Rescue
When she woke, the first thing Weiss noticed was the warmth. Blinking as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she found herself staring up at an uneven, rocky ceiling. Short, cracked stalactites hung above her, sheared off at the tips where something large had broken past them. The roof curved above her, arcing down into rough-hewn walls of bare stone.
A thick ... something lay across her, tucked in under her sides. Pushing herself up on one arm, she felt at the thick covering. Bearskin? Fur of some sort. Whatever it was, it was warm.
It also happened to be her only covering. She was naked, save for the loincloth hiding what was left of her modesty, and a thick bandage running around the still-aching wound in her side.
Clutching the furs to her chest, Weiss stood, doing her best to ignore the pain. The whole cave was warm, a dry heat that filled the air and reminded her of winter nights spent huddled before the fireplace in her father's hall. The hearth always had a way of banishing the cold outside, making the room dry and warm leaving her wanting to do nothing more than curl up on the cushions and sleep.
Not that her home and the cave could be any more different.
As a king's daughter, Weiss was aware that she had spent much of her life in relative luxury. Balls and tournaments had been her daily fare, and she had long become accustomed to the extravagant displays of wealth that the nobility were prone to. Her home had been a place of grandeur, with elaborate frescos of gryphons and deities that covered the walls, marble-floored galleries opening onto expansive gardens, scattered with fountains and painted statues that watched over the court grounds. Weiss had lived a sheltered life, but at least she had always known the difference between luxury and ostentatiousness.
The same could not be said of whoever owned the cave. There was treasure everywhere. Piles of coins lay scattered around the room, drachma mixed with lira and strings of currency she couldn't identify, forming a metallic carpet across the rocky floor. Silks of every color spilled from chests and wardrobes, while jewels sparkled with the dim light of torches set in brackets along the stone. Tattered flags of nations and navies Weiss could only guess at hung from the walls, while the torchlight flickered off cracked and gilt-framed mirrors alike, some mounted against the rock, others propped haphazardly against or inside piles of gold and silver.
It was the most incredible collection of wealth the princess had ever seen, and it was completely and utterly ridiculous. 'Collections' – and Weiss used the word very loosely – of various items lay about the space, arranged with seemingly no regard for theme, style, or even general taste. Assorted paintings sat upturned against the walls, looking as though whoever brought them home had simply tossed them wherever they'd found room. Styles and subjects jumbled together with abandon, while scrolls and books sat half-opened, their pages dog-eared or weighted with whatever riches happened to be on hand at that moment. Scraps of cloth – dresses, tunics, himations and chitons – draped across gold-inlayed furniture, wrinkles already set into the delicate fabrics. This was no collection, no carefully-ordered inventory ready to be displayed or used at a moment's notice. It was a horde, plain and simple. Gathered for the sheer pleasure of ownership, each item abandoned when some new bauble was discovered.
A shining blade with a golden hilt sat half-buried in one of the piles, and within seconds it was in her hand. Wherever this cave was, there only one creature who could have scavenged such wealth so irresponsibly, and whatever its reasons for keeping her alive so far, Weiss refused to become some midnight snack for an oversized lizard. Not without a fight.
Her feet scratching on the uneven floor, she clutched the bearskin to her chest, her sword held high, ready to face whatever monstrosity-
"You don't want that one," a wry voice rumbled from deep within the cave.
Weiss blinked. She'd been expecting the monster to charge from the depths of the tunnels, to snap and claw at her while she sank her borrowed blade again and again into its hide. Not for it to speak ...
"You can talk?"
"Apparently. And if you don't mind, that's an antique," the voice spoke again, dry and mocking as it echoed through the cavern. "Honestly though, it's just gaudy. Seriously, who makes a solid gold hilt and mounts gems all over it?"
Out of the shadows of the cave came a long, thin-bladed sword, a plain scent-stopper pommel beneath the leather-wrapped hilt, still-sheathed as it slid along the ground towards her.
"Here," the voice rumbled. "This should work much better."
Weiss waited for some sign of movement, for the creature to bound out of the darkness the moment she dropped her guard. When no attack came, she knelt down towards the ground, pinning the bearskin with her knees while she hurriedly fumbled with the scabbard. Drawing the blade as fast as she could, she stood, slowly backing away from the shadows. She spared the sword a glance, feeling the weight of it in her hand. It was a good sword, an excellent one even, the plain settings hiding a blade that was in fine condition and looked to be sharpened to a razor's edge.
"Why would you give me this?" the princess asked, surprised to find the balance almost perfect for her hand.
A golden head as large as her torso emerged slowly from the shadows, lilac eyes glinting in the dim torchlight. Stepping back, Weiss settled into her stance, the tip of her sword angled straight at the monster's snout, her other hand back to clutching the furs against her.
"Cause I have a bunch of them?" it said, seeming almost quizzical, its lips moving in a mockery of human speech.
"... is this some kind of sick joke?" Weiss spat, her blade still pointed directly at the monster. "Do you like playing with your food before you eat it? You get off on tormenting your victims first, lulling them into a false sense of security before your jaws snap shut around th-"
Her tirade was cut short as something soft smacked her in the face, nearly knocking the princess on her ass. Scrabbling desperately at whatever the dragon had blinded her with, she tore the distraction away, only for her eyes to widen in disbelief when her hands found cloth. A white linen gown lay in her hands, fine silver embroidery running along the neck and hemline.
"Took me a while to find something close to your size. Sorry if it's a bit big. The shoes should be good, though." As it spoke, two leather sandals flicked out of the darkness, landing at her feet.
"... what the hell is wrong with you?" Weiss snapped, making sure one of the treasure piles was at her back. This thing was trying to distract her, to confuse her until it could strike. She just had to keep it talking, at least until she got a chance to skewer the damn monster.
"What? You'll have an easier time if you don't have to cover your chest with your off-hand." The head pulled back, serpentine features somehow managing to look nonplussed at the princess glaring up at it. "Plus, you look cold."
"Why would it matter to you if I was cold?"
"Cause I'm not an asshole?" the great golden creature said, sounding almost ... offended? "Sorry, but I seriously don't get what's so confusing about this."
Weiss's sword arm trembled as she stared up at the monster. In the past eight hours, she'd been tied up, stabbed, carried away by a dragon for its next meal, apparently stripped by said dragon, and now the damn thing was toying with her. Shaking with rage and no longer caring that the odds were nowhere close to being in her favor, Weiss charged, thrusting her blade forward, the tip sinking deep into the dragon's chest.
The dragon screamed, one hand reaching out to clutch the sword, ripping it from her grasp as it tumbled backward, collapsing into a pile of coins. Gems and silks flew every which way as chests shattered beneath its weight, drachma and jewels raining across the cavern as it shrieked one long, dramatic note of pain and rage, a death wail that echoed through the cavern and chilled Weiss to her bones. With a great spasm, the dragon toppled to the ground, its entire length stretched out along the floor. Eyes rolling up in its head, it took one last rattling breath, and died.
"Bleeeech," it said for effect, tongue lolling theatrically from its mouth.
Weiss just stood there with her mouth agape, looking down at the massive creature who had so obviously, and awfully, pretended to die.
The sword clattered on the rock, falling from numb fingers as the princess stared hopelessly down at the psychotic, manipulative monster. One golden eyelid cracked open, the violet eye glancing around before snapping shut in the worst attempt at playing dead Weiss had ever seen.
It's fucking with me, she realized, the knowledge ruining any hope of escape that she'd managed to hold onto. No longer caring about the stabbing pain in her side, Weiss fell to her knees, her furs pooling on the floor
"Just do it already. I don't ... I don't care anymore. Just get this over with."
"Oh, for the love of-" Purple eyes opened as the dragon rolled onto its stomach and laid its head along the ground. "Remind me not to save the next sacrifice. I can deal with an upset stomach if it means I don't have to listen to any more of this nonsense."
"... save?"
"Uh, yeah? Who did you think fixed your wound?"
There was some sense to that, although if the dragon wanted its food fresh, there would be just as much reason to keep her from bleeding out. Then again, she had to admit most people didn't dress and arm their food before eating it.
Then again, a dragon could hardly be considered 'most people.'
"You're not going to eat me?" Weiss asked, her tired, blood-loss-addled brain barely able to process the idea that it might, possibly, be true.
"For the last time, no." Scales flashed as the long body pulled back on its haunches, leaning back against the wall as it stared down at her "On that note, why would I want to eat you?"
"Because you're a dragon?"
"And?"
"And dragons eat people!" she said.
"Maybe when we're pissed off, but do you have any idea how awful you humans taste? It's like dry, bitter pork, flavored with despair." The dragon grimaced, apparently haunted by the taste. "Hey, there's an idea. If you go back, could you tell them that I'd much prefer a monthly sacrifice of sheep? Preferably on the rare side, and if you just have to season it a bit, I totally won't complain."
Utterly speechless, Weiss stayed on the floor for a long moment, still trying to process having actually been rescued from almost certain death by the very thing she was being sacrificed to.
Well, she supposed, it is better than the alternative.
Resigned to the fact that the world no longer worked the right way, she stared up at the massive creature before her. The creature looked back, violet eyes with slitted pupils staring out from beneath golden brows, long whiskers flickering from the sides of its mouth. What looked like antlers jutted from the back of its head, curved and branching into thick forked beams. Powerful shoulders extended into long, scaled legs, ending in five-clawed hands with talons as sharp as blades.
Clutching her furs tighter around her, Weiss glared up at the monster, eyes narrowing accusingly as she scowled.
Head cocking to the side, the dragon pulled its head a little further back, gazing suspiciously down at the fuming princess. "What are you mad about now?"
"Are you going to just sit and watch or can I change?"
"... oh." The dragon ducked its head and Weiss could have sworn she saw the scales on its face turn a darker shade of gold. Moving carefully in place, the great beast turned itself around, until all Weiss could see was a pair of bat-like wings set against the scaly hide.
"Sorry about that," it said, as a taloned arm reached up and over its eyes. "Your clothes were ruined by the time I finished dressing your wound."
"It's ..." Weiss paused, not entirely sure how to deal with a monster that had actually covered its eyes. Not that it really mattered. Either it was telling the truth, and genuinely didn't mean her harm, or it was confident enough that nothing she did would be able to harm it.
Grudgingly accepting that there was little she could do, Weiss fastened the top of the dress around her shoulders, smoothing the folds of the white chiton down past her hips. It was a little long, but otherwise it was actually her size. Which begs the question, she thought. Why does a dragon have a woman's clothes? Worse, what happened to whoever they belonged to?
"It's fine," she finished, deciding there was no sense in asking. It wasn't like she had much choice at the moment. Plus, pissing off the damn thing was probably not her best option.
The dragon was quiet for a long moment before it spoke again, keeping its eyes covered all the while. "Um, you done?"
"... yeah."
"Well, now that's over ..." Pulling away from the wall, the dragon began the process of slowly unfolding itself, trying not to disturb any more of its horde than it already had. Turning enough to face her, the dragon raised a talon and pointed down a nearby tunnel.
"When you want to leave, go left from the cave mouth and you'll find a path back to town. Stick to the right and you'll be home in a few hours, telling everyone how you managed to kill me and escape."
"Just like that?"
"Just like that."
Without a word, Weiss grabbed the gifted sword and strode off towards the exit, sandaled feet stomping on the stone floor. Either the damn thing was going to kill her or it wasn't. Either way, there was little she could do, other than get as far away from the bloody place as possible. After a few minutes, the cavernous tunnel opened up into a secluded grove, the cave entrance hidden from prying eyes by a thick treeline. Looking for some sort of trap and finding none, she turned to the left and marched through the trees.
She was a good twenty minutes down the road before the flapping of wings hit her ears. Sword already in hand, she spun, looking up to find the dragon looking down at her from above.
The serpentine head hovered just out of reach, cat-like eyes staring at her in what might have been confusion. Not that she could be sure. The reptilian face wasn't exactly built for normal human expressions.
"Um, in case you didn't hear me, your city is the other way."
Scowling, Weiss slammed the blade back into its scabbard. "I'm not going back," she said over her shoulder, leaving the confused dragon behind her as she continued down the path.
The next mile or so was uneventful, apart from the winged shadow that followed her along the road, sweeping down over hills and treetops and never quite leaving her sight. Every so often, it would swoop a little lower, careful not to buffet her with its wings,
By its third pass, she had officially lost her patience with her unwanted companion. She was about to turn and scream for the damn thing to just leave her alone when it spoke, its rumbling voice soft and quiet.
"Can I ask why?"
"You mean other than the fact that they were perfectly willing to let me bleed out to appease a monster?"
"... good point." The dragon was quiet for a while, still just following along. "Why would they want to appease me, exactly?"
"Because you kept attacking people."
"If by 'people,' you mean raiders ... then yeah." When Weiss stayed silent, the dragon leaned forward, craning its neck around to look the princess in the face. "What? The only treasure I took was already stolen. I was trying to be helpful."
"Well in the future, do us all a favor, and don't."
The long whiskers on the dragon's snout drooped a little, the head dipping a little lower as it hovered alongside her.
"Just so you know, there's not another village, much less a town, in this direction for about four days."
"It's fine," Weiss snapped back. Even assuming she believed the creature – which she didn't – there was bound to be someone on the road – a farmer or merchant whose cart she could hitch a ride on. As soon as she did, she'd travel as far as they were willing to take her. Maybe a little further. It didn't matter where, as long as it was as far away from the mob who'd tried to murder her as she could get.
Eventually, the dragon dipped down again, swimming through the air until its head was alongside her. "From those clouds, looks like it's gonna rain soon."
"I said I'm fine."
"... okay." After that, the dragon stayed quiet. Apparently, it was content just to swim through the air above her, its tail swishing back and forth as it moved.
She ignored it best she could. There wasn't any real way she could make it leave, and so long as the damn thing just left her alone, she didn't care what it did. Just when Weiss was getting her hopes up that it might finally flap off and leave her be, it swooped down, sharp-toothed jaw opening as it spoke.
"You know, if you wanted, I could-"
Rounding on the giant lizard, Weiss planted her hands on her hips, leaning to glare directly into the large violet eyes.
"Piss off!"
With a sigh, the dragon spiraled its way back up into the air, finally leaving her wonderfully, blessedly alone.
Which, of course, was when it decided to rain. At first, it was a few droplets, a light drizzle that, after several hours of walking, was actually rather refreshing.
It didn't last. Within the hour, the soft rain turned to an unrelenting downpour. Within seconds, her shoulders and back were damp from the rain, water streaming from her nose as she wrapped her arms around her sides. Water drenched her clothes; the pale gown was fit for a noble, but traveling gear it was not. Minutes later, she was soaked from head to toe, shivering as she continued trudging down the increasingly muddy path.
Lightning flashed in the darkened sky, followed by thunder rolling in the distance. Rain pounding on her head, Weiss surrendered to the elements. Darting beneath the nearest tree, she yanked a few of the branches tighter over her head, holding back slightly more of the water. Droplets still dripped down between the leaves, falling onto her head and the thick cushion of pine needles covering the ground. Pressing her back against the trunk, Weiss let her legs collapse out from under her, shivering as she slumped down with her head pressed against her knees, aching feet finally given a rest.
Just as suddenly as it started, the rain stopped. Well ... some of it did. Looking out from under the canopy of branches, Weiss could still see the falling rain splattering against the dirt, puddles forming wherever the uneven ground dipped. The ground was wet enough to slowly be shifting from dirt to mud, the packed road the only real solid bit of ground nearby.
Curious, and already half-guessing what she'd find, Weiss looked up, to tired even to curse as she saw what was blocking the rain. A great gold body was coiled above her, wrapped around the tree she was seated beneath, water draining off its sides as it shielded her from the rain.
"Why do you keep following me?" she finally asked, staring out into the storm, not bothering to look up at the creature.
"I was worried about you."
"... why?"
"Other than the wild boar, a few bandits, and the increasingly likely chance of your wound re-opening?" the dragon asked dryly. "No reason."
"No, I ..." Weiss trailed off. None of this day made any sense. Her own father had ordered her sacrifice, she'd been stabbed, and rescued by some flying monstrosity. Now she sat in a borrowed dress that probably belonged to one of the dragon's former meals while golden scales shielded her from the rain.
"My own family just tried to kill me. For you. You're not even human, so why do you care?"
Slowly, the dragon wound its way down the tree, coils wrapping tight around the bark to keep the rain at bay. Its head snaked towards her, lowering until it was on her level.
"If it's my fault they tried to kill you, then the least I can do is keep you from freezing or bleeding to death."
"... you have a name?" the princess asked, head resting in her hands.
"You actually want to know?"
"I can't just call you 'stupid-dragon-that-got-me-sacrificed,' now can I?"
Snorting through its snout, the golden head pulled back just a little. Gnashing its teeth, the creature let out one long growling, purring sound, the entire thing full of consonants piled upon gutturals and completely and totally unintelligible. "You get that?"
Thoroughly not in the mood, Weiss stared deadpan at the scaled face over her knees.
"Go with 'Yang,'" it said, humor flickering in its slitted eyes. "Should be short enough for your tongue to get it."
"Fine," she said, trying to decide whether she should be offended. "Thank you for blocking the rain, Yang."
She shivered, pulling her arms tighter around her knees, hands rubbing at her arms as she tried to warm herself. The sopping wet linen clung to her skin, sucking any heat out away from her body, not matter how she tried to get warm.
Careful to keep one wing held out over the shivering princess, Yang lowered her body to the ground, scaled legs bending until her chest rested on the damp earth.
"Get on. I'll take you back to my cave."
"And why the hell would I want to do that?" Weiss asked, incredulous at the very notion.
"Because it's warm, you can dry off, and I promise I'll fly you wherever you want to go tomorrow," Yang said. "I owe you that much."
"... you're not going to eat me?"
"Oh for the love of ... I swear on the river Styx, I will not devour you in your sleep."
Weiss thought it over. There were dire consequences to breaking a vow like that. For some odd reason, spirits of the dead didn't take kindly to having their vows broken. If the drag ... if Yang was willing to make that vow, she'd probably be safe. Probably.
"Or when I wake up."
"Or when you wake up."
"Or harm me in any way."
"Or harm you in any way," Yang growled, making a show of rolling her eyes. "Happy?"
"No," she admitted, and after the day she'd had it was hardly surprising. "But it'll do."
Moving across the thick carpet of pine, Weiss carefully stepped up onto Yang's foreleg, pushing off the scaled skin as she hauled herself up onto its back. She settled in between two ridges on its spine, hands holding tight to the one in front of her. Even from its back, she could feel the tension building in the dragon's muscles, legs straining as its muscles coiled beneath her.
"Hold on tight."
With one great lunge, Yang leapt from the earth, wings beating as she took to the sky. Cursing whatever insanity had let her pull this stunt, Weiss' arms tightened in a death grip around the spine in front of her, clinging for dear life to the dragon's back. The wind streaked past her, grabbing at her dress and whipping what loose fabric there was to-and-fro. The pounding rain beat against her for a moment, and then the two soared out from beneath the storm, high above the moonlit ground.
Yang slowed once they were out of the storm, swimming at a much more sedate pace as they passed over the road Weiss had spent hours walking. Looking down at the road, the princess shook with the cold, chill wind turning her soaked clothes to ice. Trying her best to stay warm, she huddled as close as she could to the dragon's back, her arms and legs covered in goosebumps.
"Sorry," Yang said, dropping a little lower into slightly warmer air. "We'll be there soon."
"You know, you c-could have suggested this a l-little earlier," Weiss said as she shivered, arms wrapped around the dragon's sides and desperately trying not to think about what would happen if she fell. "Maybe when the sun was still up."
"I tried." The dragon twisted its neck to look back at her, mischief plain on its face. "You told me to piss off."
Writer's Note: Well, there we go. Chapter 3 will be up next Thursday afternoon US time.
Chapter3 Preview:
"It's a story my father's minstrel told me once. There was a girl whose stepmother changed her into a dragon, and her curse could only be broken if a prince came to kiss her three times." Weiss felt her face grow hot, and turned away, staring into a corner of the cave. "I thought ... you don't act like a dragon, so it only made sense ..."
"You wanted to be the gallant princess and save me from my monstrous fate?" the dragon laughed, violet eyes sparkling with amusement. "Whisk me away to your castle and marry me in some happily ever after? Princess, I had no idea you were such a romantic."
"It's a story, you ass. In case you hadn't noticed, I'm not exactly an expert on all things 'dragon.'"
The dragon's head reached around to look at her, its snout briefly resting on her head before it pulled away. "Sorry. The story is right by the way, they just got the number wrong."
"... seriously?"
"Yup. It's actually four times."
Also, I got a couple questions about Yang's size. Yang is closer in style to a Greek or Chinese dragon (logically), although for the fun of it, I still gave her wings. So, she's longer, lower to the ground, and more serpent-like than the majority of western dragons. Size-wise, she'd be about 9 to 10 meters long, so around the size of Haku from Spirited Away. I said that her head is larger than Weiss' torso, but Weiss is fairly petite, so ...
As for location: This occurs in generic fantasy anachronistic pseudo Greece (although Yang's more of an Asian dragon - she got bored and started wandering, which is why she has strings of Chinese coins in her hoard). It's the kind of Greece that most myths occur in, mainly because the myths were told again and again and took on elements from various eras.
Please review if you can! Views are great, but they don't tell me what anyone actually thought of the fic.