Pok!
Ausren snarls as the small bolt bounces off his shoulder, unable to even dent the thick scales. Leonidas is standing behind him, seeming strangely empty. His mind is just... silent.
And this insolent human in all his royal garb is the reason why.
What was his name? The name of this human with blood ties to Ausren's soul bound?
"Cecil." The name comes from Leonidas himself, who is staring blankly at Ausren's scales. The name is a direct answer to the unspoken question."He tried to kill me. Twice."
A growl rips from Ausren's chest, his gaze zeroing in on Cecil. Of course, with the mind link, Ausren was aware of the events unfolding. But to have Leo say it so bluntly...
"How dare you," Ausren snarls, stepping away from Leonidas to approach the other human. "How dare you put your hands on my Soul-Bound!"
Rage is a fire in the dragon's chest, beating out even the magic within his soul. The silence in Leonidas's head translates to a roaring in the dragon's own.
Cecil doesn't balk from the snarling dragon, doesn't so much as flinch. Instead, he breathes, "You... how? How are you healed?"
Out of all the things the human could have said, that was not the one Ausren wanted to hear. Magma drips through the spaces between the prince's teeth, sizzling where it hits the bright snow. It is only the presence of Leonidas that stops the dragon from exploding into a frenzy.
"You," Cecil continues, his voice soft with something close to horror, "are the one who turned my brother into this monster? You took weak and useless Leonidas and made him into... that?"
A mixture of pain and rage slams through Leonidas's mind at the words.
Red explodes behind the dragon's eyes, and the Crown Prince of Nogaerdytnuoc raises his head and roars a challenge at the human before him.
How dare he, how dare he say such horrible things about a human so beautiful as Leonidas. How dare he! Kill him! Kill him! It is a chant in the dragon's blood. Kill him, kill him, kill him!
Ausren tenses his claws into the snow, digging through its layers and catching in the hard ground beneath. The long, powerful tail whips behind him, his wings splaying as he crouches and prowls toward the human. He could just open his maw and unleash the rage in his chest onto the human as fire, but that would allow the human a quick death.
Leonidas, for his part, has not yet asked the dragon to stop. In fact, he has fallen back into that emotion-ridden silence.
If you have broken him, human, I will teach you ways to die you have not even dreamed up.
Cecil raises the crossbow again and centers it on Leonidas, who is now no longer covered by Ausren's scales. The prince snarls in warning, his vision tunneling to include Cecil and only Cecil.
"Back off dragon, or I'll shoot him again," Cecil growls lowly. This human, he is one of those predators that need watching. Deceptive, humans can be.
"Leonidas can defend himself," Ausren responds and lunges forward. Indeed, as the dragon thought he would, Cecil swings the crossbow from Leonidas to the prince, centering it on his head.
Going for the eyes? Dirty.
A blanket of rage snaps through Leonidas's mind, startling the dragon in its intensity. And then the tang of magic fills the air and green flashes from the crossbow. Cecil drops the weapon with a bark of pain, cursing as he stumbles away from the dragon.
As fast as it came, the rage filling Leo's mind is gone.
No time to figure out what's happening there, there is retribution to be had.
Snap!
Ausren's jaws crack shut on open air as Cecil ducks underneath the blow, coming up toward the dragon's chest.
Wham!
The prince snags the human by his cape and slams him into the snow, pinning him under one front foot. The human lets out a yelp, hands flying up to where the dragon's paw is in contact with his armor. Leaning down, Ausren growls in the human's face, enjoying watching him squirm.
Somewhere behind him, those stupid mutts are braying. Bred for fighting dragons, is what the humans would love to claim. But there is nothing on this earth that has been adequately equipped to handle the might of a dragon.
Nothing but Leonidas, perhaps.
The magma dripping from Ausren's teeth finds its way onto Cecil's skin, burning through the collar of his tunic. Cecil lets out a soft yelp of pain as the magma makes contact with his skin and begins to burn.
"Does that hurt?" Ausren asks softly, watching the human squirm below him. Leaning down so that his nose is just inches from the human's face, the prince finishes, "Good."
"Get off me you filthy demon!" Cecil snarls in response, baring his teeth in savage rage. No doubt that stems from some sort of terror.
Ausren tilts his head a little, letting his eyes travel down the human's body. All this armor is annoying, but it does little to protect the humans against dragons.
"I suppose I could start with your legs. Humans don't need those to survive, right?"
"Ren."
The prince's name is spoken at a volume little more than a whisper. But Leonidas doesn't fail to catch his dragon's attention. Picking his head up, Ausren looks to his boy, head tilted attentively.
Leo simply points to the trees and says in that same soft tone, "Dogs."
Right. Indeed, the braying is quite close. Perhaps it is time to deal with them, so that the human can be dealt with slower.
"Fine," Ausren growls and easily picks Cecil up off the ground with one front foot. And then, with ease, the dragon flings the human into a nearby tree. He hits hard enough that a crack can be heard, and then slumps to the ground.
Hopefully, he's unconscious.
Whipping back around, Ausren faces up to the trees, preparing to tear through the pack of ravenous dogs. As soon as his front feet are planted, ten dogs stream from the trees, collective focus going to the dragon.
They are no more than beasts, attacking the first moving thing they see. Pour beasts, perhaps, being starved within an inch of their lives to breed ferociousness.
It won't be enough.
Ausren doesn't wait for the dogs to meet him, instead lunging forward across the small clearing. Too small to contain all that he is.
The first dog bares teeth, leaping up in an impressive feat of athleticism and attempting to latch its teeth into Ausren's slender nose. Unfortunately for the dog, it picked the worst place to attack. With a hollow thud, the prince's teeth snap shut on the dog's chest, blood spraying across the stark white snow. The poor old beast does not even get the chance to whimper before the light leaves its demonic eyes.
A snap of the dragon's neck sets the dog's body flying through the air until it impacts the snow on the opposite side of the clearing. The second wave hits, three more dogs meeting the dragon.
Two make the same mistake as the first and fling themselves head-first into the fray. One is dispatched by teeth, the second by sharp claws. The third, noticeably smarter than the others, attempts to circle around the dragon and attack from the side. A quick motion of a wing breaks the dog's ribcage and flings it into the snow. It doesn't move again.
The once white snow is now red with rapidly deoxygenated blood.
Finally, the last six dogs enter the clearing. Working more in a pack mentality than a baying frenzy and circling the dragon, attempting to get the best angle to attack from.
There is no good angle to attack a dragon.
Ausren doesn't wait for the attack, his tail cracking to the side and blowing a dog off its feet. By the rise of its cries, the attack broke a leg or more. Lunging forward and sideways, Ausren narrowly misses pinning another dog and instead has to turn to fend off a weak attack from the right flank. Claws catch flesh and another dog goes down. Only four left, who seem torn between fleeing and finishing the job they were bred for.
Ausren advances across the clearing, giving them no time to decide. Another falls to his teeth, the blood warm in his mouth. Perhaps he will feast here, if his human is in good enough shape to let him. He is not yet hungry, but he is not completely full either. These dogs would make a good meal.
Lifting his head, the dragon decides that the battle has gone on long enough. He has a human to kill and his Soul-Bound to comfort. He has no more time to play with these mutts.
Besides, the rage in his chest wants sating.
Opening his maw, Ausren reaches down into his stomach and calls forth the fire that rests there. With a roaring scream, the fire rushes from his throat and incinerates the three remaining mutts. For a moment, the clearing is bathed in heat, radiating from the pillar of murderous flame.
Then, the prince snaps his jaws shut, cutting off the flow of fire.
With a glance to make sure Leonidas is still in one piece, Ausren turns back to Cecil.
The human is gone, a small stain of blood the only evidence that he ever existed. And Leo, no doubt, was aware of his brother's exit. His unwillingness to alert the dragon to Cecil's exit speaks to the fact he doesn't want his brother dead.
Yet, anyway.
I can work with 'yet'.
The clearing is unnaturally quiet, in the aftermath of the battle. No howling dogs, no screaming fire, just the snow-covered forest and the Soul-Bound pair. Even the usual jittery squirrels have stopped their chatter.
This is not the first time Ausren has experienced this type of quiet. As if the entire world is holding its breath, in the aftermath of a dragon. As if even nature itself recognizes the unmatched prowess of a dragon after they have bathed an entire clearing in blood.
It's a quiet the prince enjoys.
However, he cannot bask in the knowledge that he is the perfect killer. Not when Leonidas is staring off into the trees with a completely empty look in his eyes. Even his thoughts are silent. Only pain and betrayal occupy the tendrils of his usually brilliant mind.
Swinging his head low, Ausren paces over to his human, cleaning his muzzle with his long tongue as he does so. Once he is in range, Ausren lowers his head and gently runs his tongue over the boy's cheek, careful of the flesh-stripping barbs that are housed there.
"Are you okay, Riorra?" the dragon asks, even though he is well aware of the answer.
"No," Leonidas responds softly, turning to look at his companion. For a moment, the two just look at each other, letting a soft silence stretch between them. And eventually, the human murmurs in a quavering voice, "He tried to kill me. Cecil... tried to kill me."
"Yes," Ausren murmurs softly, knowing that a part of the human is still holding onto the hope that everything was some sort of sick dream. It is better, in the long run, for him to know with certainty that the events were real.
"I don't... what did I do that was so wrong I deserve to die?" Leo asks, turning a broken gaze to the ground.
Rage crackles through the dragon once again as his own heart breaks for the boy. Gently, the dragon lays his cold snout against the boy's neck and exhales softly. "You did nothing, Leonidas. He betrayed you. That's all that has happened."
"Then why do I still feel like this is my fault? I spared your life, and now Cecil hates me and Ruhban is on his own. I abandoned my brothers when I bound myself to you..." Leo trails off for a moment, letting his hand come up to cradle the dragon's nose. "How could I be so selfish?"
Knowing that nothing he says will change how the human is feeling, Ausren instead replies, "I am glad you are selfish. If you were not, I would not have found you."
"Is it wrong of me, to do to Ruhban what Cecil did to me? To abandon him?"
"If Ruhban is anything like you, he will be fine," Ausren replies. "And I suppose only you can answer if you are truly abandoning him or not. Cecil tried to murder you. He gave you no choice but to leave. In fact, I would say you would put your twin in more danger if you stayed, at this point. This is on Cecil, not you."
"But..." Leo starts, then trails off. Ausren can feel the complex emotions in his chest. Guilt, rage, pain, betrayal, and grief. The boy doesn't know how to put them into words. So the dragon waits, letting the boy think. He will speak when he is ready. "I just... everything that has happened is my fault. Everything stemmed from me sparing your life."
"And are you sorry you did?" Ausren asks.
There is silence for a moment, and the dragon can feel the answer in the boy's heart.
"No," Leo whispers. "No, I am happy that you found me. I am happy when I'm with you."
"Then what you did was not the wrong thing. It is simply the view of your brothers that makes you the villain. You are not to blame for this."
"But I am."
"Well, I suppose we're going to have to agree to disagree on that point," Ausren murmurs, softly blowing smoke into the boy's chest.
For another long moment, silence stretches between the two. Leo is the one who breaks it, asking softly, "Does the offer to go with you, to live with you, still stand?"
"Of course," Ausren replies. "I would not abandon you now, and I will never abandon you."
Leo lays his head against the dragon's forehead and sighs softly. "I have nowhere else to go."
Feeling a part of his heart start to tear at the obvious trauma his human has suffered, Ausren whispers, "I will take care of you, Riorra. I will not abandon you, I promise."
"Then take me to the cave, will you? I think I need to sleep," Leonidas breathes.
Gently removing his nose from the human's grip, Ausren kneels and presents his back to the boy. "It would be my pleasure, Leo."
Leonidas moves into the saddle, his movements slow and muted.
Perhaps, the dragon thinks, a small ride would serve to lift his spirits.
Turning, the prince starts downhill, following the smell of crisp water. His fire has left his mouth dry, and the dragon wants a drink. It shouldn't hurt to take the human along. It's better than leaving him alone, anyway.
Ausren lets the silence stretch as he moves away from the clearing, sliding every now again in the snow. He can get a good enough read on the human just by being close to his thoughts. As slow and self-deprecating they are right now, it is better than the cold silence that occupied his mind just a few minutes ago.
A few minutes into the snowy forest yields the start of chirping squirrels and the calls of large birds. The battle is over, and now the forest can return to its normal doings. Life goes on.
As Ausren passes beneath and between the heavy boughs, most wildlife sprints for cover. It is only the few squirrels high in the trees that dare make a territorial display toward him, chattering furiously as he passes by their lands.
"They are not very smart creatures, are they?" Leo finally says on the fifth or sixth time a squirrel decides to warn him off their territory. The human's face is turned up, his eyes trying to catch a glimpse of the squirrels through the thick needles.
Ausren can't help but feel a stab of pride as the boy picks on out among the top branches of a conifer.
Sliding his front feet off a rather large embankment and dropping the rest of the way to the steep slope below, Ausren responds, "No, not especially. They tend to think that their trees protect them."
The human smiles slightly. "The trees do a good job, I think."
Ausren snorts in response, opening his wings to balance as the steep slope beneath his feet threatens to give way. "Only because I am not interested in eating them."
"Which is only because the trees would make it too annoying to hunt them. The single bite they provide isn't worth the effort," Leonidas responds, muted humor in his voice.
Ausren scowls, sliding expertly down the slope and jumping a fallen tree. The stream is not far off now. "No, it is simply because their scrawny bodies would not provide much nourishment at all."
Leo laughs softly, reaching up and laying a hand on the dragon's neck. "Alright," he murmurs. "Whatever you say."
Ausren snorts and shakes his neck, knowing he most definitely did not win that argument. After all, the human is right.
"I am, am I?" Leo asks, laying both hands on the dragon's neck and bracing his body against the drop as Auren drops off a small cliff to where a trickle of water is surviving under a layer of ice.
Busting through the layer with a foot, Ausren growls lowly in annoyance. He forgot, momentarily, that the link between them runs both ways.
Bending down, the prince breaks off another piece of ice with his teeth, flinging it into the trees and earning another laugh from the human on his back. Then, with a hole large enough to fit the entirety of his muzzle through, Ausren dips down to drink.
Tongue lapping at the icy water, the dragon feels as the human crosses his arms, lays them on the prince's neck, and then lays his head on them. Letting out a massive sigh, the boy murmurs, "Thank you, Ausren."
The dragon lifts his head, water dripping off his muzzle, and appraises the human. He seems exhausted, which could only come from the emotional trauma he's experienced today. Gently, careful not to disturb the human, Ausren lowers his head again and continues to lap up the crisp water. It tastes fresh and clean, untouched by the outside world.
Finally, with his thirst sated, Ausren carefully raises his head once again and starts the trek up the slope. Leonidas is asleep, nestled on the dragon's shoulders.
"Don't worry, Riorra," Ausren murmurs. "I'll take care of you. Never again will you be left behind."
Trying his best to not jostle the human on his back, Ausren starts the climb back up to the cave that has been his home for the last few days. A part of him is ecstatic that the human has chosen to stay with him, but most of his heart is breaking for the boy. Dragons don't usually have strong family ties, especially Ausren's family. One of his brothers trying to stab him in the back would be nothing new. But for the human, whose entire life has been centered around his family, the betrayal hits much harder. Though the dragon cannot sympathize with the human, the boy's emotions might as well be his own.
With his careful travel, it takes the dragon nearly half an hour to return to the cave. Once there, he turns to the boy on his back and gently says, "Wake up, Riorra. We're here."
Leo groans lowly, but pushes himself upright. Immediately, he stretches his arms above himself, yawns, and then shivers against the cold. Wrapping his arms around himself, the boy mutters, "Already?"
His mind is back to moving like a butterfly, flitting from one thought to another in rapid succession. Much better than the cold silence of shock and grief he had been in.
Carefully lowering himself to the rocks, Ausren twists his slender neck enough to peer back at the boy. "Indeed, already. I would have let you continue to rest, if not for the size of the cave opening. I didn't want to squish you."
The human laughs softly at that, swinging his leg over the dragon's back and stepping onto the rocks. Then, before the dragon can offer assistance, Leo drops down into the cave, landing softly on the sand.
Following the human, Ausren drops his front feet into the cave, carefully maneuvering his wings so as to not catch the sensitive membrane on the sharp rock. With his wings situated, he crawls into the cave, keeping his head low to avoid scraping his horns on the ceiling. As the tip of his tail enters the small cavern, Ausren lays down with a huff, blocking the icy wind with his body. The fire in his chest will keep him plenty warm, so providing a wind block for his human is the least he can do.
Laying his head down on the soft sand, breathing in the musty smell of the cave, Ausren tracks the human with his eyes. For a moment, Leo simply stands in the middle of the cave, his thoughts racing too quickly to be heard. After a long while, he paces over to the dragon and lowers himself to the ground with a sigh.
"Do you care if I sleep here?" Leonidas asks hesitantly.
Ausren lets out a long breath, filling the room with smoke, and replies, "Of course not. Rest. I'll watch over you."
Leo smiles, leaning back against the dragon's side, and lets himself relax. It is not very long after that the human's thoughts drop into the soft and slow pattern of sleep.
Ausren watches him a moment longer, before allowing his eyes to drift closed. The sooner they leave, the better. It will get them farther away from Dneir and Enozarc, as well as allow them to leave the danger of the human fort. But Ausren won't push the boy. It needs to be Leonidas's own decision.
With a last sigh, Ausren allows himself to drop off into a deep sleep.