Several Years Ago

It has been two months since Eric has patched up my wounds. And even I've already healed.

I know I could have just went back home, but I was pretty curious about this human. Like why did this human live out here alone without anyone to talk to?

Of course, I still barely trusted him. But he still saved my life. And every once in a while when he doesn't seem to be busy, we've talked to each other every now and then.

Turns out he was a knight, who worked for the king, only once. But he never told me why he wasn't a knight anymore. Plus he still haven't really told me why he was out here in that house alone, in the middle of nowhere.

My heart wanted to thank him for saving my life, but I didn't still. But I was still courteous to him. When he feeds me scarps of meat.

When I was healed enough to walk and fly, I've finally was able to hunt for food again. Real food. Not to say that Eric's food wasn't good, but I guess I like the wilderness food better.

Today here I was trying to find him in the woods. Since he wasn't in his house this morning when I knocked softly on his front door. I knew he had went off somewhere and so now here I am, searching for the little guy.

I waltzed in the woods still. Just staying on the trail. I have been wondering in these woods since maybe an hour ago, where did he go?

Then I could hear splashing in the distance and I cocked my head. What's that? Is he at the pond? I followed the direction of the noise and finally I came across the pond, where I see him swimming. I cocked my head again. Wonder why he's swimming today?

I stared at him when he made a dive in the water. His legs were last to swim below the surface.

He resurfaced afterwards. His hair swishing in the air when he shook the water off of him.

I still stared at him. Just staring at him for a long time. He...Looks...Handsome.

I was in my thoughts when I've heard Eric call out, "Hey dragon!" I shook my head and saw him waving at me and moving toward the edge of the pond.

I smiled at him and I walked to the edge of the water and I sat down on my haunches, "What are you doing out here?"

Eric shrugged, "Just swimming. And what are you doing out here?"

I grinned at him, "I was trying to find you, you weren't at the house and I went out here to find you."

Eric had an apologetic look, "Sorry about that, I guess I should have told you where I was going. I was just in a mood for swimming today. I don't actually do that a lot." Then he frowned, "How come you're trying to find me? Are you hungry or something? Or are you still hurt?"

I shook my head, "No, I'm not even hungry. I've already hunted something today. When I was done, I wanted to visit you today, me staying in that barn of yours, does tend to get lonely. And no I'm not hurt still. I actually feel a lot better thank you for asking."

Eric had a curious look on his face, "Wait...You actually like my company? I thought you didn't like me that much."

I grinned at him, "Now human, just because I was stuck with you for a while, doesn't mean that I like your company. I'm just...Curious."

He giggled, "Curious huh? Well I don't see what's so interesting about me."

I lowered my head to his level, "Well I know that you were a knight before and you're not anymore. So...I'm still wondering, why?"

Eric had a sarcastic look on his face and giggled, "You really don't give up, do you?"

I grinned and shook my head, "Nope we dragons hardly ever give up. Why do you think I didn't want to just sit around and die two months ago?"

He shrugged, "I don't know, cause you were fearful for your life."

I shot a glare at him, "I wasn't FEARFUL."

Eric laughed, "Could have fooled me!"

I raised my head and looked down at him, "Whatever you little bastard." I waved my paw at him, "Think what you want, I don't care really."

He crossed his arms, "You seem to be grouchy today."

I shot at him, "Yeah, it's because I'm out here in the woods looking for you! I wasn't really in the mood for walking today. Plus...I'm still afraid that there are dragon slayers out here still."

He had a pity look on his face, "You really are afraid, are you?"

I closed my eyes and sighed, "...I'll admit...Yes. I was afraid to die before. But I guess I should thank you for saving my life."

Then he raised his hand and lifted up his fingers and pointed at one of them, "First I saved your life, then I've fed you, then-"

I shouted at him, while I was laughing, "Alright I get it! I'm kinda unbearable."

He shook his head at me, "Nah, you're not unbearable. Of course you can be a bitch sometimes. But to be honest...I like your company."

My face went wide and then I cocked my head, "You...Actually like my company?"

He nodded, "Well yeah! I mean, it's not everyday I get to talk to a dragon. I mean, I don't know you that much, you still haven't told me a lot about yourself."

I turned my head away from him, "I...Still don't trust you all that much."

He shrugged, "Well when are you? I mean I'm not a dragon slayer, remember?"

I sighed and said, "It's not exactly an easy thing to do. To trust a human. Its...It's because  your kind always attacked my kind first. A lot of us have died because of your kind."

He shrugged again, "Well I haven't killed you, so what does that make me?"

I finally looked down at him and said, "A human with a heart, I guess."

Eric giggled, "You damn right I have a heart. And I think you have one as well. You're not exactly the monster I've thought you were."

I smiled and said, "Well you're not exactly the human I've thought you were as well."

Eric beamed at me and then he beckoned me, "Come, lets swim together. Do you know how to swim?"

I glared at him, "Of course I know how to swim! What can a dragon not swim?"

Eric laughed and then he whirled around to swim in the pond again. I watched him for a second and then I waddled in the water after him. I shivered when the water hit my scales. God it's a bit cold! But it'll get better in a second. I waddled in deeper, until I was chest deep. I could feel my feet touching the water floor.

I swam with him a bit, just having a bit of fun. I haven't really swimmed in a long time. Eric ducked below the surface and he came back up again. He smiled up at me and said, "You know it's also not everyday I get to swim with a dragon as well."

I looked down at him, "Same for me as well."

Before anything else could happen, he splashed some water at my face. A lot of it hit me and I shut my eyes. He splashed some more on me and then I glared down at him and said, "What'd you do that for?"

Eric laughed and stroked backwards away from me, "Just acting a bit immature. It's fun to do that every once in a while."

I still glared at him and then I've started laughing, "Well I guess it's my turn!" I reached out, put my paw on top of his head and dunked him below the surface. I heard him gurgle and he got out of my grasp and swam back up to the surface. He coughed and raised his hands in surrender, "Alright, truce! Truce!"

I laughed at him, "You better say truce human." But it turned out to be a trick and he splashed some more water at my face. After he did that he started to swim away from me, laughing his head off. I shook my head and playfully glared at him, "Oh that tears it! Get back here! I will not let a human best me!" Then I waddled after him, laughing as well. 

*****

Me and Eric were under the stars together outside his house, having the time of our lives.

In all honesty this is the most fun I've ever had with this human, ever since I've first met him. I guess maybe I was wrong about him. He seems...Playful. Hell he's even kind to me as well.

After our playful time together at the pond today, we hung out with each other all day. Making jokes back and forth. Eric talking about what the humans usually do other than being afraid of us. He even told me what it was like to talk to the king  a few years ago.

I still haven't really told him about my life yet. I haven't even told him I was born and raised in the dragon city. I haven't told him about the city yet. Yet even now, I still wonder if I should. I know I shouldn't think that way about him, he saved my life.

Right now me and him are curled up under the stars together, pointing at the constellations up in the night sky.

I pointed at one constellation, "Look do you see that? That constellation looks like a dragon."

Eric giggled and said, "You know you can be an egomaniac. I mean you think everything is about a dragon. Hell even you think that constellation up there is a dragon!"

I glared down at him, "So what if I'm an egomaniac? I'm a dragon!"

He laughed even harder, "Yeah, and even dragons have bigger egos."

I rolled my eyes and giggled, "Oh shut up human. Or I'll toss you against a tree. Or better yet, I'll hurl you at the pond, so that way you'll freak out how cold the water is tonight!"

Eric playfully grinned at me, "You do that and I'll slap your nose so hard, you'll regret doing that to me."

I raised my paw in surrender, "Alright human! Truce! Don't slap my nose, it's very sensitive to the touch!"

He giggled again, "That's what I thought."

Then I playfully grinned down at him, "On second thought, you slap my nose and I'll slap your ass so hard you won't sit straight for a long time!"

He shook his finger at me, "Ah, ah, ah. Only guys get to do that to the girls. You're doing it the other way around."

I shot up my head, "So? Can a female have some payback every now and then!?"

Eric gave me a small grin and said, "Nope."

I grinned down at him, "You're no freakin fun."

He shot back, "Wasn't supposed to be fun."

I rolled my eyes, "Well I am fun, so what does that make me?!" Then we both broke down in laughter. Finally when we stopped laughing, we just sat down and enjoyed the night.

After we sat around for what seems like a long time I broke the silence and said, "Hey Eric, can I ask you something?"

He looked up at me and then I asked, "You told me once that you were a knight before. Why really? How come you're not a knight anymore? And...Why are you living out here alone? I don't think you were telling me everything. Did...You do something wrong?"

Eric looked away and sighed, "Well...It's not an easy thing to talk about. I mean I've had a...Rough life."

Now I was really curious and then I pressed him, "Try me. I mean, it can't be any worse than my life.  I mean, I'm a dragon, compared to you!"

He giggled and then he just sat there for a minute. And then he went on, "I was a knight once. For a while I was. But then...Something terrible happened to me."

I cocked my head at him and he saw me do that and he sighed and went on, "Look dragon, I...Did a lot of bad things working for the king. Lots of things, that...I wasn't of proud of doing. The king that I've worked for, he was basically a tyrant. He never cared about anyone but himself. He made me burn down a lot of houses for him, so he could build some more of his empire in stone, houses with innocent people in them! Not to mention he made me execute some poor peasant boy only because he was standing up to the king."

He had a trembling sigh and he a sad look on his face, "But it turned out the only reason why he stood up to the king, it's because the king keeps forcing him and his family to pay more taxes to him until he ran them dry. The king's a monster! He never cared about anyone, but himself. I've regretted all the things the king has made me do. That wasn't me at all. I was different than him. I...Basically had a heart."

I gestured my paw at him, "So then what happened? Why are you living out here alone really?"

He looked up at me and then he said, "I didn't have anywhere else to go. You see the king knew what I was thinking and he tried to break me. How? You might be asking. Well...He sent his knights to my home and..." He trembled when tried to speak, "He sent his knights after my maiden."

My face went wide, "You were with someone?"

Eric nodded and said, "I was. But the knights got there before I did. You see I was at the tavern when that happened. When I got back home, it already happened."

My heart was a bit broken when I heard his tale, and then I've assumed what happened and said It out loud anyway, "She was killed."

He had a tear fall down his cheek and said, "Not only that, but...The knights that were after her...They forced themselves onto her and they...Raped her."

Now my heart was filled with guilt when he started to tell his tale and then I said, "You don't have to say anymore."

Eric shook his head and said, "No, I'll tell the end of this tale." He took a deep breath and let it out, "I found my maiden dead and brutally raped, and I broke down in tears for a long time. But...He didn't break me. I couldn't give up. She would have never wanted me to give up. So I ran. The knights were now after me. The king wanted me executed for thinking about betraying him. But I was smarter than him. I managed to get away from his lands and then I've found this house and started to live in it. The woods out here looked peaceful. So I've started a new life here. Just to start over, away from all the horrible stuff that I've done. Away from...her."

I had a sad look on my face. Oh god, he has been through a lot than I've thought. I never knew he went through all that stuff and then I asked, "Don't you have any family? Is your family back at where you're from?"

He shook his head, "My parents died about six years ago. I don't have any family. They were dying from a serious disease and they finally passed."

I knew how that felt. Then I muttered, "My parents died as well. A long time ago."

He looked up at me and asked, 'What happened?"

I took a deep breath and said, "My father got shot down by a dragon slayer and when he got on the ground, he couldn't fight back. The dragon slayers killed him. My mother tried to save him, but she got wounded pretty badly. She managed to escape and fly all the way back home to where I'm from. The next thing I knew, my uncle came to me and he showed me my mother. She was having her last breath to say goodbye to me and...I started crying into her neck. I was just a hatchling when all that happened. After she said, goodbye and don't ever give up on yourself, she...Finally died. Right in front of me." I felt a tear fall down my face.

Eric had a pity look and said, "I'm sorry."

I shook my head, "You don't have to be sorry. That's the life of a dragon. The humans don't care about my kind, they only cared about themselves. They lie and they cheat. That's all they do. They murder my kind left and right and we never started anything. They're....EVIL."

Eric got up from the ground and just stood in front of my face and said, "Do you think I'm evil? Do you?"

I looked into his eyes and then I sighed and said, "No. In fact, you're a lot more different than I've thought. You...Don't seem to be evil."

Surprisingly he reached his hand out to touch my face. My eyes went wide and he started to pet me. Eric got closer to my face when he petted me and he looked into my eyes. He smiled and said, "Wow, your eyes."

I asked, "What about them?"

Then he said, "They're...They're beautiful."

My face went wide and my face turned red a bit. Thanks to my scales being blue, he could probably see it, "Oh...Uh...Thank you." Then I turned my eye away from him shyly.

He giggled and said, "You know dragon. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me in a long time...I'm...Happy." He gave me the biggest smile he could ever have.

I looked at him and said, "I'm glad you are. Considering what you've went through."

He asked me, "Are you happy? With me?"

I thought about an answer for a bit and then I slowly nodded my head, "Yes...Yes I am."

Eric smiled at me and said, "Would you...Would you be my friend?"

I gave in more thought to that question and then I smiled at him, "Yes...I will. I will always be your friend. Just as long as I'm not attacked of course."

Then he asked me a question that shocked me, "Dragon...What's your name?"

My eyes went wide once more and then I said, "You wouldn't understand it. Not with your tongue anyway."

Eric lowered his hand and pulled away from my face, then he said, "Can I...Name you? I mean can I give you a human name?"

I giggled and said, "Wow...What name would you give to a big blue scaled dragon like me?"

Eric smiled and said, "Sierra."

I smiled at him and cocked my head, "Why Sierra?"

He put his hand to his chest, "That was my maiden's name. Her name was Sierra, and I want to name you after her. If that's okay?"

I nodded, "Of course you can call me that, Eric. Sierra....I love it. Guess it's better than my real name anyway." I gave him a big smile, showing my teeth.

Eric giggled and then he started to cry. I could see his tears falling down his face. Then without hesitation, he ran to me and wrapped his arms around my neck. Pulling himself close to my chest.

My eyes went wide when he did that and then I wrapped my arm around his body. Holding him tight against me. I said, "It's alright Eric. You can let it out. It's okay."

He sobbed into my scales, loudly. He cried out, "Sierra!" Then he went back to sobbing some more.

I started to cry as well. Because I was thinking about our parents, his mate. All the stuff that he went through.

Eric....

I'm sorry you went through all that.

But don't worry you're not alone anymore.

I will be your friend, no matter what. I always will be.