A rumble of thunder roused Sisu from her slumber. She blinked her eyes groggily, listening to the pitter-pater of the raindrops that made it just inside the cave entrance and landed on the stone floor. She listened closely and heard the thunder again, louder this time, then closed her eyes back up and shifted to get more comfortable on her golden bed.
It had been quite a while—Sisu had lost track of the exact time—since the encounter with the human "challenger". Things between her and Sorin had gotten back into a sort of normalcy. And, oddly, it wasn't the same normalcy as before that incident. At first, Sisu had expected things to be more tense and uncomfortable between herself and Sorin, but the opposite seemed to be true. Sorin now began to engage in actual conversation somewhat regularly, talking with her at length about her life and experiences instead of asking individual questions at his own discretion. He also seemed to regard her differently as well, showing a bit more respect than he first did and seldom categorizing her as not being a 'real dragon'.
For the most part, though, life in the dragon's den continued as it had before. Sisu spent most of her time lounging on the gold, in and out of sleeping and her sleep-like state, somehow not growing bored in the inactivity. The talks with Sorin, as well as the regular trips outside she took (including a few more out hunting) helped to keep her engaged when she was awake, but the truth was that her body and mind had surprising little problem with the lifestyle of a dragon like Sorin. It was one the things that truly made her think that they actually were both real dragons, just distant in relation.
The thunder boomed a third time, but now softer, and Sisu could feel in the air that the storm outside was moving off. She reopened her eyes and glanced towards the entrance of the cave, where a dim light from outside still made its way in. She debated trying to fall asleep once more but decided that she was awake, at least for now. Slowly, she stood up and walked towards the cave's opening before sitting down just inside the stone walls. Small trickles of water flowed down the cave floor towards her, gently wetting her talons as she looked out into the now receding storm. The rain had become gentler than it had been earlier—she could tell by how much softer the sound of their falling was—but a shower still fell upon the forest trees just steps away.
It was more than a little tempting to just run out and start flying through the raindrops. While she didn't need it to be raining to fly, Sisu knew that it was both easier and more fun to do it when that was the case. Flying without rain was practically just running in the sky, but flying with rain was almost the same as swimming for her. And Sisu loved to swim.
She couldn't really even remember the last time she'd swam, although she knew it must have been sometime during her travel. The same with flying in the rain; she'd had almost no access to water or rain since she'd met Sorin, save from the small water source in the cave itself. Being a water dragon, that was more than a little frustrating.
She glanced back at Sorin, who lay resting on his gold. His eyes were closed, but that didn't really mean anything—she'd learned that the only way to know for sure that he was asleep was when she heard snoring, but even then he was a light sleeper who seemed to almost be able to awaken at will. She debated waking him, asking him if he could accompany her so she could go out, but she held her tongue. Even if it was natural for her, he'd probably think her crazy for wanting to fly in a rainstorm.
Turning her attention back outside, she took a few steps closer to the outside, positioning herself firmly in the small tunnel that connected the cave proper to the outside. Reaching out, she put one claw outside of the cave, feeling the small raindrops pat against it. Unable to resist herself, she formed a small disk out of the droplets, not too unlike those she used to run on. She ran a talon along its edge, throwing up small droplets into the air even as more fell down onto it, plopping into it like it was a puddle.
She amused herself with it for another minute, just watching as the water interacted with itself. It had always fascinated her how beautiful and devastating it could be, so life-giving and destructive at the same time. A few drops of water could save one's life, and a few more mismanaged could easily take it. So cleansing, so pure, so powerful.
She wondered if Sorin felt the same way about fire.
She shook her head at that thought and released her disk, sending it spinning as the water drops flew off of it like a miniature whirlwind had captured the water and whisked it away. She put her claw down but reached back out with her other one, already beginning to summon the rain to form another disk to play idly with.
"Having fun?"
Sisu almost jumped at the words that came from behind her, and she whipped her head around to see Sorin standing at the entrance to the cave proper, not far from her, watching with amusement. How he'd been able to get up and behind her without her hearing the shifting and clinking of his gold was beyond her. She supposed she shouldn't be too surprised by things like that, though; by now she'd gotten used to him not exactly always behaving like she thought a dragon should.
"Uh…yeah," Sisu answered uncertainly, somewhat embarrassed to be caught unaware, "I was just…well, playing with water a little." She gave a nervous laugh, not sure what else she was supposed to say and very aware of how childish it sounded.
Sorin snorted and gave an amused look. He cocked his head slightly to one side and looked at where her claw still hovered in the air, a few raindrops striking her talons. "May I see it?" he asked, clearly referencing her little water disks, although the very question shocked her.
In all her time with Sorin in his den, he'd never once really asked her to do anything before. He'd ordered her to do plenty—he'd threatened her often in the beginning—but he'd never politely requested that she do anything. Never before had he given her any choice. That he suddenly did almost made Sisu feel a little nervous, but it also made her feel a little warm inside.
"Sure," she told him, trying not to act too startled at the request, and she immediately began to tug at the water around her claws with her magic, calling the raindrops to swirl around her talons and bend to her will. In under a second a small water disk hovered just over her outstretched claw, and as she pulled it out of the rain and into the dry cave it moved with her, defying gravity as she presented it in front of Sorin.
Hesitantly, he stuck out a claw and ran a talon through the disk. It passed through the water as easily as through any other, and a few water droplets that caught on his talon slowly pulled off of it and drifted back towards the rest of the disk, rejoining it. Sorin reached out again, this time cupping some of the water and pulling it back towards him before releasing it. Just like before, the water returned to its place over her talons effortlessly. He turned his gaze from and it towards her, clearly searching for some explanation.
"Like I said before," she told him, not needing anymore prompting, "Water bends to my will. Mostly just for flying and swimming, but I can do other things with it, too. It's not really anything profound. I mean, all dragons have a deep connection to water—err, at least all dragons where I'm from." She gave a small snap of her talons and the water disk burst apart, scattering small droplets all over the cave floor in a small show of theatrics.
Sorin gave an interested "hmm" and looked past her, outside to the rainstorm. "You mentioned when we first met, I believe, that in rain you could 'fly like swimming', or something of that nature, didn't you?"
She nodded slowly, not quite remembering that specific exchange. Of course, that day had been more than confusing, and she was more panicked than anything else. She remembered much of their initial encounter and their words at the ruined city, but not much else.
"It is raining now," Sorin said, "If you wish to show me exactly how you do that, you may."
She paused for a moment, it taking a second for her to realize what he was offering. He was giving her permission to go outside and fly. In the rain. Right now!
"Thank you!" she exclaimed excitedly, and immediately she jumped out into the rain before he could even begin to change his mind. A second later she was in the air, the water flowing around her as she finally was in her element for the first time in almost two months—or however long it had been since she'd met Sorin.
And oh, how wonderful it was! She felt the water fill her fur, washing away all dirt and grime and anything else that clung to her. It surrounded her in a comforting embrace, filling her soul with a pleasant tingle as she twisted and turned in the sky, one with the rain as it fell. It felt almost cleansing, purifying, as though everything she'd seen and done since she'd left home had been an unpleasant dream.
She opened her mouth, nipping at the largest raindrops as she hopped across the sky. Unlike other creatures, the weight of the water on her fur didn't wear her down one bit; rather, it seemed to make her lighter as she flowed through the air. And she felt so amazing as she did so; she was a mistress of the air itself, a queen of the water, in every way a dragon!
She looped around in the air and spun just over the tops of the trees. Only the tiniest of small water disks were left as any tracks—and those that were formed quickly shattered—for she hardly needed them at all. In a sky full of water, nothing was too difficult for her.
Climbing high, she let herself drop just to feel like the rain around her. She recovered before hitting the ground, of course, but she did the small maneuver again soon after. It was something that she always had found fun, acting like the rain itself, feeling the pull of the earth and the natural forces of life. It was equally as fun to deny them, to spin upside down and spit at the earth's constraints as she soared high above everything else. She felt weightless and free, at peace as nothing else mattered, as like water itself she flowed wherever she was led, or wherever she herself sought.
She stayed like that for a long time, flying through the air without any care at all, simply enjoying the water on her skin and the wind in her ears. It was clam, tranquil, as she acted on her most intrinsic nature and did what she loved to do.
Over time the rain began to slow and, although it didn't hamper her too much, she began to tire a bit. It was about that time that she truly glanced down for the first time, actually getting a good look at her surroundings. Not that they were too remarkable—she'd seen the forests and trees before when Sorin took her out hunting—but she noticed for the first time the slight orange and yellow hues on a few leaves. She'd arrived in this region mid to late summer, and already autumn was beginning to fall. She found it almost odd, that it hadn't seemed like she'd been here that long, but she figured that whatever sleep-like state she so often found herself in must have distorted her perception of time somewhat. Whether or not that was the case, Sisu wondered what her friends and family must be thinking or feeling. She hadn't exactly had a clear timetable for when she was supposed to return, but she would have expected to be home by now. As weeks and months went by, she had to imagine that her siblings grew more and more concerned. Whether or not they'd be worried enough to leave and try to find her at this point was something she couldn't answer, though.
She shook her head and cleared her thoughts as she flew. It was probably best that she not worry about such things, especially when there was nothing she could do. Until either Sorin let her go or she found a way to escape without bringing his rath down on her or Kumandra, she'd have to stay put.
Thinking of Sorin, she glanced down towards the cave opening for the first time since she'd taken off. She saw him sitting there, just inside and out of the rain, his eyes watching her as she made her graceful loops in the sky. At first she'd expected him to join her in her flight, but it appeared that he was uninterested in getting wet. Sisu couldn't help but wonder if he just didn't like flying in the rain, or if it was somehow connected to him being a creature of fire. She was no expert on dragons—well, she was, but not on Sorin's kind of dragons—but she did know that water and fire tend not to mix well.
Swooping down, she alighted down in the clearing in front of him. Her talons rested gently on top of the mud, not sinking into it like they should as the water in the ground kept her raised. She shook her head, water droplets flying everywhere as the excess was forced from her mane. She could expel all the water instantly if she wanted to, drying herself in a second, but she wasn't sure if she was quite done with the rain yet.
Sorin continued to sit in the cave as she approached him, but there was a certain look in his eyes as she did. It looked to be one of…appreciation? A very small smile—or was it a smirk—toughed at the corners of his mouth. His tail tapped lightly on the cave's stone floor and he arched an eye ridge at her as she stopped in front of him.
"Impressive," he stated after a few seconds had passed, "If you have such mastery of the air through the addition of some rain, I have no doubt that your swimming truly is a sight to behold."
Despite herself, Sisu couldn't help but puff up with pride a little. He had commented on some of her skills in the past, but seldom did he ever pay her such a complement. In fact, she couldn't recall him ever offering much in complements at all.
"It is," she responded, "You should see me swim full speed, I can outpace the fastest flyers easily. Of course, the twirls and spins are harder to see unless you're underwater as well, or so I've been told."
He gave an amused huff and a short silence fell for a few moments. The small smile (or smirk—she still couldn't tell) remained on his face but his eyes looked over her carefully. He seemed to be deciding something, but Sisu had no idea what it could be until he next spoke.
"You are a creature of nature, aren't you, Sisu of the East," he stated more than asked, using her full name and the title he'd given her in a way he seldom did. There was an odd shine in his eyes that she'd never seen before. "Unbeholden to the elements and free in spirit. As all dragons are." He paused but she remained captivated by his gaze, as though he'd cast a spell over her that rendered her motionless. "I've seen how you long at times to be free, to fly as you just did. Only now do I truly see why. All dragons need some degree of freedom, it's a part of our spirit that cannot be denied. I see that spirit in you."
He paused again and tapped his tail lightly on the ground. She wasn't quite sure where he was going with this, but she was more than a little curious.
"I've noticed that you are not entirely satisfied with our little arrangement," he finally continued, "Not that I'd expect you to be, but such is the situation. You long for your water and you long to fly, and I would be lying if I told you that it was not irksome for me to have to cater your whims." Sisu had to keep herself from bristling at that. The implication that she was somehow doing him a disservice by wanting a few liberties when he was the one keeping her here was almost laughable but far more irritating. She held her tongue, though, and let him go on.
"Therefore, I would like to propose an…offer of sorts," his tone changed somewhat, and the gleam in his eyes shifted, "I will give you relative freedom in my territory, the ability to leave and roam to your hearts content without my oversight, and to hunt for yourself when you hunger."
Sisu's head almost spun. Short of going home, this was exactly the kind of thing she wanted to hear. The freedom to just get up and go outside when she wanted—the freedom to visit a nearby lake or river and swim—it was what she'd missed the most ever since Sorin had brought her here. Even so, she kept herself from being too optimistic.
"What do you want in return?" she asked, not doubting that a dragon such as Sorin would have conditions for giving her this kind of freedom.
"Your word," he said calmly, "Your word that you will not leave my territory, and your word that you will return to my den before nightfall whenever you leave. Give me your word as a dragon that you will obey those rules, and you will have that freedom you seek."
She swallows nervously, mind racing. Part of her urged herself to accept this opportunity while she had it, to take this gift she was being offered. The other part screamed at her not to, for doing so would practically be giving her word to not even try to escape. The thought that she could agree and then break her promise never even crossed her mind; dragon simply never break promises. So, in a way, she was stuck. But of her two situations, one was far more appealing in the short term and, as any escape already seemed impossible, it was the one she decided to go with.
"Very well. I agree to your offer. You have my word as a dragon that I will abide by your terms." It hurt a little to say, but there was no going back now.
"Good," he said, and with a small shift of his wings he turned around and began to walk back into the cave. "Feel free to continue to fly, or hunt, or whatever you wish to do. Just remember that if you do decide to flee, I will hunt you again, and I will catch you. And when I do, you will wish that I had killed you upon our first meeting."
He left her with that warning and was gone back into the darkness of the cave. She stood there for a few moments, part of her still trying to convince the other part that this was the wisest course of action, that it was better to take what she could get and hope for true release in the future. That she was glad about this arrangement and did not have a pit in the bottom of her stomach.
In the end, she flew a bit more that day, but between her thoughts and her constant glancing down to see whether or not Sorin was truly letting her be or was watching cautiously from inside the cave (he wasn't), she didn't enjoy it.
Sisu surprised herself by waiting three whole days before she finally exercised her newfound freedom to leave by herself. It wasn't quite that she didn't want to try or that something was keeping her from doing anything, it was just that in those three days a part of her found the gold much more comfortable and somehow more appealing than the outside. As such, she spent much of the time napping or in her "dragon-sleep", as she'd self-termed the long periods of both rest and high awareness that she'd been experiencing since she'd arrived here. In fact, she'd hardly even noticed that three days had passed, or rather she had noticed, but didn't think it was any great deal. Such seemed to be the nature of that dragon-sleep—time simply didn't matter so much once she was in it.
Regardless of the extra time it took before she did it, however, Sisu knew exactly what she wanted to do with her freedom: swim. She'd seen a nice small lake to the south when Sorin had flown her to his den, and she knew there was at least one in the east towards the river where she'd done her first hunting trip in the region. Since the southern one was a bit closer, she decided to investigate it first.
It was an odd sensation, leaving Sorin's den without him. Every step she'd taken she'd expected him to open his eyes, to question where she was going and why. But he didn't. His eyes remained closed and he continued to rest, even as she'd walked out of the cave and into the light of day, then taken off into the sky. There was no indication that he knew or even cared that she was gone.
She'd arrived at the lake less than twenty minutes later, more than a little excited to do the one thing she excelled at above all else. She'd immediately dove into the water, spinning and twisting and looping around in blissful pleasure for the first time in far too long. The water soaked into her fur and skin as she snapped playfully at fish and turtles as she explored the lake around her. She leaped into the air a few times, spiraling on or above the surface before diving back down below. For the first time since encountering Sorin, she felt free—she felt right.
She spent most of the day in the lake, sometimes swimming and sometimes letting herself just float along the surface, adrift without care. It was nice to be able to be out and about without Sorin looming over her, without having to worry what he would think or feel about her words and actions. Although, just once, she thought for sure that she felt eyes on her, as though she was being watched, followed by what may have sounded like wingbeats moments later, but she never actually saw anything to say that she wasn't alone.
It was only an hour or so before dusk when she returned to Sorin's cave, her fur still pleasantly damp from her swim. As she walked into the darkness, however, she noticed that she was still alone: Sorin was uncharacteristically absent. It was a little worrying, actually, and she became a little nervous, wondering why he was out.
With nothing else to do, she lounged on the gold for roughly an hour before hearing definite wingbeats outside heralding his arrival. She stood up to meet him as he entered the cave and first noticed that he was walking a bit oddly before seeing a large human-made sack in one of his claws.
She debated asking him where he'd been and whether he'd been spying on her earlier, but her curiosity was suddenly turned towards the sack as he entered the center of the cave and began emptying it. Numerous golden coins, gems, and goblets poured out of it, although their wealth and splendor vanished in the massive hoard they were being added to, becoming just a small drop in the sea of wealth Sorin claimed as his own.
"Where did you get that?" she asked him, although she was pretty sure she already knew the answer. The sack he'd brought it in was of man, and the coins and gems bore the marks of men. Clearly it had been stolen, whether from the city he'd sacked long ago or from a human town or village that had been unlucky enough to earn his ire.
He glanced at her, a small, toothy grin on his muzzle. "Do you really want to know?" he asked as she saw fresh blood on the teeth he flashed. She realized that she was probably better off not knowing and shook her head. Sorin gave a deep, dark chuckle as he disappeared with the sack for a minute before returning to the cave without it and curling up on his gold. Hesitantly, and at bit ill at ease, Sisu followed suit, closing her eyes as night began to fall outside.
Sorin's gold may have been obtained in one of the worst ways imaginable, but Sisu couldn't deny that some of the pieces he'd obtained were of a beauty and quality that would probably drive more than a few humans in Kumandra to fight and even die over if they ever laid eyes on them. Not that anyone like Raya or Benja would, but there were some that might make good on the human phrase of something being "to die for" or even "to kill for". Sisu herself had never been one to place much stock in material goods, but even so, some of the gems and pieces of golden treasure were enough for her to about want to start such a collection of her own.
She found this out one lazy afternoon as she combed through piles of Sorin's golden hoard for her own amusement. It was a cold and windy day outside which was unideal for flying or swimming, but then, more and more were becoming so the farther they got into fall. Since she found herself awake, she'd decided to dig around and see what treasures Sorin had hidden under the topmost layer of his den. Not that she hadn't looked at it before—she'd glanced plenty of new pieces each time he or she shifted and stirred the gold around—but she'd yet to intently go through it and actually look for and admire the best pieces.
Having dug through roughly an eight of his gold, she'd already found more than a few assorted gems and works that she'd found particularly fascinating. One was a large diamond almost as large as a clenched claw that sparkled brilliantly whenever the light hit it. Another piece was a massive, beautifully cut emerald only a little smaller. A third one she found interesting was a large necklace, big enough for a dragon, on a silver chain and with a collection of bright blue gemstones that she didn't recognize. A few golden statutes and gem-encrusted goblets also captured her attention, and she'd set a few aside to look at more later.
As she went through it, Sorin lay half-buried on the other side of the room. His eyes were open and watching her, though. At times they would flash one way or another, his pupils subtly expanding or contracting as she held up certain pieces. Occasionally, she'd notice that one piece would particularly catch his own fancy, and she'd ask him about it. Apparently, some of the treasures had stories behind them, a few of which he shared. For instance, the large diamond had come from a duel he'd had with another dragon many, many years ago after he'd "found" it and the other drake had challenged him for it. The emerald he claimed to have found on an island in the center of a very large lake, just setting in the open for anyone to find—a most unusual occurrence. Sorin claimed to her at one point that he could identify where every coin in his hoard came from, and though part of her doubted it, Sisu didn't challenge him on it.
Although he didn't talk too much, Sorin seemed to be enjoying himself a little bit as she went through his gold. She suspected it was a bit of vanity; seeing another awed over one's splendor did tend to have an effect on both humans and dragons. But it also seemed like he was reliving a few memories, perhaps good ones as items that he may not have seen for years were suddenly brought to mind again.
It was just as she was going through a particularly large pile of treasure and beginning to tire a bit of all the digging that she found it. At first, she noticed a faint glow coming from the gold she was looking at, before noticing that it was actually breaking through and was behind the coins on the surface. Digging a bit deeper, she uncovered a bit of a red gemstone. Pulling it out of the pile of coins, she found that the gem was indeed a large ruby, big enough to fit perfectly in the palm of her claw. But was most interesting was that the light she'd noticed earlier was somehow coming from inside the gem, which gleamed faintly in her claws as she held it up to look at it closer.
She realized what it was in an instant: the Gem of Conrad. The one reason that she'd flown all this way in the first place.
Instantly, excitement began to well up within her. The thing that she'd flown so far for was in her grip! Here was the power—if the stories were true—to defeat the Druun once and for all and ensure a safe Kumandra. Here was the tool that could succeed where she and her sibling had failed. Here was the power to right so many past wrongs and finally begin to heal so much that had been broken back home.
That it could be here, in Sorin's den, had actually occurred to her once or twice before, but she'd thought it unlikely. She'd reasoned that, if it was so important, the humans of the land would have taken special measures to ensure it didn't get captured by Sorin or was saved from his destruction. In truth, part of her had thought that it was likely that the gem wasn't in Emmengen in the first place, seeing as that if it was so powerful it would have prevented Sorin from destroying the city in the first place. That it hadn't and that he had was a bit worrying, but Sisu decided not to worry about that right now. In fact, although she was rather certain that this was the Gem of Conrad based on its description, she told herself not to worry about anything before she could confirm that it was.
Luckily, there was someone in the very same cave that could help with that. Sorin raised his head out of the gold in interest as she turned presented the ruby to him, the soft glow casting a tiny bit of shadow around the cave.
"Is this…is this the Gem of Conrad?" Sisu asked, trying not to let too much excitement creep into her voice.
Sorin gave an interested hmmm he looked it over. Apparently, there was something special enough about this gem to especially captivate his interest, as he rose from his gold for the first time that day to approach and get a better look. Although, he didn't seem to be looking too closely at the gem, but rather at her.
"I find it surprising that you recognize this gem," he told her, a hint of something in his voice that sounded almost like a warning, "If you come from so far away, how is it that you know what you're holding right now?" His voice was strangely accusatory, as though implying that she'd been lying to him somehow.
"I told you before that I came here seeking weapons and tools of man to fight the Druun," she explained, "I heard the story of this gem from traders from these lands that came to my own. They said it could help in what I seek to do. Now, I take it that this is the Gem of Conrad?"
Her explanation seemed to satisfy Sorin, who gave a small snort but became a little less tense. "Yes," he told her, "It is. A fine prize from the city of Emmengen, and one of my most valuable pieces."
The same excitement from before welled up in her, now tenfold more than at first. Perhaps it was fate that she met Sorin, so he could bring her here and she could get what she sought. It all fit together wonderfully in her mind. Before she could stop herself, she blurted out, "Can I have it?"
Sorin's eyes widened and he took a step back as in shock at her question. Then his eyes narrowed and he let out a snarl, crouching down a little as if preparing to lunge and fight, claws half bared as his eyes burned into hers.
"What?" his voice dripped like venom.
Sisu suddenly realized that asking for a gift from a creature that was unfazed by destroying a city for treasure may not have been the best idea. "I…I just thought…" she tried to say, hesitantly taking a few steps back, the ruby still in one of her claws.
"Insolent serpent," he spat, lashing his tail angerly and launching waves of coins into the air, "I have met many females in my day, many seeking me out for my status, but none have been so presumptuous as you!"
"I…I don't…" Sisu stuttered, eyes wide at his outburst.
"You think that just because you're in my den and in my care that you have such privileges? That you can ask for my treasure—my gold which I risked life and wing for—like it's nothing more than a bite of flesh? All without nothing in advance! Not even a caress or a word of affection! Was this your plan all along, or did you just now decide to play the harlot?"
Still shocked by his rage, Sisu became more confused the longer he talked. "Caress" and "affection"? She had a feeling that she was somehow missing something here, but she hardly dared to stop and ask.
"You sicken me," Sorin spat, beginning to conclude his sharp words, "Perhaps I should have slain you at our meeting."
Sisu shook her head. "I'm sorry!" she cried, "I didn't mean—"
"To what?" Sorin cut her off, "You presume too much, serpent, if you think that with so little I would be wooed into courtship."
At that last word, it was suddenly Sisu's turn to narrow her eyes and asked a stunned and concerned "What?"
Sorin paused, his eyes suddenly losing a bit of their glare as he looked her over. He let out a long but not really threatening hiss as he took a step forwards, tilting his head slightly as their gazes met.
"Do you really not know?" he asked, a bit softer than before but still with an edge in his voice.
She remained still, looking onto his eyes. "No. I don't think I do."
Sorin gave a puff of smoke through his nostrils before turning away with a huff. "No. I don't think you do. I would have suspected such customs were the same despite cultures, if your kind are dragons, but apparently they are not." Sisu decided to interpret that as her customs not being the same as his instead of her kind not being dragons.
"I don't understand," Sisu implored him, softening herself a little, "What did I do that was so offensive to you?"
"You asked for a gift of my treasure," Sorin answered her with a growl, "Dragons do not give gifts, save for to mates or those they're courting. Even then, to ask for a gift is very poor form, done only by those who doubt the other's worth compared to their own prior to mating."
"Oh…was I…did I…oh, dear," Sisu breathed, realization beginning to come to her. Had she somehow accidentally been…propositioning Sorin by asking him for the gem, or rather, inviting him to proposition her. At least in his mind, it seemed as if that must have been what happened—it explained his reaction well enough. She was instantly appalled by the possibility, but how was she supposed to know? Dragons in Kumandra were far more liberal than Sorin's kind when it came to material goods.
Sorin growled again, but no longer bared his claws. "I see now that you meant no insult, so I will forgive your ignorance this time," he hissed, "Do not let it happen again."
Sisu nodded, perhaps a little too vigorously. She knew that she would make certain not to repeat this mistake.
Taking a step forward, Sorin reached out and took the red gem from her claw, pulling it towards him. "This is mine," he told her, firmness in his voice as a low rumble echoed beneath it, "All the gold in this cave is mine, and every scrap of treasure in all my lands belongs to me. I am a dragon, lord and master of all I seek to hold, and you will never see me part from a single treasure so long as I draw breath! You should do well to remember this, Sisu of the East, for a dragon does not give up his treasure lightly. Indeed, precious few things lesser than death can separate a dragon from what he considers his own."
Turning then, and taking the gem with him, he slunk back into his gold, his treasure, leaving Sisu without another word. And as she watched him close his eyes to return to the slumber he so often was in, all she could think was of how not long after their meeting he'd declared her to be his. And how dragons do not give up what they consider theirs.
Days continued to pass in Sorin's den, one after another, each blurring into the next as Sisu adapted more and more to Sorin's way of live. Rest without true slumber filled her body, passing days at a time with little activity. Every few days she would leave the cave and do something special, such as take a swim or go hunting, breaking the monotony before going right back to her rest. Sometimes Sorin joined her on her escapades and sometimes he didn't; it seemed like he left his cave far less than she did, although there were a few times she woke up from a true sleep to find him gone for hours. She had no idea what he did when he left her alone—although she did know that it included hunting for himself, as he often returned with prey—and she refrained from the temptation to try to follow him and see for herself.
Outside, the trees were now filled with the colors of fall. Oranges, yellow, and reds filled her sight whenever she flew outside, the winds a bit colder than the ones that brought her here. She could see the signs of animals preparing for winter, from the changing behavior of the birds to the increased consumption of foliage from the deer and other larger creatures. In the lake, she noticed the subtle changes of the fish, moving towards deeper waters and increasing their food intake as they fattened themselves up for the colder water ahead. The bite of winter was not yet imminent, but Sisu didn't know these lands; it was possible that the weather changed quickly here, and that soon the snow and cold would cover Sorin's lands.
Perhaps it was these same thoughts in mind that Sorin roused her from slumber one morning, a much different look in his eyes than was normally there. Why that was the case, she couldn't quite tell, but she was sure she'd find out eventually.
"Come," he told her as she stood up and stretched, "There are few good days left in this season, and there is something I would like of you."
A bit confused, Sisu followed him out of the cave. Sorin seldom took it upon himself to wake her, save for the occasional hunt, so she figured that that was his plan. Of course, she'd though by now that he'd gotten all he needed to know by observing her hunting behavior; it wasn't like she was going to be doing anything new.
Upon entering the clearing outside, Sorin took off and she followed behind. His course took them east, in the direction of the large river where he'd first taken her hunting months ago. She hadn't gone as far as that river since that day—she worried about being able to return by nightfall—so she wondered if there was any reason that Sorin was taking her that way.
As it turned out, that didn't seem to be Sorin's intent. After only a few minutes flying, he began to decrease his altitude and go in for a landing down below. She noticed that he was heading towards a small lake. It wasn't the one that she'd used back when she'd used her first day of "freedom", but it was one that she'd gotten somewhat familiar with since. It was a bit deeper than the southern one, and had more fish in it.
They alighted on the shoreline, the water glistening invitingly in the morning daylight. She resisted the urge to jump in, instead glancing at Sorin who was also looking over the water.
He noticed her look and glanced at her for a moment before turning his attention back to the water and speaking. "It has occurred to me that, of all the things you claim your kind to be capable of, the one thing I've not directly observed is your swimming. You've already proved mastery of water outside of it, but I've yet to see your mastery in it."
She gave him a questioning glance, not completely following.
He caught the glance and gave a small, nonthreatening growl. "In short, I'd like to watch you swim."
"Oh," she said. That was one thing she definitely could do. And now, come to think of it, she couldn't remember a time that Sorin had accompanied her swimming; he'd tended not to go with her on those trips. "Do you want me to do anything special? Loops? Twists? Spins? There's a lot that be done besides just 'swimming'! And you may not be able to get a great look, not unless you want to get underwater yourself." She spoke a bit quicker, some excitement in her voice. It had been a while since she'd gotten to show off to anyone, and it was always more satisfying to have an audience for her fancier maneuvers.
He gave a maybe-amused-maybe-unamused huff. "Whatever you'd like," he said.
"Okay, then," she said, her tail lashing a little in anticipation, "Be prepared to see me in my element. Don't get jealous."
She leaped up and away without another word, using water disks to fly higher and away from the shallows before she dove down into deeper water. Immediately she pulled up and backwards, beginning some reverse surface spins, looping her body gracefully in circles half in and half out of the water.
If Sorin wants to see me swim, she thought, I may as well make it a show.
Changing it up slightly, she turned her body and dove back down, then with a powerful push of water turned and shot herself back up, up and out of the water. She twisted in the air, doing a full aerial spin with her entire body exposed before dropping back in.
But fancy twists and spins weren't all she could do. Taking a few moments, she swam out farther into the lake, giving herself plenty of maneuvering room for her next demonstration. Fish and turtles scattered in alarm as she went by, the immediate ruler of the body of water as soon as she entered it. Once she'd gone far enough, she turned and began speeding back the way she'd came as fast as she could. Putting herself close to the surface so Sorin could see her wake and appreciate her speed, she made a show of how fast she could swim, shooting through the water faster than he could fly over it.
Running out of room, she turned rapidly, sending water spraying up in the air and large waves splashing up against the shore. Whether any of that water hit Sorin she wouldn't know; she was already turning for her next move. Going back to roughly the same place she'd started her first sprint, she again began to race back near the surface of the water. This time, however, she didn't stay beneath the water. With a flick of her tail she shot herself out of the water, arching in the air before going back under. Then she did it again, going up and down and up and down in graceful arches at speeds that even her siblings would be pushed to match without the fancy maneuvers.
Slowing down as she began to run out of deep enough water, she ceased her jumps and stayed submerged but leveled out close to the surface. She let herself glide through the water on its own before her foreclaws made contact with the lake bottom. Now in the shallows, she stopped and poked her head out of the water, gauging the reaction of her audience. Sorin was just far enough away that she couldn't be sure, but she didn't think she was imagining a very small grin tugging at the edges of his mouth as he watched her go.
A bit tired from her fast, speed-based tricks, she pushed back into the deeper water and began a few simpler, less exhausting moves. A few forward surface spins, lazier than the first, letting her body loop more slowly half in the water. Next was a style change, going from her normal swimming to an imitation of a snake, shifting her body side to side instead of up and down and rippling the surface of the water a hundred times at once. Submerging again, she went back to her normal style and burst out once again, this time using her water disks to climb higher so she could do more twists and spins before executing a perfect dive.
She performed a few more tricks (and repeated a few) before she tired of it and just began swimming normally. For the most part that meant staying underwater, but she made sure to surface every now and then so Sorin would be able to see her and know where she was. After a while longer she began to focus more on entertaining herself than Sorin, choosing to explore the lake and chase some of the larger fish that dared to get close enough to her.
After a few tries—some more serious than the other—she managed to catch one. I was a kind she was a little familiar with and knew to be tasty, although she didn't know what it was called. She ate it, then caught another. Eating that one, too, she caught a third before thinking of the dragon on shore. Swimming back to the shallows, she found Sorin right where she'd left him, his eyes intently watching her. Pulling the third fish with her, she walked onto dry ground and offered it to him. Wordlessly, he accepted and downed the fish in one large gulp.
Sisu wasn't sure what she'd expected in offering it to him. Part of her had actually thought he'd refuse it, as she wasn't even sure he like fish. He seemed to enjoy it though, and with a small nod of thanks he seemed to be dismissing her to go back into the water.
She turned and was just putting her front claws back in the shallows when she heard a whooshing sound behind her and then over her. In a second a shadow had passed overhead and she was surprised to see an airborne Sorin gliding just over the water. She was even more surprised when, a moment later, he gently landed on the surface of the lake with all the grace of a waterfowl bird. His wings were spread out, seemingly stabilizing himself on the surface as the lower half of his body went underwater. After a few more moments, though, he folded his wings up against his side and seemed to level himself out completely, just the top of his body above water from his snout to his tail while most of his bulk lay concealed just below the surface. Really, he looked like a massive log floating there, and could almost have been mistaken for one if she didn't know better.
Well, I guess Sorin doesn't have a problem with water after all, Sisu thought to herself. Ever since that day that he'd given her some basic freedom and let her fly in the rain without him she'd theorized that Sorin, being a creature of fire, was somehow weakened or hurt by rain or water (thus why he didn't fly in the rain). It was actually something she'd thought of using in the case of an escape attempt. Now, though, it seemed that theory had been completely disproven. Sorin, it seemed, was just fine getting himself wet.
Wading back out into the lake, she began swimming towards him. With a glance in her direction, he moved to meet her. She looked on with curiosity as he did so, his powerful tail swishing back and forth, propelling him through the water with powerful swings. He looked like one of the crocodiles from Kumandra, with how he swam with just the top of his head, neck, back, and tail exposed.
Sorin gave a loud rumble in his throat as they neared each other. "It's been a long time since I truly swam," he murmured with what seemed like a bit of contentment, more to himself than her. He closed his eyes for a second and took a long, deep breath through his snout, then exhaled a large burst of smoke which drifted high into the air. He reopened his gaze to see her watching him and swam a bit closer, his motions making waves across the surface with even his smallest movements. "Perhaps it was seeing another dragon enjoy it so that coaxed me out again," he told her, "Although I doubt I'm your equal in these waters."
With an amused snort, Sisu let a grin grace her face at his words. "I must have put on an excellent show, then, for you to admit such an inferiority."
"Not even dragons are too prideful to admit when they are outmatched," he said without really giving a retort, which relieved Sisu greatly. Rarely did she try to tease of joke with the other dragon, afraid he might not take it well, so it was nice when nothing bad happened when she did do so. "Seldom have I seen such grace and majesty, and even rarer that of a creature of the waves. You'd give the sea serpents of the north more than a challenge if you ever were unlucky enough to meet one in its domain. It was a beautiful display."
Sisu wasn't sure what exactly he meant by the sea serpent part, but she gracefully accepted his praise. While he'd been getting better at not overtly insulting her kind of "dragon" for what they couldn't do, he rarely went the other way and praised her for what she could do. Perhaps she'd proved something to him with her little display. Perhaps she'd shown him that while she may not have his fire, strength, or scales, she was more than the master of the skills she possessed. Sorin could claim to be the lord of all other things, but she ruled the waters.
The two of them spent much of the rest of the day in the water, swimming together. Or, rather, Sisu swam around as Sorin floated and watched her. He wasn't the most active swimmer, content to drift with the waves for the most part, allowing the water to move him instead of pushing against it. When he wanted to, though, it only took a few sweeps of his powerful tail to maneuver to wherever he wanted in very little time. He only fully submerged himself once, suddenly and unexpectedly diving under the water. He'd emerged with a large fish in his jaws, one that he quickly swallowed without much fanfare. Other than that, he continued to merely watch her do her own thing, swimming and gliding through the water and enjoying every moment of it.
It was almost dusk when they finally left the lake behind and flew back to the den. Sisu noticed as they went, though, that the air was a bit colder, and she could feel a cold front moving in. She was glad Sorin had chosen today for her impromptu swim; indeed, she doubted she'd have a chance for another that year.
In the days following her swim with Sorin, the weather turned just as she'd expected it would. The temperatures dropped steadily with each day, rain becoming both frequent and cold, not like the warm summer showers that she so enjoyed flying in. The trees in the forest outside, their leaves full of color before, started to become bare as those leaves turned brown and fell from their branches. Winter hadn't yet arrived, but Sisu could feel that it would come any day.
The change in the weather also brought about a change in Sorin, albeit a small one: she noticed an increase in the amount of hunting he was doing. Whereas before he only went out maybe once a week (that she noticed), he now seemed to hunt prey almost every other day. Sisu wasn't completely sure why that was, but she had a theory. Like many other animals, it was quite possible that Sorin was preparing for some sort of hibernation that would last the winter months. It would be an unusual thing for dragons to do—at least where she was from—but it seemed to fit what she saw. And, considering that she would likely be doing whatever Sorin did this winter, she likewise began to eat more to prepare. She figured that if her body could match his in whatever the sleep-like state was, then it could probably hibernate as well if she tried.
Hunting and eating more meant more activity, however, and that in turn meant spending more time awake and out of the cave despite the colder weather. Not that she minded it that much, but…well, she had been getting used to the same lifestyle Sorin had, and waking up and doing things just wasn't quite as appealing as it had been in the first few weeks of her being there. Add the wind and chilliness outside that would only grow worse, and suddenly the cave felt absolutely lovely.
And that was why, when she woke up one late fall morning and decided to go out hunting for the day, she was actually in a somewhat bad mood instead of a good one.
Upon waking, she could feel that the temperature outside had gone down several degrees since her last hunt. Judging by the amount of light that made it down into the cave, she could tell that it was overcast outside, possibly even a little rainy, and not in the good way. As she got up and made her way to the cave entrance, she was almost hoping that it would be windy enough outside for her to justify going back to sleep.
There was barely any wind at all, however, and so her decision was made. She glanced back into the cave, noticing for the first time the absence of Sorin. It wasn't a big deal—he was more than likely out hunting like she would be—but she still felt a little off when leaving without him there to see her go. She always worried that he'd return before she did and jump to the conclusion that she'd tried to run, causing him to be in a bad mood or do something more rash. It hadn't happened yet, despite the scenario of her leaving and returning after him happening several times, but it still never sat very well with her.
With the thought of Sorin's absence fresh in her mind, she took a step outside.
…And froze immediately.
A scent enveloped her nostrils, causing her to cease all thoughts of her hunt. It was a familiar scent, very familiar, although it had been a while now since she'd gotten a strong whiff of it. It was one that she found no problem with, but Sorin definitely did.
It was the smell of man.
Hesitantly, she took a few steps forward, out into the clearing, sniffing as she went. The smell was fresh, which meant either Sorin had already taken care of it, or that the human was still around here somewhere. She could tell that whoever it was had been or still was close, but she couldn't quite ascertain how close.
That question was answered a moment later as some bushes on the other end of the clearing shook, and out walked a man. Upon seeing her, he froze and stared. Sisu, for her part, was filled with instant relief as she saw that Sorin had not already found and killed this human. It would surely still happen, though, unless she could somehow get the man away before Sorin returned from whatever it was he was doing.
Tentatively, hoping not to provoke him, she took a few steps towards the man. Like the last human that had come here, he was dressed in some sort of silvery metal armor. Also like the other one, she could clearly see a sword at his belt and a shield on his side. This was not just a human that had stumbled here by chance; this was a "challenger", as Sorin had called the last one, and he had come here intentionally. That realization suddenly made what Sisu had to do a bit more difficult.
She would try, though. She had to try. Somehow, she would have to dissuade this man from attacking Sorin when he returned or from trying to steal his gold while he was away. Either of those things could have nasty side effects, both for this man and the other humans in Sorin's domain.
"It's okay," she said, taking a few more steps forward, "I'm not going to hurt you."
The man drew his sword and yelled something at her. Had she been Sorin, she probably could have understood and responded, but she didn't know the languages of this land. Nor could he understand her, which undoubtably complicated things even more.
She stopped and eyed the sword warily. "Now, now. No need for that. Like I said, I'm not going to hurt you." She tried to use the softest, most non-threatening voice she had. The man had likely come here expecting a fight, and she really did not want him trying to start one with her.
The man said something else and raised his sword. She was still far enough away that she wasn't in any danger, but that could change quickly if he decided to try to rush her.
She stopped again, then raised herself back onto her back legs. Straightening her back, she took a step forward walking bipedal. She hadn't walked like this for a while, not since meeting Sorin, but she'd learned in the past that humans tended to be more trusting and open with a creature that walked like they did, even if it wasn't actually a human. She held her front claws out and open in a nonthreatening gesture as she approached again, hoping that he would drop his guard somewhat and be reasonable.
Indeed, the man did lower his sword slightly as she came closer, and she could see some confusion in his face. Obviously, he'd been expecting a dragon like Sorin who would attack without mercy, not a dragon like Sisu who didn't want any trouble. He continued to eye her warily, but didn't back up as she cautiously took each step towards him.
"That's right," Sisu said, trying to be soothing, "No need for violence. I want to help you. You need to go away now. You need to leave before Sorin comes back." She said those words almost more to herself than to the man, trying to figure how exactly she could say it in a way the human could understand. One thing was for sure, though, he did need to leave, or else Sorin would be the end of him.
She took another step, now almost able to reach out and touch him. His sword had fallen a bit more, and he looked far less hostile than when he'd first entered the clearing. They met eyes, and she did her best to try to use her own to convey a plea to him to trust her. Hesitantly, she did reach out a claw towards him, thinking that if she could just gently turn him around and give him a small push he might get the message. It was really the only thing she could think to do.
Her talons were only inches from him when the man suddenly leapt into motion. With one swift swing he brought his sword up in a powerful sweep right towards her exposed body. She had barely a moment to move, but the reflexes of a dragon saved her and she pulled away just in time…for the blow not to immediately kill her.
The man had gone for the neck, and he'd gotten it. But not a clean slice at her throat; rather, she'd turned slightly so that the tip of his blade caught the side, slicing up at an angle but not cutting anything that felt immediately important. Sisu could still breathe and her body wasn't immediately failing, which was very good.
But it hurt. Badly. Putting a claw to her wound she staggered away from the man and collapsed to the ground writhing in agony. She gave a loud cry of pain and thrashed her tail wildly at the human, trying to get him to go away. She could feel the blood on her claw over her wound and knew that she was in no condition to try to fight.
For his part, the man now approached her. Calmly and collectedly, he strode towards her with his sword outstretched, intent on finishing her. There was a look of glee on his face that she could make out through her tears of pain; he was enjoying this. This man was looking forwards to ending her life.
She tried to scoot away from him but couldn't find her footing. She tried to hit him with her tail again, but he just batted it away with his shield. Each step brought him closer, as silent and inevitable as the death he brought with him.
Sisu had been killed by a human before. It wasn't a pleasurable experience. But now there was no special gem or dragon magic that could resurrect her like before. This was her end now. Ironic, how she was killed by the human she had tried to save from death. All she had tried to do to help his race, and he had no pity as he raised his sword high over her, ready to bring it down in one quick stroke and end her.
A loud, furious roar suddenly echoed through the clearing, causing the man to hesitate for a moment and turn his gaze upwards, towards the sky. An instant later a red blur flashed into her vision, barreling into the man and knocking him away from her and onto the ground. The red creature pursued the man, bounding from the sky onto where he lay, and it was only then that Sisu recognized her sudden savior.
Sorin had arrived to meet the challenger, and he was in a state that she'd never seen him in before. Snarling and hissing in an endless stream, smoke poured from his nostrils as he descended on the man. He was angry, furious, and he took it out on the human before him. Unlike the last challenger, he didn't play any games with him or even engage in what she'd assumed were insults. Instead, Sorin went straight for the kill, first crushing the human with his bulk and then tearing into him with his talons. The human barely even had time to scream before his life was over, but Sorin continued to rip into the body long after the challenger could possibly have survived. And once the red dragon was satisfied, he unleashed his fire upon the bloody remains, as if he wanted to ensure that there was nothing left but ash, just for good measure.
The human dealt with, Sorin turned his gaze on her. Sisu feared that she was to be next on the receiving end of his fury, but his eyes held no more anger as he approached her. Rather, there was concern in them as he approached her and looked her over.
"You are injured," he stated in a voice devoid of the anger she'd just seen him unleash as he noticed her wound. A darkness fell over his eyes at that realization, but she could feel that it was not directed at her.
"Y—yeah," she stated, trying to nod but finding that it hurt.
"Are you hurt anywhere else, or just there?" He asked, his voice far softer than she was used to.
"Just…just here," she answered. Her claw was still over the wound, and with where it was it on her neck it was nigh impossible for her to see just how bad it was.
"Can you walk?" he questioned next. She said that she could and he gave a nod that looked relieved. "Good. Come back to my den and I will see what I can do."
Shakily, she rose and followed him out of the clearing and back into the safety of his cave. Walking was a bit difficult, since she kept one claw on her wound, but at least she found that it didn't hurt when she took a step; it only hurt when she moved her neck.
Once she'd reached the comfort of the gold, she laid down and closed her eyes. All she wanted was to take a nice, long nap. She was sure that would help, with the pain at least.
But Sorin wasn't quite done with her. He looked over her wound as she lay there, his eyes scanning over her. Her claw was still covering it, and he gently lifted it up and set it aside so he could look further. Reaching out, he brushed away some of her mane to get a better look, and Sisu realize that it had been high enough to be in or under her mane. She hoped that it hadn't sliced off any of her fur there, but at least her mane would hide any scarring.
"It doesn't seem too deep," Sorin declared after a few minutes, "You should be fine. It should probably be cleaned, though, and with your permission I will attend to that now."
"Umm…go ahead," Sisu told him, not sure why he'd ask her permission. Very seldom did Sorin ask; he just did. But the answer to why was answered very quickly, as he lowered his face to her neck and began licking her wound.
Her eyes widened at the sudden and unexpected development, but she didn't protest. His tongue felt warm and wet upon her sensitive skin, but it was gentle as it cleaned away all the dirt and grime that had gotten in it while thrashing to save her own life. It felt…good. Like when her brother Pengu used to groom her when she was much younger. She relaxed as he went on, suddenly finding comfort in the odd situation she was in. She closed her eyes and gave a small sigh as Sorin took her into his care.
Soon the wound was clean, but Sorin took it upon himself to do a bit more. She felt his tongue brushing along her fur and mane, cleaning it of the blood that had sullied it. Her red-stained fur turned blue again at his urging, and she was completely fine until he pulled a bit too hard on a patch of her mane.
"Careful," she hissed, and Sorin immediately let up.
"Did I hurt you?" he asked, lifting his head up and away from her.
"No, no," she quickly replied, "It's just, once my kind of dragons reach adulthood, our manes don't grow back. If you accidently pull out any of it, I'll be missing a tuft for the rest of my life. If it's all the same to you, I'd rather not do that."
Sorin gave a small, amused snort. "Very well, I shall do my best to refrain from removing your mane," he said in a voice that she could almost have mistaken for being playful, then went back to work. He only had a little bit more to go, and soon she was actually a little disappointed as he finished with her wound. "I would advise you to sleep and not be active for a while," he told her as he withdrew himself and began going back to his normal spot in the cave. "I will hunt enough for you while you heal."
He laid down, then raised his head and spoke again. "I could use this incident as a lesson on the evils of man, but I think the man taught you enough himself. Be glad I was there to save you, Sisu, and learn from this. You may want to help them, but all they wish to help is themselves."
She chose not to reply as he sunk back down into the gold for slumber of his own. She wanted to refute him, but she couldn't. Not this time. A human had just tried to kill her without pity and without remorse, and it was only because of Sorin that he hadn't. She realized in that moment that she didn't even pity the man who had died.
It scared her a little, but she was beginning to see that Sorin was right. And she would have a lasting scar to prove it.