For The Love of a Dragon

By vivalarapture

Authors Notes- Just a heads up, this title might change. Although the acronym for it is ftload. fat. load. So maybe I'll keep it just for that reason.

Going into town was, in Souls opinion, the worst chore he could be forced to complete. His brother would shove him out of the house with a basket, a list and some coins, slamming the door and locking it behind him. His brother, Wes, would complain that he always did the hunting so that left Soul to do the shopping.

Soul grumbled angrily as he walked down the winding dirt path from he and his brothers house into town. He furiously kicked at a pebble in his path, cursing when it bounced off a tree and back into his forehead. He rubbed a hand over his face, his cursing becoming more colorful when he noticed a smear of blood on his hand which he quickly wiped on his trousers.

He could hear dragons calling out in the trees around him, but he paid them no mind. The only dragons in this area were tame, nearly house pets, and he had nothing to worry about. He had to stop himself from swinging the basket in his grasp, flushing and muttering about how uncool it was that he had to do woman's work.

Soul's anger was officially drained as he shuffled his feet, kicking up clouds of dirt. He supposed he shouldn't blame Wes so much. They had been living by themselves on the outskirts of town for eight years now since their parents died. The island they lived on was desolate of many things, and it was tough on the brothers.

Their home was aptly named, the Island of Death, and it was filled with forests, caves, and the occasional cliff face that would pop out of nowhere and lead you straight to your demise.

A large pale green dragon flew dangerously close above Souls head, his clawed feet banging him on the back of his cranium as it passed by. Soul caught himself just before he face planted into the dirt, sputtering and raising his fist to the dragon who didn't even seem to notice him.

"Fuckin' over grown lizard! Watch where you're going!"

The dragon didn't even flinch, and Soul was convinced he didn't even hear him. He sighed and picked up the basket he dropped, continuing his trek into town. Dragons always seemed to ignore him. Nearly everyone on the island, and also on neighboring islands, had their own dragons. Supposedly the creatures were kind, intelligent and loved humans.

Soul scoffed, glaring at another tiny snake like dragon who scuttled past him without looking up. They loved every human except for him. His brother had vied with Soul to get their own dragon, but Soul was adamant about not keeping a dragon on their land. He didn't need to add another name to the list of creatures, human and dragon alike, that pretended like he was apart of the background or tried to kill him.

He noticed the edge of the town out of the corner of his eye, and hoped he could make it home before the storm came. There were menacing black clouds hovering over the mountains to the South, and he didn't want to be caught in that by himself.

As Soul walked into town, he took in the sights, trying not to be in awe at how beautiful the different dragons looked, perched on the roofs of clustered wooden houses.

He shook his head, resigned to ignore everyone like they ignored him. He wasn't sure how they managed to pass over him so quickly. Yes, there were people he talked to, maybe even a few he would consider acquaintances, but surely someone with white hair and red eyes demanded a little bit of acknowledgement.

Soul glanced down at the list his brother had given him, scanning the brightly colored stalls for what he needed. Maybe with all of the dragons roaming the streets, a human with sharp teeth just wasn't all that special.

Soul tossed a few potatoes into his basket, passing coins over to the stall owner who thanked him lightly. Maybe it was because he didn't make the effort?

Soul had to hold back a bark of angry laughter, knowing that wasn't the case. When he was younger he had tried so hard to find a niche in the town. His father had taught him how to use a sword, and Soul had worked hard to be of use to people. He would go into town everyday, hoping there was something he could do to help.

Everyday, he was turned down. Either his skills were too lax, his arms too skinny, his mind wandered too much, his teeth scared off customers, or the dragons didn't listen to him. At first, he was desperate and determined, and every rejection made him stronger. He would come home, his mother would have already milked the goats so he could have a warm beverage, and listen to how he was going to improve the next day.

Although the longer he failed, the harder it was to get back up. He would help his father with the farming and hunting every chance he got, but he knew his older brother was who would inherit their sparse crops. He would have to find something he was good at. Something he could devote his life to and enjoy doing until he was old and grey.

The people who lived on Death were content being on land and on sea, the upside to living on an island with an extensive fishing port, but Soul was never comfortable being on a boat. He had gone with his father and brother a few times, but always ended up hanging off the side of the bow, heaving his lunch into the sea.

His family was supportive, and they always assured him that someday he would find what he was meant to do.

His mother was a great dragon trainer, always happy to teach the younger generations a thing or two about the creatures they kept as pets and weapon partners. She never kept dragons at the house, though. She knew how potentially dangerous they could be, and seeing as how they all seemed to hold distaste for her youngest son, she kept her work separate from her home.

Souls steps were getting heavier the longer he browsed the stalls looking for the wares his brother needed. He didn't like to think about about his past, and sometimes he wished someone would just talk to him so he wouldn't have to be stuck inside his own head.

Soul side stepped to avoid another dragon barreling down the path, a boy around 10 on its back and cackling with glee as they raced down the streets. He rolled his eyes and picked out a new pair of slacks, quickly paying the woman behind the stand and turning to go home.

He rummaged through the basket, making sure he had everything on his list before heading in the direction of the woods. He noticed a dark skinned man with dreads throwing pieces of fish in the air for the two tiny dragons at his feet.

Soul let his lips curl up slightly into a smile as he waved to someone he actually knew.

"Hey Killik. How's it going?"

The man lifted his head, adjusting his glasses and grinning when he realized who it was, "Oh hey, Soul! Just feeding Fire and Thunder."

Killik pointed to the small dragons scuttling up his knees to get more food. He chuckled and dropped the last of the slab of fish on the ground. "What are you doing out in town?"

Soul walked over, but didn't get to close. He knew Killiks dragons were young, and they reacted even worse towards him than old grumpy dragons. "That's cool. I'm just doing some shopping for Wes. Hoping to get back as soon as I can. The rain coming, and you know.. Dragons."

Killik frowned sympathetically, knowing the odd relationship Soul had with dragons. They were around the same age when they started dragon training together, and he knew how horrible those few weeks had been. Soul eventually dropped out, but Killik always tried to stay close to him, knowing how hard it must be.

"I bet. Those storm clouds look pretty threatening over there, too. You'd better get back home before you get your basket wet."

Soul chuckled, waving him off, "Yeah, yeah yeah. You're just jealous because I look more manly with a basket than you do with your baby dragons."

Killik pointed down at the bright yellow and orange dragons playing at his feet, "Hey, don't doubt these guys. They're trained killers. Vicious."

Fire, the orange scaled dragon, flopped over onto his back and pawed at the edge of Killiks trousers, yawning widely.

Soul burst out laughing, holding his stomach, "Vicious, eh? Sure, he looks pretty scary to me."

Killik flushed lightly, leaning down to pat the dragons head, "Oh hush, someday when they're triple the size of your scrawny butt, you'll be scared."

Soul shook his head, still laughing, "I don't doubt it. Hey, I should still be scared even when they're not two feet long yet. They could probably still eat me."

Killik clicked his tongue disapprovingly, "No way. My dragons are well trained. No albino meals for them."

Soul nearly punched Killik in a good natured way before he noticed the female dragon, Thunder, glaring up at him, teeth bared, and he clenched his fist at his side. "Probably best. Well I'm going to head back before Wes has a hissy fit. I'll see you later."

Killik nodded, waving as Soul walked away. He bent over and flicked Thunder over the head, earning himself a glare, "Be nice, would you? He's not going to hurt us." Thunder huffed and blew a tiny plume of smoke through her nose in disbelief. Killik raised an eyebrow and brushed it off, grabbing another fish from his pack and tossing it onto the ground.

Soul had finally felt better when he talked to Killik, like he was an actual human capable of holding a conversation. Then that dragon had to go and glare at him. What did he ever do to those stupid reptiles? All he ever did was try to be friends with every stupid one when he was little, but they didn't want anything to do with him.

As rain started dripping onto his floppy white hair, he growled, any semblance of a good mood he felt while talking to Killik vanished. He picked up his speed as the rain did, trying to avoid the ominous dark clouds racing above his head.

He heard thunder crack a little to close for comfort and he broke out into a full run, his feet pounding on the damp earth beneath his feet. The wind was now howling around him, whipping the trees back and forth like twigs. He groaned as the rain increased its volume as well, pushing himself to go faster.

The basket was soaked and thumping against his thigh as he ran, but he was too wet and tired to care. He saw his tiny house in the distance, and Wes was outside, trying to pull his horse into the barn. Soul bit down on his tongue, praying that the animals were okay. As he approached, he tossed the basket under the roof of their front door before running over to Wes.

He had to yell over the wind, trying to get his brothers attention, "Wes! Do you need help?"

Wes flipped his head to the side, his pale colored hair whipping in his face, "The animals got out! I got most of them, but your horse ran towards the mountains!"

Soul froze, his eyes widening, "My horse?!"

That stupid horse was the only creature he ever met that didn't run at the sight of him. He wasn't going to let the creature get killed in the storm, "Which way? North or South mountains?!"

Wes bit down on his lip, struggling with the skittish black horse in front of him, "North."

Soul clenched his fists, cursing his dumb stallion. Of course he would run towards the North mountains. Where the creatures were less friendly, and the terrain even worse.

Soul helped shut the barn door as his brother shoved the horse inside, giving Wes a hard stare.

"I'm going after him."

Wes shook his head, reaching out to grab him, "Are you daft?! This storm is horrible and I'm not letting you go out to get him! We'll get another horse!"

Soul shoved his brothers hands off of his shoulders, hissing, "Yeah, a horse that will ignore every command I give and buck every time I try to get on him!"

Wes glared right back at him, his blue eyes icy, "You're not going out there."

Soul grinned, his sharp teeth bared in hostility, "Are you going to try and stop me?"

Wes lunged forward, trying to coral his brother towards the house like the other frightened animals. Soul ducked out of the way and tore down the dirt path leading towards the North mountains.

Wes cursed, trying to run forward until the barn door blew open and he had to leap forward and keep it closed. He squinted his eyes through the harsh rain, calling after his brother, "Soul! Please! Come back!"

Souls image was gone, veiled behind the sleet and wind pouring through the forest. Wes cursed again, banging his head against the barn door. Soul was the last family he had left, and he just let him run off towards the most dangerous part of the island. He banged his head harder, trying to stop the flow of tears running down his cheeks.

No one ever came back from those mountains. Let alone his unarmed, untrained and dragonless brother. Wes slammed the lock of the barn into place and stomped towards the house, roughly grabbing the basket Soul threw there and throwing the door shut behind him, rattling the house already leaning from the wind.

Soul raised a hand over his brow, trying to shield his eyes from the pounding rain. He knew it was stupid to go after the horse he affectionately named Oni, since he could occasionally be a little demon, but he couldn't stop himself. That horse was the only thing that kept him going some days. After his parents died, he couldn't seek comfort in Wes. His older brother had poured himself into hunting and farming, shutting Soul out completely for a while.

He had no dragon, he had no friends, and he felt so alone. He would sleep in Oni's stable more often than his own bed, talking and crying while the horse wuffed sympathetically into his hair.

Soul grit his teeth together, pushing himself to run against the wind. He was nearly thrown to the ground a few times, but he kept going. He called out for the horse, trying to scream loud enough to be heard over the wind whipping the breath from his chest.

After what felt like an eternity of running, the mountains loomed over his head, the cliff face jagged and seemingly unstable. There were roots tangled and squeezed into crevices up high, plants and trees waving in the wind. One of the trees about 50 feet above him was ripped from the horizontal space it had been growing, the wind fierce and angry, tumbling down and bringing boulders along with it.

Soul bolted from his spot, knowing it would soon be covered in the wreckage. He landed with a heavy "Oof!" on the ground when a rock pinned his leg down. He scrambled to push the rock away, dragging his aching leg behind him.

He flung his head back and forth, trying to find anything that would show him where Oni had gone. His eyes were burning and his leg felt nearly broken, but he pushed forward, yelling for his horse. He noticed a path winding up the mountain, with newly trampled brush lining the dirt. He grinned, pushing himself towards the path. Oni must have gone up trying to find higher ground.

Souls soaked trousers clung to his legs as he hobbled forward, hands grasping the trees around him to keep him stable. He ignored the throbbing of his leg and hoped that it wasn't badly hurt. He knew adrenaline was thrumming in his veins so he wouldn't feel the brunt of the injury yet. He was going to take advantage of that before it started hurting too much.

"ONI! You stupid horse! Where are you?!"

He continued calling out, but the storm was raging proudly, and he could barely see two feet in front of him. The path was nearing dangerously close to the side of the cliff, and he had to pull himself as close to the rock face as possible to keep walking.

His hope was dwindling quickly as he was nearly blown off the side of the mountain, knowing that Oni was not able to hold on like he could. Soul clenched his jaw and pressed forward anyway. Oni weighed much more than he did, maybe the horse was more stable in this storm.

The rock wall lining the path was closing in the farther he walked up, but he told himself there was still enough room for Oni to walk. He would not believe his only real friend had toppled to his death.

He increased his pace, digging his nails into his palms to try and ignore the pain in his leg. He had been at this for way too long, and the storm was still not letting up. His foot slipped, and he felt crumbling under his toes, the ground no longer under him. He lunged towards the cliff face, his fingers scrambling to catch hold of something that would keep him from falling.

Soul sliced his hand on a sharp edge, before feeling gravity push his body sideways. As he tumbled downwards, he tried to roll himself into a ball, holding onto his head for dear life. He could live with a few broken bones, but if he hit his head, he was a goner.

He caved into himself, feeling cracks in his bones and rips in his skin and he was pulled down. He felt a particularly sharp rock jab into his ribs, and he momentarily let go of his head, the pain too intense for him to handle. The next time he bounced onto the ground, his neck snapped back as his head cracked onto the ground.

Soul felt a curse bubble up in his throat but he couldn't push any sounds out, let alone breathe correctly. The skidding of gravel and dirt along his back made his eyes roll back into his head, and he was sure he was going to pass out.

Although it took him a moment, he realized the momentum he had gained from tumbling down the mountain had stopped. He tried to look around, but the pain was everywhere, and he didn't have enough strength to raise his head.

He peeled his eyes open, but all he could see was rock. There was a deep hole in the wall of the mountain where he lay. He must have not slipped far enough to fall again, the lip of the cave just long enough to jut out of the mountain face. Breathing was becoming increasingly difficult, and the black spots in his vision were flitting around faster, clotting up the sides of his eyes before pushing farther into his line of sight.

He took a shaky breath, as something golden started coming out of the cave. It was hard to make out, and there was a hollow buzzing noise ripping through his ears. He kept his eyes open for a few more seconds, trying to figure out if he was going to be eaten or saved.

The long elegant neck of a dragon caught his eye, and he turned his head as far as he could. The creature wasn't very big, but it was big enough to kill a helpless human. It had ashy yellow scales that seemed to ripple as it walked. It had two long spikes on either side of it's head, and seemed curious as to why there was a broken human on its doorstep.

Soul tried to chuckle at the confused expression on it's face, but ended up hacking up blood onto his shirt. His vision was nearly black now, and he was glad he wouldn't be conscious when he was being eaten alive. The last thing he noticed before he blacked out was the dragon. It was coming slowly closer. Not lunging to attack and not walking away like other dragons. Just walking closer, peering at him anxiously with intelligent green eyes.

Authors Note- Yes, yes, I know what some people might be thinking. Why can't you finish a story without starting another one, vivalarapture?! BECAUSE REASONS. I hope you guys enjoy this, though. I'm super excited to finally be writing a dragon story. After I get over my insecurities with writing smut, IHTBY will be updated, once my beta stops acting like a dick, SE:NV sill be updated, and as soon as I can pull myself away from Tumblr, Reflex will be updated. Enjoy this in the meantime, though, please! This is meant to be a fic a little on the longer side, 20-30 chapters, so I hope you stick around. Thanks for reading!