“I create things. I build. I make new of the old and find old in the new. I have the title Maker for a reason, little knight.” they said, smiling softly at the man. “I’ve recently created a fast-growing mycelium, or mushroom, for the purposes of spreading across the city and… well, I get paid for war, I suppose, never for peace. It’s quite deadly if you handle it improperly, most of my creations are, making keeping clients around difficult. But necessary, so I manage.”
Flynn nodded along, genuinely intrigued. He had always had a sort of interest in the biological world, and the creation of environmental subjects.
“That’s… Amazing,” he said, words more a short breath than an actual voice. “I didn’t know your kind could do things like that.”
He paused momentarily, sighing as he looked down to his hands. “Gods, humans are so … ignorant. Such a shame, really. We’re always taught you all are something to be feared. If only they could see your true beauty. Such… such arrogance.”
Flynn glanced back up to Crow, having to squint through the ashy air. “I would love to help you, if I can.”
“Really? Well, I… I’d have to train you, and I don’t know all there is to know, and I’m hardly a good teacher, and what if you get hurt? Anything could happen?” they said, fear in their eyes. Why were they so concerned over one human, even? A human with very pretty eyes, admittedly, but that was no moral reason to keep him around. Maybe they were going soft, and at this young age? Well, they’d be a laughingstock for sure.
“Well,” Flynn began, teetering his head in thought. “I’d be happy to let you teach me. And if you don’t know everything, who’s to say we can’t discover it together?”
His heart leapt slightly at the unsettled waver in Crow’s voice, but he took a deep breath and offered them a timid smile.
“And, if I get hurt, I heal,” he replied, voice as soft as he could make it, although it was still hoarse and raspy. “While we’re fragile, we’re also ungodly stubborn. Our bodies, as well. It takes quite the force to break us for good.”
“But… oh, alright, if you’re sure.” but they weren’t sure. They didn’t know if they could keep Flynn safe or not. Crow sat down beside Flynn on the bed, staring up into nothingness. “Fine. If you’re sure. My sister will likely help with teaching, she’s always been a prodigy and I’m sure she’ll pass on the knowledge to you. She’s half human, even, you’ll get along at least halfway. I hope.”
“Half human, hm?” he asked, narrowing his eyes. He had never heard of a hybrid, outer-species relationship between anyone human or draconic, so it seemed to pique his interest. Especially because he figured they would be so looked down upon, but Crow seemed to speak of their sister so highly.
“And yes, I’m sure,” Flynn hummed slowly. “After seeing this side of the situation … I’m disgusted by the knights. I had always just questioned their morals, but I need to see your kind safe from them. And, I’d like to cut ties with them altogether. But, perhaps that’s just me being highly impulsive.”
“Frankly, I’m disgusted by my kind. They hate humans, want to dominate them and bring forth their ruin. When really, you’re like… spiders. No real harm, get rid of pests sometimes, and are overall lovely to have around. I’m just scared, what with the dragons siding with other monsters. Great Vampires, unicorns, manticores, the like.” they said darkly.
“Beautiful irony,” Flynn said, voice practically dripping with melancholy. “Because, at least in my mind, humans are the real monsters. They have no rhyme or reason to their anarchy. Of course, you can’t take my word for it. I came up here first, after all. I was blind, and perhaps still am.”
He nodded slowly, letting a few beats of silence pass.
“You seem so peaceful, after all of this,” he finally said, glancing over to meet Crow’s eyes. “And while you might not see it, I think you are one of the most … well, I can’t seem to put it into words. Regal? Confident? Beautiful creatures, I have ever seen.”
“I’ve seen humanity. It’s… it’s good. And kind. When it wants to be. But it gets scared of what it doesn’t understand.” they said. “My mother and my sister’s father, who was also my mother, saw the good in humans. There’s reasons to care, always, even if it’s hard to see,”
“That’s reassuring,” Flynn said softly, letting out a breath he had seemed to be keeping in for ages. As he did so, he could feel the ache still permeating his wrist— although it was much more numb, now.
“We… We do have weird little quirks, don’t we?” he continued, the edges of his mouth twitching into a smile. “And it is true, we have a lot of good people. But those who aren’t… well, they overpower those who are.”
His head dipped as he brought a hand to his lips absently. “You just might have to flip through the book of tyrants and anarchists to get to the peacemakers. The only complications is those… those ones have a tendency to get lost in the pages.”
“History is told by the winners, after all.” Crow said, patting Flynn’s leg. They were strangely liking this conversation, this exchanging of ideas with the human.
Flynn couldn’t find the words for what he felt, so he just nodded in agreement. He couldn’t help but flinch when Crow raised their hand— just a standard sensory impulse. He immediately regretted doing so, taking a deeper breath to calm his heart.
The dragon was oddly warm sitting next to him, and Flynn could even feel the heat through the remaining sheets of armor. With his mind drawn back to the weight on his shoulders, he carefully took off the rest of the metal with his one hand, setting it to the side.
Crow gave Flynn a sympathetic look, their heart beating faster and faster by the second. Every time they stared into those eyes… well, things were quite interesting for them and their fast-beating heart, to say the least.
Flynn kept basking in the silence, tired eyes locked on the floor. Although, the dull in conversation was not awkward, as he would expect. It was welcoming, inviting, and borderline comforting to his aching body.
A good few moments passed before he lifted his head again, gazing up to the cavern walls.
“If I don’t return to the city by tonight, they’ll send a reconnaissance troupe,” he murmured softly, as if he was just thinking aloud. “I suggest you leave by then, so they can’t track you. And, if you choose to have me accompany you…”
He looked up to Crow, nodding, as if it were a responsibility. “I’d be honored. Isn’t that what we were looking for in the first place? Honor.”
His words were shortened by a husky scoff. “It comes full circle, I see.”
“You can come with me. I’ll have to destroy the place, however, meaning we’ll have to make a very fast getaway. I don’t have time to pack up all my creations, and they can’t be getting into the wrong hands.” Crow explained, standing up. “Your wrist should be healed by now. Get up, find anything you might want to bring along, and prepare to leave. I’ll be in my laboratory, packing up my things.”
“Alright,” he replied, pushing himself from the cot and beginning to slip back on his armor. “Is there anything in particular you’d like me to help bring? All I have here is my armor and my sword, both of which I’m unsure if I’ll be needing.”
He glanced over to where his sword lay, next to the cot with his own blood stained across the handle. It had various chips out of it— in horrible shape, really, from Crow’s piercing claws.
“Your armor will only slow you down. I recommend against bringing it.” they said, turning to leave. “Meet me by the cave entrance when the sun is five marks over the horizon. Don’t touch anything that looks dangerous, and don’t touch anything that looks harmless. I’m a very messy person and I tend to leave things lying around.”
Yeet yeet it's me, Starlight-Starbright, I am back.