The Dragon Prince: Rebuilding the Bridge

Concern (Season 5)

The Crownguard sat atop the peak of the Storm Spire, his brow furrowed in thought. They were off to find the Archmache Akiyu in the next hour, the dragon queen Zubeia being their means of transportation to the coast. However, something wouldn't leave the young man's thoughts, eating away at him with anxiety. The dark magic wound that the dragon queen had received at the bookery looked gross and festering, yet she had insisted on carrying on as if it were only a mere scratch. It was frustrating that there wasn't more he could do to help her and that she did not want to take his advice.

"What are you doing up here all by yourself, huh?"

Soren quickly looks over his shoulder in surprise, hearing a voice approaching him from behind. The platform shook with a slight thud and the wind whipped about as a crimson dragon landed herself with grace.

Soren smiled, glad to see a familiar face. "Hey Pyrrah."

Pyrrah came a little closer and lay down next to him casually, crossing one foreleg over the other. "You're not one to be by your lonesome...What's on your mind?" She asks in her smooth voice. She spoke in a tone that seemed to suggest that she didn't really care, but Soren knew otherwise.

"It's Zubeia..." he sighs with a frown.

Pyrrah raises a brow at him, not quite sure what the queen had to do with his somber mood. "What about her Majesty?"

"She was wounded. A bite from a banther infected with dark magic...She insists it's just a scratch..."

Pyrrah sighs, now starting to understand what might be upsetting him. "Look...dragons are far more durable than you give us credit for, Soren. I have no doubt the queen will be fine." She tries giving him a slight, reassuring smile, hoping it would help.

Soren's hand reaches out and begins petting her foreleg, running over rough and smooth scales alike. "I-I know I'm probably just being paranoid, but you know what dark magic can do to a dragon. Hell, I was there to witness what it had done to you..."

The crimson dragon glances away and winces a little at the reminder. Though she would never admit it out loud, the experience of being struck with the ballista bolt coursing with dark magic energy was the most painful thing she had ever experienced. Dark magic was indeed a whole other, brutal category.

Soren sighs, a sorrowful, almost defeated look upon his face. "I know the queen says that she'll be alright, but I just don't want her overexerting herself. I hope she keeps an eye on the wound too to make sure it doesn't get any more infected if it isn't already."

Pyrrah found his concern for the queen quite endearing. For a royal who he didn't serve, he cared for Zubeia's well-being quite a lot. "I understand why you worry, but I have no doubt the queen will pull through just fine. She's an archdragon of the skies, flowing with primal magic. It will take a lot more than a little dark magic banther to strike her down," she tries to reassure.

"...Why are dragons always like that?" Soren gives her a concerned glance.

The dragoness almost growls at his generalizing wording, but she holds herself back to hear him out. "What do you mean by that?" she tries to ask in a calm manner.

"Why are dragons always trying to act strong and mighty? It's almost like one defeat will completely shatter them..." The Crownguard frowns, but his bright, blue eyes hold curiosity about her possible answer.

Pyrrah scoffs. "Not all of us are like that."

Soren sheepishly scratches the back of his head, feeling a little bad for making such a generalization. "I-I'm just going off of the dragons I've met so far...It just seems like...weakness, feeling broken, moments of failure...they're the worst things that could happen to you guys."

"And where is this thought coming from?" Pyrrah looks at him curiously.

"The queen is refusing my advice...She insists on taking us to the coast herself even though I know that wound hurts her...She's acting like it's nothing and that she doesn't really need rest." His eyes look up to meet Pyrrah's. "I guess I just wanted to know if this was a common attitude for dragons."

Now understanding his struggle, Pyrrah sighs. "I see..." She looks back down at him as she attempts to verbalize her own thoughtful answer. "Dragons...well...I suppose we do take a lot of pride in our strength...our power...It's what...it's what makes a dragon a dragon."

The man tilts his head a little, looking even more confused. "I-I thought a dragon was a big, magical, flying lizard...n-no offense!" He adds on quickly, waving his hands in front of him. "I mean that in a good way! A very good way!"

Pyrrah huffs and rolls her eyes at his statement, but she understood what he was trying to say. "What I mean is that strength and power mean a lot in the dragon world. If you don't have strength and power that can keep up with other dragons, your position will be taken from you, you'll be looked down upon by other dragons, or...some lowly elves will think they're entitled enough to treat you like a...a simple beast..." She looks downcast, almost saddened as she speaks of the last part.

"O-Oh, you mean like...like the drake riders?" Soren looks a little sad too, remembering Squeaky and how those cruel earth elves had treated her.

"That's one of the elven groups I refer to, yes." The dragoness was a little surprised that he knew of this group, but she doesn't bother to question him about it. "My point is...even the briefest moments of weakness are a lot more looked down upon and even more dangerous in the dragon world than the human. The queen has a lot that she needs to protect right now, including her position and her son..." Pyrrah sighs. "She's trying to maintain her pride and strength to protect both..."

Soren looks ahead at the clouds before them, considering the words she had said. "I...I guess that makes sense...I just wish she'd let someone help her, even if just for a second."

Pyrrah shakes her head slightly. "I appreciate your thought and no doubt her Majesty appreciates the thought as well. The image of strength and power she must uphold though simply will not let her...Just take comfort in knowing that your words have not gone unheard. I've known Zubeia for a few years now, and she does her best to listen to others with an open-mind." The dragoness smiles slightly. "Do not worry about the queen. She'll be okay."

Soren nods a little. "Thank you. It's...helpful to know that she'll at least think about it."

The crimson dragon chuckles. "You may speak like a fool sometimes, but sometimes you offer good advice and words of wisdom in your own right. Her Majesty seems to enjoy your company too, so I have no doubt she will take your advice into account."

The Crownguard smiles, chuckling a little as well as he points to himself. "Haha! See? I can be smart!"

Pyrrah rolls her eyes again, ever so gently bonking him atop the head with her tail. "I said sometimes, not always."

"That's still good enough for me," he responds with a proud smile.

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RK: No guys, I'm not dead, I just haven't had a lot of inspiration or focus on TDP for quite a while. This is just a little idea that came to me out of the blue. So here it is as a Pyrren oneshot.