Hi! Like I said in the Ophis story I uploaded a couple days ago, this is the other one of the two documents I've had languishing for a while. My server was urging me to post them, so I figured I would. This one is nearly the same premise as the other, but with quite a different character; Tiamat, the Chaos Karma Dragon. Like the other one, I don't plan on updating unless there's an overwhelmingly positive response. I will say, though... I kinda like this one. There's a low chance, but a chance indeed that I decide to continue it- so, if you like it, make some noise. That's all- I'll get out of your way.
"Issei, you are so lost…"
Issei Hyoudou murmured quietly to himself, his fright growing with every moment. He was supposed to be looking for buried treasure, and instead found himself under a shining full moon in a terrifyingly strange forest.
Matsuda and Motohama would've stopped looking for him now. He'd been gone for several hours, and he could no longer discern any possible way out of the forest. "Going in the woods at night is fine," Motohama had said, "what's the worst that could happen? Besides, if we don't find the treasure first, somebody else will."
Issei was beginning to doubt the existence of any treasure, and he was certain that even if he did find it, he would rather be back home. After all, what ten year old boy could seriously carry a horde of gold and gems back to his house by himself, anyway? He'd rather just be in bed.
Issei sighed, mentally and physically drained. The constant fear of being alone in the woods was taxing to say the least, and every time something moved in a bush next to him, his heart started pounding all over again.
His compass spun wildly in every direction, and a nagging feeling on the back of his neck told him he wasn't in Kuoh anymore. Encompassing fog blanketed the area and the sky bled with a deep crimson hue, despite the harsh white glare of the full moon. Odd shadows and unfamiliar noises were his only company, and he was keenly aware that something, somewhere was watching him closely.
In what had become a routine, Issei went through the mental checklist of what had led up to this point; Matsuda had somehow come to be the owner of a treasure map, a seemingly real one, that only revealed its secrets under the light of a full moon. It promised gold and riches hidden within Kuoh's massive nearby forest, so naturally Issei and Motohama had been quick to suggest journeying into it. With only enough time to grab a compass, they'd set off into the thick of the woods, visions of pirate gold and a King's fortune dancing in their heads.
Of course, going off of Issei's current situation, their expedition had hardly gone to plan; within the first hour of the search, he'd become separated, and all of a sudden had found himself within a forest wholly different from the one from where he'd come. With the light of the moon his only companion, he searched in vain for a way out.
"This is the worst…" He spoke to himself once again, now nearly his only way of keeping calm. He knew that the worst thing he could do is panic, but he didn't know what else he could do at this point. So, he kept walking and kept talking and hoped he would find his way out soon.
Five minutes passed. Walking, walking, walking.
Fifteen minutes, gone. More walking.
An hour. Night had to be almost over, at this point.
The blood moon hung high in the sky. It had been over six hours.
Issei, now exhausted in every sense of the word, tripped and fell onto his face. For a moment, he simply lay there, contemplating whether or not his parents would be looking for him if they were still around. Then, he realized something on the ground was jabbing him in the eye, and was thoroughly uncomfortable.
Raising his weary head, he brushed the thing off him, only to gasp as he saw what it was.
"No...way…" he breathed out, near silent.
A coin-sized hexagonal blue gem was on the ground, just sitting there. As quick as he could, Issei grabbed it, bringing it to his face for examination. He looked it over this way and that way, smelled it, tasted it, and finally, after trying several more less than intelligent observational methods, he concluded that this was, in fact, the treasure of Kuoh woods.
It was about two centimeters thick, and was the deepest and most beautiful blue he'd ever seen, no contest. He swiftly put it in his pocket, then immediately began searching the ground around him for more.
"Hatchling."
Issei screamed out in fright as a booming voice shattered the tranquil semi-silence of the forest. He fell on his rear, panic setting in in full force as he frantically searched for the source of the sound.
"Has a human once again found their way to my forest?"
Something massive shifted just outside of Issei's field of view. A colossal shadow was all he could see through the obscuring fog, but it was more than enough. He recognized the shape from his storybooks, and he suddenly was stricken by a promidial terror, the oldest and most potent emotion known to man, passed down by a thousand generations of his ancestors.
The fear of dragons.
Issei got up and ran as fast as he could.
Or, at least, he intended to.
As he fled, he ran face-first into a tree, sending himself sprawling back to the ground.
"How quaint. Tell me, hatchling…" The gigantic beast grew closer, and Issei hastily pushed himself back against the tree, fear having overridden all rational thought.
The fog in front of him receded as if making way for something, and a draconian head slid through the gap. It was deep blue, the same as his gem, and Issei became very aware of its presence in his pocket as he realized what his prize was.
"...why do you carry my scale?"
Two slit blue eyes, the eyes of a predator, gleamed in the night. There was silence as Issei shakily reached into his pocket and plucked the scale from it, throwing it at the dragon's feet.
"...just wanna go home…" Issei croaked out, starting to cry.
The dragon tilted her head, not understanding. This human had made its way into her forest, only to take a scale? She had terrified him beyond the point of conversation, but that had been her intention- she had assumed the boy was a full-grown man coming to try and make her his familiar, as had been custom for a millenia. Now she saw that was not the case, and almost felt remorseful- was it not the custom of humans to keep close eyes on their young? How had this one, who had not yet seen thirteen winters, come to find himself in the Familiar Forest?
"Be still, little one. I mean you no harm."
The dragon crept closer, nuzzling the side of his face with her own. Her instincts told her to comfort the child, human or not, and she felt somewhat guilty for making him cry in the first place.
Slowly, Issei began to calm down. The dragon was warm, comfortably so, and her scales drove away the cold bite of the forest. He wiped his tears away on the sleeve of his shirt, sniffling.
"Tell me child, why are you here? Where is your family?"
"G-gone…" Issei mumbled, still no small part frightened.
"Gone? You are alone?"
"Y-yes…"
"You have no mother? No father?"
"No…" Issei started to tear up again. He had never known his family.
Tiamat, the Chaos Karma Dragon and greatest of the Dragon Kings, began to understand. He really was alone in her forest. She smelled no humans for miles around, and the two other scents on the boy were unfamiliar to her.
Tiamat, wishing to know more, knelt down beside him and whispered the words to a human spell. A soft blue glow filled the air, and his fear began to fade. His breathing returned to normal, and the poor boy's heart returned to a normal pace.
"Why are you here?" She asked softly, starting to feel sorry for the child.
"Me and my friends came looking for treasure… and I got lost… I'm scared…"
"There is no reason to be afraid. I am the mightiest thing in these woods, and you are under my protection."
"Really?"
"Indeed."
As the spell caused his fear to dissipate entirely, Issei was overwhelmed with curiosity befitting a child his age. In a switch fast enough to make Tiamat wonder about his mental state, he began to pester her with questions.
"Are you really a dragon?"
"What else should I be?"
"I thought you were a fairy tale."
"I am as real as the sun and moon, I assure you."
"Your scales are really pretty."
Issei, all hesitation gone from his mind, ran a hand down the side of Tiamat's neck, reveling in the beauty, warmth, and elegance of her vibrant blue armor.
"You may keep one, if you wish. The one you found is of no use to me." The tip of Tiamat's tail coiled around the scale, raising it to his chest, where a thin silver chain formed of magic and fastened it around his neck. "What is your name, hatching?"
"I'm Issei Hyoudou. What's yours?"
"I am Tiamat, the Chaos Karma Dragon and greatest of the five Dragon Kings. It is a pleasure to meet you, child."
"You too, Tia!"
A moment of silence ensued. Tiamat blinked once, not understanding.
"...Tia?"
"Yeah! Tia, short for Tiamat!"
Tiamat was bewildered. Never before had any being, human or otherwise, been so foolish as to give her a pet name. She shook her head, dismissing the odd child.
"Tell me, little one. Have you truly no family?"
"Nope. Mom died when I was little, and Dad left. I have some friends at the orphanage, though!"
Tiamat wracked her brain, trying to recall the meaning of 'orphanage'. When it finally hit her, it hit like a ton of bricks.
An orphanage is where humans throw children with no home. He was like trash to them, discarded. Upon her realization, Tiamat was filled with rage, and the desire to burn down a city. This sweet boy had no one, except some friends in the same situation?
"Would you...would like to stay here, with me?" Tiamat asked, uncharacteristic hesitation shaking her voice. She related to him- she had never had a hatchling, or a mate, or any family to speak of. But, this boy- she could take him, and give him something better than an orphanage, at the very least.
"Nah. I like the orphanage. This place is scary. But we can be best friends!"
"Best…friends? I…" Tiamat was struck with indecision. She did not expect him to refuse her, but she could hardly ignore his opinion and keep him there anyway- to do so would be tantamount to kidnapping. But, his odd wish to be best friends…
...she could accommodate.
Why not? She had nothing else to do, save sit and wait for someone to try and tame her yet again.
Inwardly sighing, Tiamat resigned herself to playing mortal games for the next several years.
"Very well, Issei Hyoudou. I'll be your best friend. First, let's get you out of here, hm? I'm sure your friends are waiting."
"Okay!"
The next morning
"Issei, wake up! There's a new girl! She's really cute!"
Issei woke up to the sound of Matsuda frantically whispering in his ear and violently rocking him back and forth. He sat up, touching his head in confusion.
He'd had the strangest dream…
"There she is!"
Issei looked at Matsuda's pointing finger, outstretched towards a small girl with a bright blue ponytail.
"My name's Tiamat…" The girl mumbled, looking around at all the excited children.
"Wow, you're pretty! How do you have blue hair?!" Issei was out of his bed and asking questions in a flash, a goofy smile on his face.
Tiamat answered his questions as fast as he could ask them, inwardly smiling all the while. The glint of her own scale on a chain beneath his shirt caught her eye, and she was glad.
Seven years later
"I don't really see the importance…"
"Education is very important. You're not getting out of this."
"I mean, I know, but it still seems like a waste of time."
"Why are you bringing this up now? You've already been doing it for a year."
"Yeah, which is exactly why I don't wanna do it for two more."
"Quit whining. You could use some more book-smarts rolling around in that empty head of yours."
"That hurts Tia, it really does."
Issei Hyoudou put his hand over his heart, pretending to be wounded. Tiamat had learned that was a human expression that meant the sarcasm was understood and that Issei was actually not hurt by it, contradicting his words.
Humans have weird expressions.
The two of them were on their way to Kuoh Academy, a human high school in Kuoh Town. They had been enrolled at another school by the orphanage a year prior, but both had passed the test to be entered at Kuoh (the better school of the two, by far) and so they were to begin their second year there.
Tiamat had, of course, been successfully fulfilling Issei's wish for quite some time now. In her human form, she and Issei had been the best of friends for every part of seven years now. It had taken a while to get used to living in the human world, but she had well mastered most of it by this point.
You'd think an ancient dragon queen wouldn't enjoy something as mundane as human school, but she actually wasn't opposed. It was fun, learning all the quaint things humans had 'discovered' since her last visit to their realm hundreds of years ago.
Last time she'd ventured into the human world, they'd still thought the universe revolved around the Earth.
Humans were always so amusing.
"Ugh, this is gonna suck!"
Issei's groaning interrupted her musings once more.
"You'll be fine. Education is important," she repeated, matter-of-factly.
"Yeah, you keep saying that, but somehow it doesn't make school any more enjoyable."
"I suppose you'll just have to bear it."
The two of them were outfitted in the standard black, white, and maroon Kuoh Academy outfit. Issei wore a bright blue shirt under his open blazer, which gave her mixed feelings- the blue happened to be the same as her scales, which was nice, but she wished he'd just button the damned shirt and wear it properly. Plus, when it was unbuttoned like that, she could still see the glint of her own scale underneath his shirt.
Oh well.
His hair was in just as much of a mess as his blazer- his brown hair was in total disarray, while the bluenette had hers tied neatly into a tight ponytail. She'd tried an endless number of times to tame his wild mane, but nothing short of magic could keep it down longer than a few moments. So, much to her chagrin, it stayed unkempt.
Out of nowhere, Tiamat felt a strange sensation- it felt like someone was watching her, and she instantly extended her senses to catch the culprit.
It didn't take much.
At the edges of the crowd they were walking in, three humanoid figures walked. One, a girl with red hair, was staring curiously at her. The other two, a boy with blonde hair and a girl with black, were glancing around like normal people.
The Chaos Karma Dragon knew what they were instantly- as soon as she tried, she could effortlessly smell them and sense their presence.
Devils.
Tiamat's mouth unwittingly curled into a scowl.
She wasn't a particular fan of devils.
Incessant meddlers. Always poking where they don't belong.
Humans, at least, could always be trusted to be fools- but Devils, one must keep a constant eye on. You never know where they may be snooping around.
Even though the red haired one was watching her, Tiamat knew she was entirely undetectable- she was renowned throughout the world for her ability to hide her presence, after all. A normal devil would never in a thousand years be able to recognize her as a supernatural being at all, much less a Dragon King.
But, of course, one must never underestimate a devil's ability to stick their nose where it doesn't belong.
She didn't have any problems with them currently, and she hoped they wouldn't cause any.
Especially concerning her ward.
That could make things ugly.
"Whoa, what's with the glare?" Issei asked, snapping Tiamat back to reality. He had apparently noticed her grimace, though to him it simply looked like she'd become angry for no reason. "You know, they say if you make a face long enough, it'll get stuck like that."
"Perhaps that's why yours is suspended in mediocrity," she retorted, relishing in his wounded gasp.
"You're ruthless today!" He remarked. "Wait, let me guess, you're mad 'cus there's gonna be competition now."
"Competition?"
Issei grinned mischievously and poked her in the cheek, trying to aggravate her.
Normally, any mortal creature insane enough to attempt to lay hands upon the Chaos Karma Dragon was swiftly destroyed, but he… was an exception.
She was his best friend, of course, and what best friend would get upset over a little skinship?
"Competition," he repeated, still grinning as she lightly smacked his hand away. He didn't make any attempt to elaborate, but he piqued her curiosity anyway.
"In what regard?" She asked, hesitant, wondering if this would be some new method of teasing.
"Well, you were always by far the prettiest at the other school," he replied, smirking. "Now…" he trailed off, looking back towards the redhead behind them.
Tiamat's eyebrow twitched in annoyance.
She didn't care about such trivial things as appearances, of course, and his implication that some devil could be more attractive than her definitely didn't bother her.
At all.
Tiamat whipped around to face Issei, glaring a burning hole in him. Her blue eyes were absolutely piercing, and the boy suddenly felt very small in front of her. She didn't say a word- because she wasn't mad, of course- she just glowered, until he eventually gave in.
"Ugh, fine," Issei grumbled, his cheeks turning a strange shade of light pink. "You're still the prettiest."
"Hmph," she scoffed, turning back towards the school and continuing at a much faster pace.
Issei struggled to keep up, nearly tripping over his feet in the process.
"I'm sorry! And hey, it's not fair when you glare at me like that!"
"It's not my fault you always cower like a newborn pup."
"It absolutely is! You're so scary!"
"Oh, so now I'm scary?"
"Scary as in frighteningly beautiful!"
"Hmph."
What'd you think? Like the Ophis one, this was also written about two years ago, so it's a little rusty... but I think it turned out okay-ish. Anyway, like I said up top, if you like this one and want it to be continued, be sure to let me know in the reviews. (By the way, a little pro-tip- the best way to get me to write anything is to give me ideas about what to do next- so like, for this one, maybe "after this chapter ends, Raynare asks Issei out in front of Tiamat and then Tia hunts her!" or something, idk. Ideas really get me motivated, and that goes for all my stories. Anyway. Helpful hint.)
So, as for that Ophis story, I said something like "unless this gets overwhelming positive feedback, I won't update it" and, damn. It got 100 favorites and 25 reviews in like one day. That's pretty huge. I legitimately may write some more for it now, just to see how it does. As for this one, though- while overwhelming positive feedback would definitely ensure I update it, I kinda already like it- so what I really need is prompts for it. So, if you want more Tiamat, do your best!
Alright, as always, here's my discord link; just copy & paste into a browser and delete the spaces: d iscord .gg / 66CKxgJsEg
Hope you all enjoyed! See you next time!