Bound

Ch. 3

Tristan huddled close to the fire. Despite the warmth it probably provided, he was shivering. "So, what do we do now? There must be a purpose to this connection between us. Do you...want to figure it out?"

"I am not sure we have a choice. All of the other Raydos seemed to have been found out not long after their connection was formed. After they met, they ended up having to run. Either from human hunters, or from some villain who wanted them dead to save their own skin."

"Are you saying we will be hunted by...everyone?"

"Most likely. Our peoples have never gotten along. We are...too similar, as much as it pains me to say it. We both value greed and pride too much. At least, most of us. But I have always been different. I do value pride, but not greed. What use do I have for gold? All I want is solitude."

"I feel the same. My parents always wanted me to strive for nobility, whether or not I could achieve it. Yet, all I crave is a nice cottage in the woods by myself. I have...never cared much for my own kind, let alone other races."

I raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps your company will not be as...excruciating as I expected." I wanted to hate this human. His kind had never been forgiving to mine. And with our races being so similar, I figured I would despise him as I do other dragons. Yet, he surprised me. He really was much more like me than I first thought.

"I have a question," I began. "Do you...despise dragons?"

Tristan looked shocked. "No. No, I do not. Why would I hate a race who has done nothing to me? Even if your kind had hurt me or my family, why would I hate you all for it? Each of us is our own creature. A whole race should be condemned for the sins of one."

I was immobile. What he said made complete sense. Yet, I had grown up so long believing all humans to be evil. Speaking to him now made me realize that I may have been wrong. Perhaps my views were misguided. Maybe many humans were as I thought, but not all. He was the exception.

"You seem...confused," Tristan responded.

"I am. Most humans I've met have been...different."

"You cannot trust everything you see or hear. And, unlike dragons, humans are good at deceit. Sometimes, we can pretend to be the cruelest people, when in reality we are the kindest. And the opposite holds true as well."

"And what of you?" I wondered. I hoped my new companion wasn't lying to me. As dragons, we were nearly incapable of lying. Even if we were, our pride wouldn't let us decieve another creature. We preferred to get out of situations by fighting to the death. In which, we almost always won. Against another race, of course. Against each other, the better dragon won.

"Me? I have never taken much stock in deceit. Let alone practiced it. So, you have nothing to fear from me. You could easily tell if I was lying to you."

"I am not sure of that. I have not spent much time with your kind. I doubt I could decipher your quirks."

"Perhaps not. But, if we are connected, does that not mean we understand each other more than anyone else could?"

"I...cannot answer that. I do not know much about the connection between a pair of Raydos. Only a very distant ancestor of my family was one, and it was so long ago nobody remembers much of the story. And I have not had the...pleasure...to meet any Raydos."

"Then...I guess we shall learn as we go. Although, we will not survive long without any trust. We should spend this evening getting to know each other."

I glanced at his shivering form. "Not in that state. You are shaking from the cold. You need your rest or you will end up ill. And I do not plan to take care of you."

"Well, I cannot help it, can I? It is much too cold here for my kind."

I slid closer to him. "Here. My body hear should help a bit. I have a higher core temperature than you."

"Are you sure you are alright with that? Being so close to a human?"

"Whether I am or not matters little. If you get sick, so shall I. We are...bound now. So, get closer to me. My warmth shall help."

Tristan leaned on my arm, closing his eyes. "Th-thank you, Brisingr."

Hearing my name after so long, and feeling the warmth and touch of another made my heart beat faster. "Sleep well...Tristan." As the human slept, I could not help watching him. The peaceful expression on his face, the deep and slow breaths, the way his hands curled on my arm as if in comfort. If he stayed like this, he would surely have a sore neck in the morning. So I shifted a bit, laying us both down to the cave floor. Despite what I said, I wanted him to feel safe. I wanted him to be healthy. I wasn't sure how much of it was my loneliness seeking another creature or how much was the godly bond we shared.

Perhaps that was the point. Maybe the gods did this to try and harbor understanding between our peoples. Or perhaps they wanted to help the mortals under their care. A way to make us less...alone. Maybe they were trying to assist us, in what small ways they could without upsetting the balance of life. Either way, I suppose it didn't matter. I was going to be tied to this human until my death. I might as well get used to it. Although, it might not be as bad as I originally thought. If I had the option to chose what human I would be Raydos with, it most likely would have been this one. He was not as...irritating as most of his kind. At least not the few I had met previously.

"I cannot figure you out," I whispered to Tristan's sleeping form. "Perhaps I never will. But I hope to try. Which is something I never thought I'd feel. Tomorrow, our journey begins. Sweet dreams..."