chapter 3: friend or foe (edited)

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Leonard crept closer to the sleeping form in the centre of the clearing, each step slow and careful. Now that he could see it clearly, his breath hitched in his throat. Bright crimson scales shimmered under the sunlight, and massive wings—folded gently at its sides—rose and fell with every breath the creature took.

Leonard had never seen anything like it.

"I-Is that a... a dragon?" he whispered, voice barely audible, his mouth hanging open in disbelief. "Like the ones from myths..."

He stood frozen, completely still; like prey that had just realised it was standing before a predator. A wild hope flickered in his chest: 'Maybe something was wrong with the fish. Maybe I'm hallucinating.'

But as the moments dragged on, nothing changed. The forest remained deathly quiet, the sunlight still glinting off those impossible scales. The longer he stared, the more real it all became.

So, this was why no one ever returned from beyond the walls.

He took a single step back - and a twig cracked beneath his foot.

"Fuck...," Leonard hissed under his breath.

The dragon stirred.

Its eyes opened slowly, gleaming like molten gold. It raised its head, gaze scanning the clearing before locking directly onto him.

Leonard's heart slammed against his ribs, breath caught in his throat. Time seemed to grind to a halt in the creature's gaze. But... something was off. The dragon didn't look angry. It didn't look ready to kill.

It looked curious.

Relief started to trickle in - until the dragon's body ignited in a sudden blaze of crimson flames.

The clearing lit up in a fiery glow.

Leonard's instincts screamed at him to run, to move, to do something - but his body refused. His legs were rooted to the earth, as of the forest itself was holding him in place.

The flames flickered and began to die down, retreating like waves into the earth. In their place stood a man—tall, imposing, and unlike anyone Leonard had ever seen.

His skin was sun-kissed bronze, smooth and unmarred. Crimson-red hair fell in wild waves past his shoulders, and down his back. Behind him, powerful wings curled in slightly, the same deep red as the dragon's scales. A long tail flicked behind him, tipped in flame-like ridges. He wore only a wrap of animal hide around his waist, and a strange necklace of teeth and bones hung from his neck.

Leonard gawked, blinking up at the figure. "Are you... that dragon?" he asked, curiosity slipping from his mouth before caution could stop him.

The man didn't respond. He just stared, silent and unreadable, eyes glowing faintly as they studied Leonard from head to toe - like he was trying to measure his worth by looking into his soul.

The silence grew heavy, uncomfortable.

Then the red-haired man finally spoke. His voice was deep and sharp.

"You, Boy. I can't seem to figure out what race you are." He narrowed his eyes slightly. "Tell me."

Leonard's brows furrowed, confused. "Race? I'm just... Human."

The man tilted his head, lips pressed in a thin, thoughtful line. Something about Leonard clearly wasn't adding up in his eyes.

"Human, you say... That's... not what I was expecting," the man replied, folding his arms. "What is your name, child?

Leonard frowned. "first of all, I'm not a child; I'm eighteen. I'm an adult, thank you very much. And second, its Leonard. Or Leo, if that's easier. What about you?"

The red-haired man raised a brow but gave a slight nod. "My name is Max."

With names exchanged, the awkward silence returned. The two stood there in the clearing, not knowing what to say next, until Leonard finally broke the tension.

"What did you mean by race?"

Max's golden eyes studied him for a moment before answering. "I meant group of people. For example, I am of the Dragnia, we are dragonkin, part beast, part man."

Leonard blinked, his mind struggling to process. "Oh... so there's more than just humans..."

"Yes," Max said simply. "And to be honest, I was taught that humans were extinct."

"Extinct?!" Leonard practically shouted.

"Yes. We were told the last of your kind died out long ago. But clearly... that wasn't the full truth." there was a spark of interest in max's eyes now, an almost fascinated curiosity.

Max stepped closer, circling Leonard slowly, examining him like a rare artifact. Leonard stood awkwardly still, feeling very small under the dragon man's gaze.

"You're quite little," Max said bluntly. "Is everyone from your race this height?"

Leonard, not wanting to admit he was just plain short, shook his head in silent defiance, choosing not to answer Max's comment.

"You're quite intriguing," Max said suddenly, and without warning, he picked Leonard up under the arms like he was some kind of puppy.

"Um... no. Put me down," Leonard said, mortified, his face flushing red with embarrassment.

Max chuckled but obliged, gently setting Leonard back on the ground.

He glanced toward the sky, now painted in streaks of pink and orange as the sun dipped lower behind the trees.

"Perhaps we should find shelter for the night," Max said, his voice polite but carrying a subtle undertone of teasing. "I found a cave not too long ago—it's quite spacious. More than enough room for both of us. If you'd like, we can rest there."

Leonard hesitated for only a second before nodding. He didn't particularly want to be alone in the woods again - especially not after discovering dragons were real.

They walked together through the forest, another awkward silence settling between them. Leonard trailed just behind max, his eyes drifting to the scenery; little ponds catching the last light of day, shrubs with berries he didn't recognise, and flowers that seemed to glow faintly in the dusk.

Eventually, the cave came into view, tucked behind a curtain of ivy and moss. Max stepped aside, holding the greenery back with one arm.

"After you," he said. Flashing his sharp fangs in a smile.

Leonard gave a hesitant smile in return and stepped inside. 


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