Volga had never been a fan of fairies. Sure, they were harmless and quite helpful, what with their natural urge to heal and help those in need. There was just something about their giggly, relaxed nature that deceived the fact that they were quite powerful. Power was something to wield, to be proud of. But fairies just waited for those who needed that power. They sought nothing. Volga found it a disgusting waste.
He couldn't really complain at the moment. The battle with the Hero left him littered with more than one inhibiting wound. As a dragon those wounds only worsened and grew with his increased size, so he remained in his human form. When he woke, the fairies brought him food. It was just a simple cheese and bread meal. He was grateful for it none-the-less and quickly devoured it without question as to where it came from. In the meantime the fairies settled upon his wounds.
He'd four major wounds in total; there was a single painful abrasion on his forehead above his right brow, a cut up his left forearm crossed by another gash, and a gouge on his lower back. The gash on his forehead was most painful and the slowest to heal. Whenever the fairies settled, he would swat at them out of instinct. Luckily he never harmed any of them. At one point he even apologized to one.
Once or twice he considered stepping outside of the fountain's chambers, but he knew better. Strong as he was, the Valley of Seers was constantly strife with ill meaning creatures. Leaving without his armor and in such a battle worn state would be suicide. So he remained put, resting by the pool with his bare legs hanging in it.
"Why are you helping?" He asked a fairy that fluttered by.
She didn't reply. With a sigh he leaned back on his hands. The fairy rested on his forehead and he closed his eyes.
"This is worse than limbo." He sighed a cloud of steam.
"Don't be so sad." A tiny voice whispered.
His eyes shot open in an instant. "Who said that?!"
"Me."
"You?" Volga tried to look at the fairy that rested on his forehead, but to no avail. He saw only her shine in his upper peripherals. "You can talk?"
"All fairies can talk. Most of us just don't say much." Her voice was soft and quiet like small bells in a gentle breeze.
"The fairy that the Hero had with him couldn't shut up." Volga sneered.
"And most visitors to my Mistress's fountain aren't so ungrateful."
Normally such a smart remark would annoy Volga. But this time he laughed. The movement of his head jostled the fairy and she gripped onto his blonde hair with her dainty hands. "You have a lot of attitude for one so small."
"I'm only telling the truth." She replied once he calmed.
Volga harrumphed. "Getting mad about a peeping tom isn't ungrateful."
"She was only curious. We don't see a lot of your type here."
"'My type'?"
"Dragonkin…" The fairy fluttered down to sit on his knee. "Especially one who hunted us."
Volga's eyes widened as her words brought foggy memories rushing back. In an attempt to thwart the Hero, Cia commanded that all of her forces capture the fairies. Bits and pieces came back to him in a flood. He recalled the tiny screams of fairies as they were stuffed into cages and jars. Some were crushed in the fray. Did he kill any? He couldn't remember. The only thing prominent from the memories was the undying urge to obey Cia.
Capturing captives. Pathetic. He'd once practiced such a thing before, but quit the dishonorable habit once becoming leaders of the dragonkin. "Did they escape?" He asked.
"Yes. The defeat of Cia's forces left us unguarded."
"Were you able to help the ones that…" Volga averted his eyes from her in guilt.
"Those who died are with the Goddesses now. We don't revive our own." The fairy fluttered up to his forehead and gently kissed his wound. "Fear not, my Mistress is forgiving. She saw that your soul had been stolen."
Volga could only purse his lips and nod. He never cared for fairies, true, but he never wished any ill on them. Several moments of silence passed as he tried to recall anything else he'd done, but nothing came. All he gained from the effort was a headache.
"Do you have a name? I am Mia."
The fairy's question startled Volga, and he knocked her off of his head when he looked up. Luckily his reflexes were fast enough and he caught her in his cupped hands.
"Yes. Volga." He watched as she fluttered back into the air. Suddenly he found himself splashed with water as the Great Fairy appeared from her fountain.
The Great Fairy laughed as the knight flicked the water from his hands and glared at her in frustration. "Oh look at you, you mean little dragon. Did you remember what you did to my children?"
"It wasn't my fault." He retorted.
She crossed her arms. "Ah ah ah…I saw the darkness where your soul used to be. It's hard to ignore that much darkness in one being. But tell me…" She reached down and put a single finger under his chin to tilt his head back. "…what do you intend on doing as penance?"
"Penance?" Volga resisted the urge to push her finger away.
"You owe the land of Hyrule quite a lot after what you did. The earth still burns with the wounds your army left."
"It wasn't my army!"
The Great Fairy pulled her hand away and shook her head sadly. "Dragons. Stubborn as always. Fine then. Go see for yourself the damage that you've caused. Maybe then you'll change your mind."
Volga grabbed his spear at her words and used it as a crutch to stand. "It's about time you released me." He grunted in annoyance. "Now give me my ar-"
"I don't think so. Naughty dragons don't get their armor back, not yet." The Great Fairy laughed before vanishing into her fountain with a showy spin.
Volga growled at the rippling water. Free but without armor. Fantastic. Staying at the Fountain would do him little good, so he turned and headed into the unforgiving terrain of the Valley of the Seers. It would be a long walk, but there was one place that he could go. It was a place where he was honored and respected like he deserved. It was home. Eldin Caves. There the dragonkin would respect him and call him their leader.
No they won't. You fell in battle. A voice nagged him as he scanned his surroundings for danger. Go back and you'll perish trying to claim your former title. You will die. You failed.
The voice chewed away at his thoughts every step of the way until he could no longer focus on his surroundings. Lost in thought, he slowed and stared at his feet. With his guard down, it didn't take much for two lithe bulblins to burst from their hiding place among a passing ruin. Their new scavenged weapons flashed as the lunged for the passing knight.
Volga stood little chance. Yet still he held his ground spear in hand. When one bulblin lunged for him, Volga barely parried the sword and swatted him back with the end of his spear. "Halt!" He barked.
"Neh! Don't listen to you!" The second bulblin snarled as she hopped out of Volga's sloppy spin and landed behind him. Before the knight could react, the creature clubbed him on the back of the head with her heavy gauntlet and brought him down like a stone.
"Hya heh! Easy prey!" The first bulblin scrambled from the dirt and over to his partner. He sniffed the unconscious man. "Not prey, smells funny. Bring to chief!"
The female laughed with a grin of rotted teeth. "Chain up prize. Keh heh heh. Many rewards for this one."
The male cackled and did as told. Soon the two were off, their human prize pulled not far behind them.
((author's note: Thank you so much to those who have left reviews! It's great hearing what people think about my humble little fanfic. Here's chapter 3, enjoy!))