortable among 'humans'," Akashi noted.
Kagami's glare softened. "You'll find Japan isn't really a major hotspot when it comes to local magic. You want to know why you came as such a surprise to the Dragon Council? It's because there hasn't been a dragon sighting in Japan for centuries. Magical communities may like to keep to themselves, but Japan's practically a dead zone for inter-communal relations. Magic stays to magic and doesn't leave room for much else" he finished softly.
Akashi watched the other boy for a moment who seemed lost in his thoughts.
"Then why are you here?" he asked after some time. Kagami's eyes narrowed in his direction. "Kuroko informed me that you live on your own. Surely you could have simply remained in America."
Kagami's eyes narrowed into slits and Akashi saw something flash there before it dulled again. "There are many reasons contributing to why I'm in Japan. None of which are any of your business."
Then he cleared his throat. "Anyway, that's off topic. I've been doing a guardian's duties for little over a year here in Japan but now that'll all be your job. You'll have to be aware of all prominent magical communities around Japan and their affiliations since you'll be the one dealing with them soon. But that'll come after I teach you more about your powers. I can't go introducing a half trained dragon to the Elders in Japan. They'd laugh the Council out of their seats."Kagami smiled at this but Akashi just rested his hands on his knees and let the information soak in.
"While you learn about your powers you'll follow me during my jobs and learn as we go and over time I'll start handing tasks over to you. I need you to understand this, being a dragon - being a guardian for that matter - isn't a task you can take for granted. It isn't like captaining a basketball team. With this role you'll be leading, not 10 people, but an entire culture which will be resting their hopes and dreams on your shoulders."
Kagami levelled him with a strong glare. Akashi could read the intensity in his eyes, the same intensity he'd seen on the basketball court not too long ago when they'd faced off. This was something he took pride in, something which consumed him with a burning passion.
Akashi could almost see the challenge Kagami was presenting him to even dare taking the task lightly. But Akashi wasn't a fool and neither did he back down from a challenge.
Being a dragon may have been unexpected in his plan for life, but it was here now and he planned on dealing with it -not to the best of his ability- but to the best it could possibly be dealt with.
He matched Kagami's glared with a level look of his own, almost as though trying to communicate all that to the other boy through their eyes. It must have worked because after a time Kagami nodded looked away from Akashi once more.
Despite Akashi's initial impression of Kagami's hot headedness, Kagami was proving to be a quite serious teacher. He was clear and concise in explaining the role of being a dragon, his future position as a guardian and the role he was expected to play in the new world he would be learning about. The whole time, however, he never moved from his place leaning against the stone wall. He carefully kept a wide berth between them and never made any move to close it. Akashi made careful note of that. Kagami's wariness of him might prove detrimental in the future.
"That was most informative," Akashi said. "You're quite good at explaining things. It makes me wonder how your grades could be as abysmal as Tetuya purports them to be."
That made Kagami snarl. "Cuz I've had to live through all this stuff!" he growled. "You try dealing with magic politics for a few years and see if you don't come out knowing a little something. It's not like I'll ever have to find the root of a function while I'm fighting a Tengu."
Akashi's lip quirked. "Indeed..."
Kagami huffed "Anyway, I'm not really here to teach you history and all that. You want to know more about that sort of thing I can find you some books or something. I'm more concerned with making sure you know how to move around the true nature of this country without accidentally messing something up."
Akashi placed both his palms up in an act of acquiescence. "I place myself in your hands."
The words sounded sincere enough but Kagami could make out the barest hint of a smile on his lips. Kagami could feel himself ageing on the inside. He would much rather Akashi be openly hostile or demeaning, that sort of thing he knew how to deal with easily, but the sudden piousness of the boy put him on edge. Despite what Kuroko tried to say about Akashi seemingly changing for the better Kagami would have much preferred to hear of those changes reported from Kuroko rather than straight from the dragon's mouth.
"Whatever," was all Kagami said with a huff. "I'm hungry and need a nap. Those flames shouldn't case you trouble for much longer so we'll start our official first lesson in the morning." With that he turned away with the intention of finding his way back to the house.
"Taiga," he heard Akashi say and the sound of his name froze him in his tracks. He was unused to hearing his first name in Japan, sans Tatsuya and the occasional Alex, and as much as he thought he was used to hearing his name in America, hearing it from Akashi's mouth sounded weird.
"Do you need something?" Kagami grit out.
"I wish... to apologize."
That actually made Kagami turn around and stare at Akashi. Satisfied that he had Kagami's attention, Akashi stood and brushed the dirt off his pants.
"What did you say?" Kagami asked in disbelief.
"I said, I wish to apologize," Akashi repeated. "Our first meeting wasn't the best, largely by my fault-"
"Largely? You tried to stab me!" Kagami fumed.
"And I wish to own up that I was indeed in the wrong at that time," Akashi said, continuing as though Kagami had never interrupted. "At that time I was rash and impulsive, and while it does not excuse my behaviour, I hope you understand that the person I was then is not the person I want to be in the future."
Kagami just stared at Akashi. "Alright. Apology accepted I guess. Just... no more scissors?" Kagami asked.
Akashi looked at him at that comment, recognizing it for what it was. A peace offering.
"Yes, no more scissors."