Hoard

Summary: Each dragon has a hoard. They are known for collecting gold, gems, and anything that catches their fancy. Raon's hoard is a little. . .different.

Day 1 for TCOF Fandom Week 2020: Family

He was not born in darkness nor in sunlight. He hatched in the light of a torch.

He had not yet opened his eyes, blind to the world around him. He knew only the sensations around him.

He knew magic only for the fleeting moment of his first breath. The shackles were slipped on, and tightened. They cut off his magic.

He knew the feel of dirt, as his claws dug into the earth around him to push off, wings flaring as he tried to pull away. The chains were too strong and his magic could not come to his aid.

He knew pain almost as soon as he broke from the shell. Only after a knife cut a scale, a birth scale that clung to his flank, was he given food for the first time. The blood poured down his flank and a rag held against the wound to staunch the flow.

He knew sound, for he screamed when the knife dug into his flesh. It was not the cry of a newborn, but the scream of a child in pain.

—

He paid attention to what the humans said after he was picked up.

"Stop staring at me like that," the human said. Dragon blood was already covering his clothes, but the human had ignored it.

He had never been moved before. He was being carried by a human through the dark. The human carrying him was weak, but the other one was strong. Two kittens followed at the heels of the first human.

The darkness ended as they passed into a sudden, dazzling light.

He saw the sun for the first time. It was so much bigger than the torches. He saw the sky. It was big and black, filled with dots of light and a larger circle, the moon. He saw the trees. They were tall, either thin or thick, and they were made of many colors: brown, green, red, and yellow.

The human was holding the dragon close to his chest as they jogged down the mountain. Soon, the human set the dragon down.

There was dirt beneath his feet and he dug his claws in to feel the earth. He nudged at the blades of grass with his snout before turning back to the two humans.

Why had he been taken out?

He was confused, but mostly he was angry.

They had taken him out after all of this time. He would fight.

"Hey," the first human said. He put on gloves and held a pair of odd scissors that thrummed with magic. He approached the dragon and even grabbed his neck.

The dragon held still. He saw the look in the human's eyes and he liked this human, he trusted this human. He closed his eyes and braced for the pain. He felt resigned. He had seen the outside, maybe that was enough.

There was no pain, only the feeling of his restraints being pulled off.

Why was he being unshackled?

"What are you looking at?" The human scoffed. "Do you know how much money I spent on you? Since I spent so much, you better heal properly, you fool." He uncorked a potion.

A cool sensation ran down the dragon's back. It tingled where it hit his wounds. He swallowed the other half when the human held the bottle to his mouth. His injuries healed and his magic came roaring back in a way he hadn't felt since that first breath the day he was born.

"Hey. What do you want to do now?"

He watched the human but didn't respond.

"What do you want to do now?" The human smiled. "I know you can speak the human language. You are a dragon. The smartest and strongest existence in the world. What do you want to do now that you are free?"

"I."

"I . . ."

""I will live. I will go away. I will not be tamed."

This human could not stop him.

If he wished, he could smash the weak human into the ground. He could not be kept here. He would not be forced into doing anything ever again.

He talked with the human some more. He told him that he hated humans.

The human's only response was to say, "Good. Live freely," and hand him a bag with potions.

He watched the human turn away and leave. "I hate humans. They are evil," he told himself. He was very bad at it, just as humans were very good at it. But he didn't think that human was lying when he had said to be free. That weak human had saved him.

—

He crept closer and closer to the weak human. Despite his invisibility, the weak human could still see him somehow.

He dropped off prey for them and watched the humans cook.

The weak human's name was Cale Henituse. The dragon he rescued following him around was unexpected and he resigned himself to being involved after a few days. He fed the dragon at the capital and recruited him to deal with the terrorist attack.

He wrapped himself around the weak human and let himself be petted.

The weak human needed help or else he would die. That was what the dragon decided.

He watched, not from the shadows, but invisibly, perched on Cale's shoulder or sprawled in his lap. He ate the human's food, watched the goings on around him, played with On and Hong, and learned many things.

He connected the human's—Cale's—video communicator, followed the human when Cale snuck out, and protected people from being hurt. All of the humans he met knew he was great and mighty.

He had a name now, Raon Miru, and he liked it.

—

He hoarded gold and silver that he was given by Cale. Because that was what the dragons in the stories did: they hoarded valuable items. But although he felt some attraction to the items and the thoughts of how much apple pie he could buy with his coins, he felt better when he was with the human and the others.

He liked them.

He liked:

When Choi Han pet him on his head, cautiously, or when they looked at each other after the human said something stupid.

When Mary smiled and talked with Raon.

When Alberu and the human both gave those gentle smiles that raised the scales on Raon's neck but always heralded something fun.

When Hans gave him, On, and Hong a bath and made sure they had lots of bubbles to play with, then helped comb and dry them off with fluffy towels.

When Cale and Raon looted the vaults of their enemies.

When Alberu gave Raon cookies when he visited the palace with the human.

When Beacrox made lots of good food, and tried to not smile as everyone complimented and thanked him.

When Ron gave the human lemon tea and Cale stared in dismay at his cup for a minute.

When On and Hong called Raon their little brother and played with him.

This was his hoard, Raon realized. And like all dragons, he would protect his hoard until his dying breath.