Hello again lovely readers! Here is Chapter 3.
Thank you again for those of you who favorited, followed, and reviewed our story. It makes me and Yamiyo. Darknight so happy to see them.
So just reminding you all again:
Yamiyo is Alfred, Matthew, and all of the other Dragon character
And I am Arthur, Francis, and all the people in the Knight's Kingdom.
Neither of us owns Hetalia.
Over the course of three weeks, Alfred was able to accomplish what took most people years of practice in potion making. Arthur couldn't have been more proud of the dragon.
Although there was one incident where the knight had turned his back on the dragon for one second to reach for a book on a high shelf and Alfred had accidentally spilt a Swelling Potion on himself. It caused his feet to become grotesquely enlarged and Arthur had to brew a Deflating Draught to reverse the effects.
Luckily, Arthur had been able to avoid Francis so he wasn't questioned for his constant absence during the three weeks. He found himself rushing through his duties in the early morning just so he could hurry over for his lessons with Alfred. The young dragon's presence was just intoxicating. His smile, his bright blue eyes, his laugh and egotistical persona was a breath of fresh air in Arthur's life. It was impossible for the knight to stay away from him. But he was beginning to get worried that he would lose this new found friendship.
The Knight had been very careful to avoid teaching Alfred potions that required… special ingredients that might offend the Dragon. Yet Alfred was determined to learn how to make the one potion that required these ingredients. The Healing Elixir.
"Hey! Hey! What're you gonna teach me huh Artie? What're we gonna do today?" Alfred demanded eagerly, bouncing up and down on his feet. "And when are we going to get to that healing potion thing? Huh? Huh? Huh? You won't say anything about it. It's not like it's super hard right? Haven't I been doing good? You said I was! So why can't we do it? Come oooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnn Artie!"
"We can't do the Healing Elixir yet." Arthur replied nervously. He had just arrived for their next lesson and already Alfred was asking about the Healing Elixer. "Uh… the ingredients for the healing potion are very hard to come by. The potion is very rare in the towns and that's why it's only used in dire situations. I don't have all the ingredients so we'll have to put that lesson on hold."
What Arthur just told Alfred was mostly true. Being an advanced potion maker, Arthur had many of the most rare ingredients stocked in his cupboards. But there was one ingredient that was difficult to come by and he wasn't sure how Alfred would take it if he knew exactly what that ingredient was.
"Well, if we have to look for the ingredients, why not leave it to me?" Alfred suggested, not willing to let this potion be avoided. He'd been looking forward to creating something that healed, when in comparison, the spells and magic that dragons used were for destruction. "I've got a sensitive nose (as we both know...) and I'm sure I could find any of them easily! Piece of cake! Come on Arthur! You promised you'd teach me it!" He decided to use his puppy eyes for good measure and clasped his hands together as well in a pleading posture. "Come on! Pleeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaase?"
'I said I'd teach you potions not the Healing Elixer' Arthur thought to himself but didn't say so to Alfred.
"T-the ingredients aren't that easy to find… even for a dragon." Arthur turned away to avoid Alfred's pleading expression. He wondered how it was logically possible for someone's eyes to become that large? "You'll just have to wait until I find them myself. Besides you said you wanted to learn potions and spells to help others. I've taught you plenty of potions to assist people in a wide variety of situations."
"Yea, but Artie, this actually HEALS people!" Alfred went on persistently. "And I'm sure those ingredients can't be THAT hard to find. I'm really good at finding things! Really good!"
"No Alfred you can't!" Arthur turned back to Alfred and snapped. The knight suddenly felt horrified that he had yelled at Alfred when he was just excited about learning something new.
"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell." Arthur looked at the ground to avoid Alfred's gaze. "It's difficult to get and I don't want you to get hurt trying to retrieve it. Please… please just drop it for now."
Alfred seemed rather miffed, not having expected the reaction he'd gotten. "Why would I get hurt? Have you forgotten that I happen to be a dragon? I haven't lived this long doing nothing to protect myself you know. Hatchlings are helpless and have to work themselves to be strong. I'm not weak. And if I DID get hurt from trying to help people, I'd rather have that happen than do nothing at all. What if something happens, Arthur? What if something happens that we can't fix because we hesitated to get something we needed? I don't want that Arthur. I don't."
"… No Alfred… I haven't forgot that you're a dragon." The knight said quietly.
'That's why I can't tell you…' Arthur thought miserably. 'I'm afraid that if I told you… I would end up losing you.'
"I'm not trying to imply that you're weak. I know that you are strong and kind and good and wonderful and…" Arthur paused. He didn't want to say too much. What if Alfred became disgusted with him if he knew of Arthur's feelings for him? "I understand that you are eager to learn this potion but this is a very complex mixture. You have to be patient and let me retrieve it. It may even be faster if we do it this way." Arthur was lying about the last part. He knew it was selfish of him to do so but he couldn't lose Alfred.
Alfred frowned and crossed his arms, definitely NOT willing to step down. "You didn't answer my last questions. What if something happened NOW Arthur? What if I go home and my brother is hurt really bad and I need that potion to help him? Making hiccups go away is one thing that can wait; it's nothing important or threatening. But what if someone close to you were to get hurt and you didn't know any way of helping them? And the one way you know is possible isn't available because you didn't want to let me look for the ingredients that are probably simpler to find than you think?"
Arthur was at a loss for words. He had run out of excuses to tell this persistent dragon. Alfred was just getting more and more upset with him the more he tried to avoid the topic. Arthur knew he had no choice but to tell him.
Arthur let out a shaky breath and sat down on a nearby seat. He motioned for Alfred to take the seat next to him. "Alfred… I need to tell you something. And I need to ask you to not think any less of me once I tell you."
Alfred sat as he was told to and cocked his head, puzzled. "Why would I think less of you? You just seem overly concerned which means that you don't want me to be hurt which means that you like me right? So...that would mean you're a good person. I wouldn't think any less of you for it."
"Y-yes Alfred I-I do like you." Arthur blushed. "You have been a very good friend to me and I don't want you to be hurt… but I haven't been completely truthful with you." Arthur started to lightly tremble. He was so nervous; so afraid. Alfred was being loyal and kind. But Arthur was afraid that once he told him the truth all that loyalty and kindness would turn to into hate.
Alfred nodded at the comment, trying to be patient but feeling very much otherwise as he waited for the explanation. "Well, if you're my friend then why don't you tell me what it is that's making you panic like this? What ingredients are so hard to get that it would make you freak out over my well-being?"
"Alfred…" Arthur took a deep breath. "Haven't you ever wondered why Knights hunt dragons?"
"Cuz they hate and fear us?" Alfred answered bluntly, confused about why the topic was suddenly changing so abruptly. "What does that have to do with this?"
"Well, that is part of the reason… but that's not why we continue to do this." Arthur answered completely ignoring Alfred's last question. "We have always thought that dragons are beautiful. You are all such amazing and strong creatures. Before all of this hunting began, we would only kill a dragon if they appeared to be a threat to us or stole our property… we never understood why you liked taking our gold and silver." Arthur paused. He began to fiddle with his fingers. He felt unsure of how to continue, but did so anyways.
"This all started long ago, when my great grandfather had just achieved Knighthood. He was the strongest Knight in all of Hetalia and he was always looking for someone worthy enough to fight him." Arthur explained. "My great grandfather was amazed by Dragons' power and strength. He wanted to test his strength and defeat one. So he set out to find a Dragon and killed the first one he saw…" Arthur trailed off again. He has heard and told this story dozens of times; and every time his ancestor was made out to be some sort of hero for being the first to set out and kill an innocent Dragon. Only now did Arthur finally see this act for what it was. Murder.
Arthur stared at the ground; too afraid to look at Alfred's face for a reaction. When he heard no reply he decided to continue.
"After killing the poor creature he went to examine it. He was amazed by the unique strength of the dragon's scales. They were as tough as armor and hard to penetrate. He also noticed that they gave off a strange sort of energy. He removed a great deal of the dragon's scales and brought them back to the village. He ran a many tests the scales and used them for different things. And through those experiments he found a great use for them. He discovered that they had magical properties that caused them to strengthen over time. So he used them to create the first Healing Elixir."
"He told the king about this amazing discovery and convinced the King to make it into a tradition to slay Dragons. The king told people that dragons were evil and destructive creatures that should be feared. He made it a Knights duty to kill Dragons and convinced them it would bring great honor on them to kill such a powerful creature. And every Dragon they killed they would harvest their scales for more potions… the reason why slaying Dragons is so popular among my people… is because my family started the tradition."
Alfred didn't say anything for a long time, the expression on his face was dark and he was deep in thought. he wasn't sure how to process this in his mind. Arthur's family had started the tradition of killing Dragons just so they could steal their scales for potions?
"I'm sorry...I don't know what to say right now..." Alfred said, voice strained. "I'm going to go out for a bit. I need to think about what you told me." He stood up and moved to Arthur and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Before I leave, I want you to know that I DON'T hate you. You didn't start this." He paused and then left the room, leaving Arthur by himself.
Once Alfred had left, Arthur rushed out the back door to the river the clumsy dragon had fallen into three weeks ago… it didn't seem like three weeks had passed. Within a short amount of time, that lovable dragon had been able to make Arthur feel so many emotions he had never felt before.
Before Alfred came along, Arthur never realized how hollow he was; going day after day gaining praise for completing his duties yet never feeling fulfillment in his life. But with Alfred he felt elated, cheerful and uplifted. Helping the young Dragon for a noble cause made Arthur feel like he was doing something right. And seeing Alfred's face light up when he had done a good job gave Arthur a feeling of completeness.
Arthur knew he didn't deserve someone so wonderful in his life. Alfred should be his happy carefree egotistical self. But now, because of Arthur, Alfred had left to gather his thoughts and the young Knight didn't know what he was feeling. Was he angry? Repulsed? Overwhelmed? Distraught? Most likely he felt all these emotions and so much more. And Arthur was the one to bring out these bout of emotions. The thought tormented the Knight. He couldn't hold back his sorrowful tears.
"I'm so sorry, Alfred." He collapsed to the ground and whimpered quietly.
"Funny that we should come to the same spot, huh?"
Arthur snapped his head up to find Alfred standing in front of him. "A-Alfred!" Arthur exclaimed in shock. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for you to see me this way." Arthur quickly wiped away his tears.
"You don't need to apologize. It wasn't your fault for what's happened ya know. You're not a bad person. You could have killed me before, especially when I was "human", but you didn't."
He kneeled down to Arthur's level and softly ruffled his hair before leaning down and hugging him tightly to his chest. "Like I said, I don't hate you. You've been nothing but kind to me. I don't have any reason to hate you. You tried to protect me from what I didn't know. If my scales are what you need, it isn't a problem. We shed them for new ones all the time."
Arthur leaned into Alfred's embrace and buried his head into his shoulder to prevent the dragon from seeing the fresh tears starting to run down his face. "I'm sorry for lying to you… I don't understand how you can forgive me so easily." The knight lifted his tear stained face to gaze into Alfred's sky blue eyes. "You deserved to know from the beginning. I was being selfish. I was just afraid of losing you."
"It's alright. I understand. There's nothing really to forgive you for, though." Alfred said softly, trying to soothe Arthur. "You wouldn't lose me for something like that. If it came down to it, I'd let you take my scales for whatever you needed. It wouldn't bother me."
Arthur leaned even closer letting his forehead rest against Alfred's. Their noses brushed lightly against each other. Arthur was convinced that the dragon would leave him once he learned the truth, but he was staying. He didn't think Alfred would be here in his arms. Holding him. Comforting him. "Thank you… I don't think you know how much it means to me that you are here."
Alfred smiled softly and moved his head up so he could press his lips to Arthur's forehead. "Well, I don't understand a lot of things, but it ain't gonna stop me from what I do. He ran his hand through Arthur's messy blonde hair and then let it rest at the back of his neck. "I know you wouldn't purposely hurt me. You're not that kind of person."
Arthur felt his breath catch when Alfred's lips brushed against his forehead. His heart raced upon feeling the Dragon's hand caress his hair and rest at his neck.
Arthur didn't know what possessed him to do what he did next. Maybe it was the closeness or Alfred's kind words or the emotions growing and overpowering the Knight's good sense. Whatever it was, it caused Arthur to close the distance between them. He brought his lips to Alfred's. It wasn't a passionate kiss but it sent a jolt through the Knight causing his racing heart to jump in his chest.
Then, a light clicked in Arthur's head. He realized what he was doing and tried to push Alfred back. "I-I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me!"
Alfred didn't reply and blinked at Arthur in surprise, but grinned the next moment. He cupped Arthur's face with his hands and kissed him again, feeling braver about it than maybe Arthur had felt. Still, the fact that Arthur had made such an attempt to display his affection made his heart race and do leaps of joy. He was more than willing to share his own affection.
He pulled away slowly and then wrapped his arms around Arthur, squeezing him tightly, maybe a little too tightly. "Don't apologize. I'm really happy. That means you really like me right?"
Arthur couldn't believe Alfred had kissed him back. He was blushing madly and his brain hadn't completely recovered from the daze he had felt from kissing the dragon. It took him a second to realize that Alfred had asked him a question. "Yes… I admit that I have… grown quite fond of you." He stared at his hands bashfully. "Um, does this mean… you like me too?"
Alfred shook his head, apparently frightening Arthur with the response. "Uh...no. I don't like you." He looked away and blushed, scratching the side of his face lightly with a finger. "Well, I mean, what I mean to say is that I love you...or something like that." He smiled rather shyly at Arthur, surprisingly not like his usual confident personality. "Sorry. I'm really kind of bad with words ya know?"
Arthur felt his heart swell at those words. He couldn't help but smile at Alfred's shy demeanor. It was new and it looked adorable on him.
Arthur shyly kissed Alfred's cheek. "Yes, well your English overall is atrocious. But I'm glad you said what you did. I love you too."
"I didn't mean being bad with words in that way," Alfred replied, pursing his lips in a sulking manner. He blushed and squeezed Arthur closely again. "I'm glad~!"
Arthur laughed at Alfred pout and let himself be held tightly in the dragons arms. "It's alright, I've grown used to your horrendous version of the English language." He teased lightly. He pulled back to look at Alfred. "Now lets go back inside, I believe that there is a Healing Potion I must teach you how to brew."
Alfred smiled warmly and nodded. "Well, I do believe we'll need some scales then. Give me a second for that." He moved away from Arthur and shifted to his dragon form. He lowered his head to nudge Arthur's chest gently and then turned away to take four scales from his tail, which didn't hurt him at all since they were already about to fall out. He gently placed them in Arthur's palm and then shifted back to his human form. "Well, there ya go. That should be enough right? I can always give you more if need be, but..." He followed the knight back into the building humming to himself, happy that Arthur was finally going to teach him what he wanted to learn.
"This is the perfect amount." Arthur informed Alfred. While walking into the building he admired the scales in his hand. They were a brilliant blue color that shined bright like sapphires and they smooth to the touch.
"You can start boiling half a pot of water while I gather the rest of the ingredients." Arthur instructed. He carefully put the scales on the table and set out to collect the supplies.
"Okay!" Alfred chirped. He ran off to the other room where he knew there was water by now. After the mistake he'd made in the river, he wasn't going to repeat that again. He brought the water and poured it into the cauldron before lighting the wood underneath it. He watched the water as it slowly started to heat up, thinking about what Arthur had told him about the knights and what they'd been taught. His kind was being hunted down because of a rumor that their scales were a cure-all. It angered him. His family could be killed for their scales when the humans could just ask for them? If they had come up with a compromise instead...maybe things wouldn't have ended up this way. Maybe then humans and dragons (and other magical creatures) could get along better.
Arthur carefully walked over to the table with his arms full of different jars and bottles. He was doing his best to balance the goods; he had gotten all the ingredients in one go to avoid making a second trip around the room. He made it to the table without dropping any of the items and placed them down with a triumphant smirk. "Alright, I have everything we need. Now we can star… Alfred are you alright?" Arthur paused when he noticed the Dragon had a thoughtful look on his face.
Alfred looked up quickly, not having realized that he was so deep in thought. He smiled and shook his head. "It's nothing. Was just thinking about something. Don't worry about it." He walked back to Arthur and looked at all the ingredients there, recognizing a few. "No slugs right?"
"No. No slugs. So sorry to disappoint you." Arthur said sarcastically. "But we will be starting off with this." He held up a bottle of red liquid that was tightly sealed. "It's salamander blood and I have to warn you it smells dreadful."
Alfred grimaced. "Ew! Those are worse than the slugs!" he exclaimed, already dreading the smell of the potion. "I don't think any kind of mint will make that smell go away...We tend to avoid Salamanders cuz the stink really bad."
"Don't worry. It'll only smell for a minute." Arthur said reassuringly before pulling out a second bottle. "The smell gets diluted when we add the pomegranate juice." He opened the bottle to let the sweet aroma fill the air.
Alfred sniffed the air, taking in the scent of the pomegranate and then sneezed (though luckily he didn't set anything on fire). He sniffled and then grinned. "Well, that's good then. Cuz I really don't want to start feeling sick."
"Alright then." Arthur handed Alfred the salamander blood. "You're going to want to hurry because of the smell but you mustn't. Pour it slowly into the cauldron until it mixes with the water and is slightly thick."
Alfred whined quietly but did as he was told. He opened the the bottle and nearly gagged at the smell. He was currently preferring the smell of the slugs and he never thought that would happen. He poured it slowly into the water, wanting to just dump it in as quickly as he could to get rid of the smell. "This smells so horrible...why do you knights use the most disgusting ingredients?"
"All the ingredients we use hold some sort of magical property." Arthur explained. He held the second bottle towards Alfred once the liquid had reach the right consistency. "Here. It's ready for the pomegranate juice. Pour it in until it turns a light pink color." Arthur instructed. "And make sure to stir while you pour."
Alfred nodded again, happy that this time it wasn't something bad smelling that he was putting in the mixture. He let it pour into the bloodied water and stirred the juice in as it turned the mixture from a deadened rust color to a rosey pink. "Well, it doesn't smell nearly as bad now, but it still kind of stinks. What else do we have to put in it besides my scales? And do we have to do anything to them? Cuz if we do you might wanna leave that to me so you don't hurt yourself."
"We won't have to handle the scales until a little later." Arthur answered. He handed Alfred a jar and knife. "Here. You will need to cut 4 sopohorous beans in half and add them to the potion. Cut them carefully. Make sure they keep in their juices."
Alfred took the knife in hand and set the beans next to him, carefully making sure they were settled before he went to cut them. It didn't take long, a couple of minutes at most, but that was because he was making sure to cut them very carefully. He then tossed the eight halves into the mixture before going back to Arthur and closing the jar of the beans. "So what next?"
"Next add 1/2 a cup of shredded boomslang. Then mix together until the mixture turns a peach color." Arthur said. He was very pleased with how well Alfred was brewing the potion.
"Mmkay." Alfred replied. He gathered the ingredients and prepared them as he was told to and then paused. "Hey Artie? Do you think things could have gone differently between knights and dragons? Like...if instead of killing us for our scales, we worked out a trade of some sort?"
Arthur paused to think Alfred's question over. Looking at Alfred, Arthur wondered why anyone would want to kill someone so innocent and full of good intent. He shivered at the thought of someone wanting to harm him for his scales. He knew if anyone just took the time to know the kind hearted dragon then no one would want to kill him.
"I think it's quite possible. If only we had gotten to know you Dragons better. We never would have even entertained the thought of causing you any harm." Arthur said solemnly. He passed two more jars to Alfred and gave him more instructions of what to do.
Alfred did as instructed and remained silent as he did so until he was finished. He looked back at Arthur, blue eyes dark and solemn. "Do you think that could be fixed at all now? We're getting along aren't we? Why can't anyone else?"
Arthur bit his lip. "Well… maybe if I talked to the King I could convince him into negotiating with the Dragons… a Dragon hasn't been slayed in years, so I know he is desperate for more scales." Arthur answered thoughtfully. "But what of you and your fellow Dragons? I'm not sure if they would be as understanding as you are… and who exactly would we negotiate with? Do you have someone who deals with these matters?" Arthur asked while gathering the last of the ingredients.
This question stumped Alfred. He hadn't thought about that at all. What would they say? They, as a species, had been hunted down and murdered for their scales. How would they take such a proposal?
"I never thought about that..." Alfred confessed honestly, moving back to Arthur for the last ingredients. "We have a council of Elder Dragons that we look to for guidance but I don't know if they'll listen to someone like me who is essentially a hatchling in their eyes. But...I think we can only hope to try..." He hugged Arthur and leaned his face into the soft blond hair. "I don't want everything to be like this anymore. I want humans and Dragons to get along so we can be together again."
Arthur leaned into the hug. "I want us to be together too." He said quietly. He looked up at Alfred. "I'll talk to the King tonight. The royals have always trusted my family. I'm sure I can convince him to at least hold a meeting with your Elders."
Alfred nodded slowly and sighed. "I'll go to my elders then. There is a meeting tonight anyways that everyone is supposed to go to. I shall talk to them there." He pulled away and then stroked Arthur's face softly, eyes showing worry. "Please be careful. Remember that we are proposing something that is taboo in both our cultures. Just don't get yourself hurt."
"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine." He put his hand atop of Alfred's and leaned into the touch. He suddenly felt very concerned about Alfred going to reason with all those big powerful Dragons. "I'm more concerned about you so… be careful."
Arthur reluctantly pulled away to grab a vile of black liquid. "Here. We only need two of the scales. So pour one drop of acromantula venom on each one then drop it into the mixture."
Alfred frowned, knowing that Arthur had reason to worry about him. Dragons, while typically not too aggressive with one another, were still fierce fighters that didn't back down until somebody willingly gave up or died. "I'll be fine." he said to the Knight, but he wasn't sure who he was trying to persuade; himself or Arthur.
He carefully poured the venom onto the scales and then tossed them into the bubbling potion, wincing at the hissing noise the scales made as they practically fell apart.
Arthur watched the potion bubble and hiss until it stilled and turned white with hints of a rainbow-hue. The colors always reminded Arthur of an opal.
He turned to smile at the Dragon. "Congratulations. You have successfully made your first healing potion."
Arthur pulled out an empty bottle and poured the mixture into it before handing it over to Alfred. "Here. Put it to good use." Arthur only hoped that Alfred would not have to use the potion anytime soon.
Alfred smiled a somber smile, having the same worries that Arthur did. What if he would have to use this on Arthur or himself because of the proposals they were going to make. "Hey Artie, those two scales...you can keep them if you'd like. I mean, it's not like I'm going to need them at all. So if you just want to have them or something..." He blushed lightly and scratched his head. "Maybe they'll bring you some luck or something."
Arthur smiled softly at the dragon. "Thank you…" Arthur raised his hands to his neck and lifted a chain that was hiding beneath his clothes. "Um… I want you to take this… it's tradition for Knights to give gems to their loved ones. This was my mothers. So… maybe this could be your lucky charm." Arthur now had a blush that matched Alfred's.
The chain was silver and the pendant was an emerald wrapped in more silver to make it into the shape of a leaf.
Alfred's eyes widened and he took the chain and pendant into his hands, treating it as if it would break with the slightest touch. "W-wow. You really wanna give this to me Artie? Are ya sure? Like really sure? I mean...this is something important to you isn't it?" He gently brushed the silver leaf and looked at Arthur, still seeming shocked. "This means a lot to me! I'll take REALLY good care of it! I promise!"
"Of course I'm sure!" Arthur looked away blushing harder. "Like I said… it's for me to give to someone I love."
Alfred grinned, feeling happier than ever and slipped the chain around his neck, accepting the charm. "Then think of my scales in the same way. You're the only one I'll give them to!" He pulled Arthur close and pressed a kiss to his lips gratefully. "Thanks Artie. I'll treasure it more than anything else (besides you)."
Arthur smiled into the kiss. He wanted to forget about talking with the King and stay in Alfred's arms forever. But he knew he couldn't do that. Talking to the king would not only benefit him and Alfred but also the Kingdom and the Dragons too. He pulled back from Alfred to stare into his eyes. "Be careful."
Alfred nodded, expression becoming more solemn and kissed Arthur again, mostly just for the hell of it. "You too. I'll come hunting you down if I need to protect you from anyone. Make sure to keep the scales on you. They'll let me know where you are, should I ever need to find you." He clasped Arthur's shoulders tightly and then loosened his grip. "I guess...I guess we should go now then."
"I guess so…" Arthur took a deep breath and put on a strong face for Alfred. He took the scales off the table and carefully placed them in his bag. "I'll keep them with me… let's try to meet back here tomorrow. Same time so we can know if anything goes wrong."
Alfred nodded, starting to feel his heart pound with anxiety. How would this all go? What if one side agreed but the other didn't? What if neither side agreed? What if Arthur got hurt because the humans didn't agree with him and wanted to hurt him? "Good luck Artie. I hope everything goes well so we don't have to worry anymore..." He turned away and walked out of the room and the building before standing outside for a few moments to stare at the sky worriedly. He sighed before shifting to his true form and taking off back to his home, to where all the problems would begin.
Arthur walked outside just in time to watch Alfred fly away. His heart throbbed painfully in his chest. He prayed that Alfred wouldn't run into any trouble.
Arthur was pulled out of his thoughts when he felt a nudge on his back. The Knight turned to find Rhubarb waiting impatiently like he always did during his and Alfred's potion lessons. "Come on Rhubarb. Let's go home." Arthur had to have faith in Alfred and hope he would return to him.
Alfred went to his cave first. The meeting of the elders wasn't for a while and he didn't want to fly to the meeting grounds immediately and have to wait for everyone to get there. The elders always arrived last so he didn't want to go until they were all there. He yawned and stretched when he landed then started to look around, trying to figure out where he could stash the potion. It was something that was pretty rare and difficult to make (he knew that himself now) and decided to stash it into a rather unnoticeable crack in the wall, slightly hidden by some rocks.
He then turned his attention to the necklace which was securely latched onto a scale on his neck since the metal couldn't possibly stretch to fit around his whole neck. He shifted to his human form and sat on the ground with a thump, holding the emerald and silver necklace in front of him so he could get a better look at it. He grinned and hugged it to his chest excitedly, trying not to let himself squeal with happiness. He'd gotten a gift from Arthur!
"I can't believe Artie really gave this to me!"
"Well...you certainly look happy. But...Who's Artie?"
Alfred laid down on the floor so he could look at his brother who walked into the cave with a wry smile, apparently having arrived and changed forms when he wasn't paying attention.
"I didn't think you'd find yourself someone with that personality and behavior of yours." Matthew teased before his gaze turned to the necklace and became cold. "Alfred...who gave that to you? Did a dragon steal that from a knight or...?"
Alfred frowned and rolled over to his stomach, pulling the necklace over his neck, hopefully so it wouldn't be snatched away. "Artie gave it to me..."
"Who is this Artie? I don't know of any dragon by that name." Matthew replied, eyes narrowing. He stalked over to Alfred and pulled the pendant up off his brother's chest so he could look at it better. "This is a knight's pendant. I would recognize that leaf symbol anywhere. Alfred... where did this come from? Stop beating around the bush and tell me."
Alfred remained silent, nervously looking away.
"He's a human isn't he?"
Alfred didn't look at his brother's accusing violet eyes and nodded slowly.
"Alfred! How could you?!" Matthew snapped, shoving Alfred in the chest harshly. "Humans are our enemy! They slaughter us for our scales to use them to make their potions and for trinkets that they carelessly toss around to their own pleasing. How can you associate with, let alone befriend one?! He's not just any human either! He's a knight! The ones that are directly responsible for our kin losing their lives! Did you forget what they did to us? How they took away our loved ones? My mate?! Our parents?! Once is never enough for them! They have made it an honor for them to murder us! It's considered a privilege!"
"I know that!" Alfred snapped, looking back at his sibling just as fiercely. "But Artie isn't like them! He hasn't hurt me at all! He was even nice to me since I saved him after he fell from his horse!"
"You saved him?! He should've died Alfred! You should've gotten rid of the knight so that less of us would suffer! Or do we not matter to you?" Matthew snarled, eyes glowing a dangerous violet color.
"That's not how it all is! Arthur doesn't want to hurt us! Imagine if we could actually get along with the humans, Mattie?" Alfred retorted quickly with no hesitation. "Imagine if we didn't have to worry about who's a dragon and who's a human! There's so much we could teach each other! Artie's been teaching me how to make potions to help people! I learned how to make a healing potion! He taught me something to help others, something that isn't a spell to destroy! Mattie, we dragons have nothing to use to heal. We only have things to destroy. But I've learned from a human, my Artie, how to heal. Isn't that something, Matthew?"
Matthew was silent, but his fury seemed to have only for each word Alfred spoke. "You obviously don't get the severity of what you've done. We're going to the meeting and I'm turning you in for betrayal of your kin." His voice became shaky as he spoke and tears filled his eyes, making Alfred feel slightly guilty for making his brother cry. "I love you Alfred. You're my brother, my one and only brother. But you've gotten yourself into something that you shouldn't have. And I can no longer help you. The elders will decide what judgement they will pass on you. We're leaving now." He leaned forward and snatched the chain from Alfred's neck, the blue dragon protesting loudly as the chain snapped. "I'm keeping this as evidence for the elders."
He grabbed Alfred's hand after storing the necklace, Alfred's most important treasure, and dragged him out of the cave before he shifted into his dragon form, his violet and gold scales seeming to reflect his mood with their dark and murky color. He didn't let Alfred change and instead carried him in his claws, not bothering to look at the blonde.
The two flew a great distance as the sun lowered in the sky and the moon rose to take its place. When Matthew landed in the area deigned the meeting arena, he let Alfred settle onto his feet on the ground, but made sure that he didn't take off. Not that Alfred would since Matthew had the necklace. There was already a great number of the dragons in the area and they were waiting to hear the elders speak, the two old dragons sitting in their spot in the center of the area.
Romulus (Rome if you couldn't guess), the large golden dragon, sat with a slightly slouched posture, seeing as he had a more lax personality. Folkert (Germania if you couldn't guess), the large silver dragon, sat with a straighter, more regal posture, seeming to command the attention of the other dragons with his charismatic presence.
"The meeting will now begin." Folkert spoke, effectively silencing all the other Dragons. "Is there anyone who would like to speak first?"
Matthew immediately stepped forward, steps shaky as well as his breathing. "I would, sir."
Folkert and Romulus both nodded their acknowledgement of the statement, allowing Matthew to step into the center of the arena.
Matthew took a deep breath and Alfred watched solemnly, not moving from the spot Matthew had left him in. "I would like to charge Alfred with the betrayal of his kin."
Their was a loud collective gasp from the audience, murmurs immediately sweeping through the crowd.
"This is a serious charge Matthew. Not only that, but he is your brother, kin of blood." Romulus commented curtly. "What reasons and evidence do you have for this accusation?"
"To make such an accusation and for it to not be true would lead to a very serious consequence for you." Folkert added.
Matthew shifted to his human form and pulled out the necklace, holding it up for everyone to see. "Here, in my hands, I hold the symbol of the human's knights. This pendant was in the possession of my brother, however he did not take it from a deceased knight. It was given to him by a knight that he claims to have befriended."
There was another horrified collection of gasps followed by deathly silence.
"Not only does he claim to have befriended this human, but he has also learned potion-making from this human after saving its life. He gave up scales for those humans' healing potion, which requires the use of our scales. The reason we are so often hunted down and murdered. He then said that he wishes to cooperate with the humans. He wants us to "get along" with them. From what I can tell, he has fallen in love with that human."
It remained silent, the tension in the air being so thick, you could practically feel it.
Romulus and Folkert seemed to be rather upset by the news and turned to Alfred, who shrunk back at the cold stares.
"Alfred, child of Emily and Will, come forward." Folkert commanded, obviously giving Alfred no choice in the matter.
Alfred stepped into the center area where his brother stood, not willing to look at him. He tried to ignore the disgusted looks from the others and clenched his hands into fists, his knuckles turning white with the tension. "Sir."
"The accusation that has been presented to us," Romulus spoke, "is this true?"
Alfred took in a deep breathe before answering. "Yes. All of it is true."
"You gave a human your scales, willingly? You rescued that human, learned its magics, as well as fell in love with it?" the golden elder asked.
"Yes, I did. And, excuse me, but Arthur is not an it. Arthur is not an object. He has a gender and a name. I would like you to use it so as to remain respectful." Alfred spoke venomously, not hesitating to defend the knight.
It was icy cold, the atmosphere. Alfred knew that he had done a serious crime by talking back, as well as speaking in a dismissive and superior tone, to the elders. He was only getting himself into more and more trouble by admitting his "crimes" as well as defending them.
The two elders were silent for what seemed like an eternity before nodding at each other. "Your crimes are dire, Alfred. You have not only betrayed your kin, but have allied yourself with our enemy, claiming to love him."
"There's so much we can learn from them, though!" Alfred protested heatedly, not willing to leave without having gotten his ideas out. "As our elders, you know better than anyone else that our magic can only destroy things. The humans have the ability to teach us how to use magic and potions to heal and fix things! Isn't that something we should take into consideration? I learned how to heal! That's something we've never been able to do for so long! Why won't you give us a chance to cooperate with-"
"THAT IS ENOUGH!" Romulus roared, not willing to listen to anymore. "We can obviously see where your heart lies. You are hereby exiled from our kin. You may no longer call yourself of the Windsong tribe. Your betrayal is so severe that the sentencing calls for death. However, instead of us carrying out this sentencing, we shall leave it to those humans you seem to love so much. Let them show you what their opinion of our species is. Let them slay you and harvest your body for what disgusting things they do. We are finished here."
The silver Dragon stepped over to Alfred and muttered a spell, forcing Alfred back to his dragon form before using another to freeze his movements.
The last thing Alfred saw was a golden tail slam into his face before everything went black.
Arthur road back into the stables feeling elated after the day's events. It still felt dreamlike to him. He never thought Alfred would love him the way he loved Alfred. And they never would have met if it wasn't for his skittish horse.
Arthur dismounted Rhubarb and lead him to his stall. He pet the animal and gave it a thankful smile. "Isn't it funny how life works out? If it wasn't for your cowardice I never would have met Alfred."
"Who's Alfred?!"
Arthur jumped back to find Francis standing at the stalls entrance. He had a displeased look on his face and he was still wearing his armor from the day's tasks.
"None of your business frog." Arthur feigned irritation to hide his nervousness. He finished putting Rhubarb's things away hoping Francis would just go away. He had no such luck.
"It's my business when you start neglecting your duties!" Francis snapped. "You completely skipped them today and I was the one who had to fill in. This isn't like you! Exactly what have you been up to these past few weeks?"
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to inconvenience you." Arthur said feeling a bit guilty. "I'll do better in the future, but really… it isn't any of your business were I go." Arthur pushed pass his fuming friend.
"I'm not finished talking to you Arthur!" Francis went to pull Arthur back and grabbed the strap of his bag, causing it to rip and letting its contents fall onto the floor. Including Alfred's scales.
Time seemed to move slowly when Francis' eyes fell on the blue scales.
"… Where did you get those?" He asked in an eerily calm voice.
"I… found them in the forest."
"Do not try that with me." Francis snapping his head up in annoyance. "I know what a terrible liar you are. Now I want the truth. Where did you get those scales?!"
Arthur knew he had no choice but to tell his friend the truth. But surely Francis would understand. They had been friends for so long.
"A few weeks ago, when the thunder storm hit, I was thrown off my horse. I hit my head and passed out. The forest around me had caught fire but Alfred had found me and saved me. So to repay him I have been giving him potions lessons since he never learned."
"Alright, that explains where you have been running off to these past few weeks." Francis still looked a bit upset. "But where did you get the scales?"
"Well, Alfred really wanted to learn how to make a healing potion so that he could help others." Arthur explained. He was dreading telling him the next bit. "…So he shed the scales we needed to brew the potion."
"Shed?!" Francis's eyes grew wide in anger and horror. "Are you telling me that Alfred is a dragon?!"
"Yes but they're not anything like what we thought they were!" Arthur frantically tried explaining. "They are good kindhearted creatures! If we just talked to them instead of killing them in cold blood then we could all live peacefu…"
"Stop it! Do you even hear yourself?!" Francis cut across Arthur. "They are hideous beasts whose only purpose is to cause destruction! And your off teaching one of these monsters how to brew potions?! Have you completely lost your mind?!"
"Alfred is not a monster!" Arthur yelled back angrily. "He only wants to help others. He has showed me nothing but kindness and care. He has better morals than you and all the other Knights in this kingdo…"
SMACK
Arthur fell to the ground. His cheek stung where Francis slapped him. No doubt that would leave a bruise. He looked up and saw a cold look on Francis' face.
"How dare you." He said keeping his icy glare. "How could you say something so… so contemptuous?! You are not going back there. You will forget that you ever met that creature and continue to serve your people."
At this Arthur rose to his feet shaking with anger. "Who are you to order me around? We haven't done anything wrong." Arthur wouldn't stand for this. He turned to storm out. He needed to see the King now and convince him to negotiate with the Dragons, but he was prevented from doing so when he was pinned to one of the pillars by Francis.
"And just where do you think you are you going?" He questioned irritably.
"I'm going to talk to the King. I know that if we just tried talking with the Dragons then there would be no need for killings." Arthur snapped. He glared furiously at his friend and didn't realize until that moment that there was sadness behind those angry eyes.
"Arthur I'm sorry. But I can't let you do that. I cant let you endanger our people like this."
Arthur felt a sharp pain in the back of his head. Then everything went black.
Francis felt bitter. He didn't understand why his friend would betray their people… betray him! All for the sake of a filthy dragon. Creatures that destroyed and took away everything he loved…
Although he hated to admit it, Francis cared deeply for his bushy browed friend, even if they tend to fight a lot. They grew up together and were taught the same values. So how was it that Arthur could throw all his morals out the window to aid a monster?
"What has been done with Arthur?"
Francis was broken out of his thoughts when he was questioned by the King.
After he had turned Arthur over to the King's guards, he reported to the thrown room to tell the King of Arthur's betrayal.
"He has been sent to the dungeons." Francis answered mournfully. "We gave him a sleeping draught so he won't be able to attempt escape during the night."
"Good." The King looked drained. "I don't know what to do with him. He had always been one of our best knights."
"… I think I know how we can fix this mess." Francis said carefully. "If we play this right, we can have our old knight back and get rid of that troublesome dragon. But first we will need to capture it."
The King nodded in agreement, willing to try anything to have things put back to the way they were. "Alright, you have my permission to do what needs to be done. Did he tell you where he meets this dragon?"
"No… but I have a pretty good idea where." Francis replied looking down at the blue scales in his hand. He would get his old friend back and he would get rid of that filthy dragon forever.
Oh no! What is Francis going to do?! You'll all just have to find out in the next chapter.
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Also, don't forget to check out Yamiyo. Darknight's other stories. The link to her FF is on my profile.
