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The half-blood dragon walked along the empty beach, looking for mollusks or something that he could eat or even use in a spell. The sun beat down on his frail body in his ragged clothes, worn by his handwashing after he failed to learn magic to clean them, still. They were better clothes than any he’d owned before the White Star had bought him for a gold coin, but they were close to wearing out. His boots were at least somewhat hardy, and he had a spell he’d learned to keep bugs away. But otherwise, he struggled along, trying not to fall in mud too much, wishing he could just sit under a tree.
Though he knew he couldn’t take such a rest. He’d been ordered to locate something useful by the time the White Star returned to the cave where the half-blood dragon had been living for over a decade, and the half-blood dragon had yet to turn up anything other than some roots he’d ended up eating out of desperation.
The White Star often traveled, either getting bored of his toy child or having things to manage, but seldom left him enough to live on, making him desperate for the man to return, even as he hated it, because the White Star’s return always meant pain. Pain because the half-blood dragon couldn’t do magic the way the White Star wanted or because he wasn’t growing properly or the White Star wanted to use the damned crown on him or any number of other things.
But the alternative was starving. And the half-blood dragon couldn’t flee far from the cave where he was kept – in part due to a barrier the White Star placed to keep the half-blood dragon trapped, so even escaping wasn’t an option.
He was allowed to wander a small bit of forest that had largely been abandoned by the local fauna due to the White Star’s presence, and a nearby bit of beach. The White Star didn’t even cast a spell there, because the half-blood dragon couldn’t swim.
As he drew closer to one of the bigger clusters of rocks along the shoreline, he wondered again about testing the barrier, perhaps trying to go around it by treading water a bit from the shore and then returning past the barrier… but he imagined the White Star had thought of that, too.
Besides, the half-blood dragon knew he wouldn’t make it far enough in the water to matter. He was better off suffering through the blazing sun until it got dark, for the chance of finding something to eat.
Wind pushed through his dark hair, making him sigh in relief. It was about as little as he got.
He heard an unusual splash and frowned as he crept closer to the rocks. He saw a surprising flash of red and stumbled backward, his heart in his throat.
Is he back early?! The half-blood dragon thought, fearful he’d stumbled across the White Star in the middle of something. The man’s red hair was always worrying.
The White Star hated being interrupted.
But when nothing happened, the half-blood dragon wondered if he’d really seen what he saw. He crept closer, and flinched when no, he was correct: it was a relatively familiar shade of red hair, flowing around a familiar but unfamiliar face.
A handsome one, that turned to gaze at the half-blood dragon in fury.
The half-blood dragon stared down at a merman sitting in a natural rock pool of water. The stranger’s long red hair flowed around him. His gray eyes were sharp, and pointy teeth were visible from where his lips were bent in a snarl. His pale torso was bare, save for a fancy golden necklace that hung around his throat and sparkled in the sunshine. He was muscular, and his age was hard to determine: he could be roughly the half-blood dragon’s age, or older. Merpeople aged slowly.
Or at least, that was what the foggy remnants of someone the half-blood dragon had once called “Mother” had once said to him.
The merman’s bright red tail started around his waist and lay behind him. The scales were bright and as beautiful as the man’s hair. But the tail fin was trapped under some rocks, including one particularly large one. Much as the merman wiggled, he couldn’t get out of it.
The half-blood dragon kept his distance, wondering if the merman would attack him now. Merpeople could be terrifying.
But although the merman clearly saw him, he didn’t get out of the water, and he couldn’t seemingly free himself.
Maybe he’s young, the half-blood dragon thought as he studied the merman, who was still watching him warily. If he was older, he might be stronger. He’d learned a little about them while being in the White Star’s care.
The merman’s cheeks were a bit rosy, perhaps with embarrassment. Or being in the sun too long.
The half-blood dragon knew that the White Star would want a report about this: a merman would be a good kill or collected item for the White Star. Certainly better than anything the half-blood dragon could dream of finding. Merpeople never came this way, after all. Like everything, they knew to avoid the area.
But the half-blood dragon couldn’t kill the merman. He was too handsome. And… he was a person. The half-blood dragon may have devoured the hearts of dead dragons, but he was not a murderer.
But he was also worried that if he left, the White Star would find the merman anyway. The half-blood dragon knew the White Star could return at any time.
“You need to leave,” the half-blood dragon said. His voice was hoarse, from lack of use, and he swallowed as he leaned forward to say, “Use your magic and escape!”
The merman scowled and turned his head, glaring at the rock. He pulled at his tail, to no avail. It was far too large, and the half-blood dragon reasoned the merman had gotten stuck when the tide moved the stone. Now, he would stay stuck until the tide came back.
But the White Star could be back then, he thought, miserably. The half-blood dragon felt on edge, but he walked around the rock pool to the biggest rock, and moved around to where he thought there might be leverage.
It was a terrible idea, but that didn’t stop him.
“Move a bit so it doesn’t hit you,” he said. He didn’t want the rock falling on the merman’s tail.
The merman glared at him, but seemed to nudge over slightly.
The half-blood dragon thought that was as good as it got, put his side against the big rock, and shoved.
It didn’t move.
He tried again and again. It was too heavy.
When the half-blood dragon looked up, the merman was still frowning at him, but not hissing, at least. It really seemed as if he’d understood what the half-blood dragon was saying earlier.
Perhaps he knows I’m here to help? The half-blood dragon thought. Though he was unsure he’d be successful in his efforts. He certainly hadn’t budged the rock at all, and there was no one he could get for help.
He didn’t want the White Star to get his hands on the pretty merman. It was bad enough the half-blood dragon and the black dragon egg were in the White Star’s clutches. No one else needed to be there, used as a toy for the White Star’s whims.
Eden raised his hands and focused on the rock. He wasn’t strong yet, but he knew some basic spells now, bolstered by his diet of dragon hearts. But he also hadn’t tried anything so large before.
Still, he wrapped his magic around the rock, focusing on its shiny, dark surface, and feeling the shape of it in his mind.
The rock didn’t move. The magic even fought him. It was too big, and he was weak from hunger and being in the sun so long.
But the alternative was letting the White Star capture the merman. He couldn’t allow that. He’d spent years under the White Star’s care. He could only imagine what the White Star would do to a merman. So he tried again.
The rock finally moved.
The half-blood dragon’s body shook and he was sweating and breathing hard, but he carefully moved it just enough so that the merman could yank his tail out.
The half-blood dragon let the rock fall – away from the merman – and collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily. He was sweating far more than he realized, and dizzy: moving the large rock took a lot out of him.
He heard a splash and looked up, just in time to see a red tail disappearing into the distance.
No thanks or anything. Not that the half-blood dragon had really expected anything.
At least he didn’t attack me, the half-blood dragon thought as he tried to calm his breathing.
He wondered idly how the merman had ended up there: maybe he’d come in with the tide, but gotten further trapped by as the tide went out. He wasn’t sure how well merpeople understood tides, though they were pretty creative in their war with the whales.
Hope he doesn’t get stuck again, the half-blood dragon thought. He couldn’t easily manage something like that spell again, any time soon.
The half-blood dragon eventually grew calmer and pushed himself up. He dusted off his clothes and went looking for animals, again.
The White Star was not pleased with the half-blood dragon’s poor showing. And he didn’t tolerate excuses. After all, hadn’t the White Star given the half-blood dragon so much? A drafty cave to sleep in, tolerable clothing, food on rare occasion, and dragon hearts to feast on? And this was how the half-blood dragon repaid him? Empty hands and mumbling?
No, he wasn’t happy at all.
It was harder to search afterward when the half-blood dragon’s left eye was nearly bruised shut. He had a bad headache, too. But he had no choice. The White Star still hadn’t fed him, and it wasn’t like there was anything else to do in the cave but whimper through the pain in his face and ribs.
He ended up walking slowly along the beach again, as it was easier to trip in the dark forest with his vision worsened. His life had been much like this for some time, after he’d been allowed greater freedom, and he dismally wondered if it always would be, or if one day, the White Star would tire of toying with him, dragon hearts or no.
He saw a flash of red hair in the distance and startled.
“Hey!” an unfamiliar voice said. “Human!”
The half-blood dragon blinked as the red-haired merman poked out his head from beyond the rocks. He was mostly submerged in the water, but his red tail was visible near the surface behind him. He was gazing right at the half-blood dragon.
The half-blood dragon swallowed and said, “What do you want? Y-You shouldn’t be here…”
The White Star was gone again, but he could return at any time.
The merman scowled and swam closer, coming to sit on the rocks so they were only a few strides apart. “You saved me, so I owe you. My name’s Cale. What’s yours?”
The half-blood dragon blinked at him, confused. Owe? “I don’t have a name.”
The merman frowned at him and asked, “What do you mean?”
“I’m… not allowed to have a name.” He had one once, but the White Star made him give it up. And said he’d be granted a name when he killed a dragon.
Given the half-blood dragon’s skills, that seemed unlikely to happen any time soon.
“Why?” Cale asked.
“Because my father said I can’t,” the half-blood dragon said, quietly. “He’s always disappointed in me, so…”
Cale scowled and said, “Sounds like a shitty father.”
The half-blood dragon’s eyes widened in surprise. His parents – his former parents – had been all too pleased with the White Star’s money. He didn’t expect someone else to dislike the White Star even remotely, though admittedly the White Star hadn’t given Cale any money.
“What are you doing out here?” Cale asked, studying the half-blood dragon. “You hunting for food? You’re not very good at it.”
The half-blood dragon looked away, embarrassed. “I know. And yes, sort of. I need to gather ingredients for magic, too.”
“To heal your face?”
The half-blood dragon reached up to his eye, but put his hand down. “No. Just… because my father needs things.” Supposedly it was to help in his magical training, but all it seemed to do was exhaust him. Everything was scared off or dead. There was little that was usable here.
“What happened to your face?” Cale asked.
“…I made my father angry.”
Water splashed as Cale rose up, and his face was bent in a snarl. “Your father did that?! No parent would ever do that! Even when I get drunk, my parents never do that…”
Drunk? The half-blood dragon wondered. Is that how he got stuck?
Cale huffed and went back into the water, seemingly trying to cool off.
“They sound nice,” the half-blood dragon said, quietly. “My parents sold me off and now I’m with my father, so… I don’t have that.” His original parents hadn’t been the kindest to him either, and he knew his friends hadn’t had the kindest parents. Beating your children was somewhat normal.
He wondered what it was like to have parents who didn’t hurt you or sell you off.
Cale studied him for a bit, as if the half-blood dragon was strange.
The half-blood dragon considered telling him to flee again.
“I can help you escape,” Cale said, making the half-blood dragon’s eyes widen in surprise. “As repayment. You helped me.”
The half-blood dragon almost agreed.
Almost.
But he’d learned, too.
The half-blood dragon shook his head. “Father will hunt me down. He can track me anywhere I go. And there are barriers on this place. And I can’t swim.” And he didn’t want the White Star to kill Cale for trying.
Cale still seemed angry at that.
“Thank you,” the half-blood dragon said. His eyes burned. “No one’s ever offered that before.” He’d never spoken to anyone other than the White Star since he’d been brought to the cave. It was nice, really, to know someone who wasn’t terrible.
There was a splash and the half-blood dragon looked up to see Cale swimming away.
“Be careful!” Cale called back, before diving under the waves.
The half-blood dragon stared after him, watching the sunlight under the water until his eye hurt too much and he had to turn away.
Careful how? He wondered. It wasn't like he could avoid the White Star, or ever make him happy.
Some days passed, with no new sightings of Cale, or any other merpeople, and the half-blood dragon resigned himself to the normal life of emptiness, awaiting new punishments from the White Star. He’d lived with the man for nearly 20 years, and nothing had changed.
He was walking along the beach again in the early afternoon, his eye slowly healing, when he saw the familiar red hair in the water, and tentatively stepped forward.
It probably wasn’t good he looked forward to these meetings, but it was a break in the monotony of his life.
Cale pushed himself up on the rocks and grinned at him. “I have a way to get you away.” He raised his hand to show a stoppered glass bottle with a purple liquid inside. “It’ll give you fins and a tail, and the ability to see and breathe underwater. And it should neutralize any tracking spell.”
The half-blood dragon stared at him in surprise. “What?”
“My stepmother is a powerful sorceress,” Cale said with a grin. “The strongest there’s ever been, maybe. She didn’t like the idea of you being left up here.” He raised the bottle. “A favor for a favor.”
The half-blood dragon didn’t know if anyone was stronger than the White Star. “My father is powerful, I don’t want to get you in trouble…” He’d never heard of merpeople defeating dragons, sorcery or no, and the White Star killed a lot of dragons. Was it even possible for them to stand up to the White Star’s abilities?
Cale grinned his sharp teeth at the half-blood dragon. “My family’s old and strong. We can protect you.”
The half-blood dragon wasn’t sure. He looked at the potion. Even if he accepted the risk of endangering Cale and his family, should the half-blood dragon trust a mysterious potion? He’d eaten a lot of painful things at the White Star’s behest.
“I promise it’s safe,” Cale said. He frowned and said, “I don’t really have a way to prove it to you, but promises are important in my family. And I owe you for helping me.”
The half-blood dragon said, “The tide could have helped…”
“So why were you so scared about me not getting away in time?” Cale asked, pointedly. His eyes glittered in the sunlight.
The half-blood dragon looked away, caught out. It was true, it likely wouldn’t have been fast enough.
“You wanted to protect me from your father,” Cale said, a bit more gently, “didn’t you?”
The half-blood dragon bit his lip. Kindness was useless in his life. The White Star had taught him that.
He almost wondered if the merman was some kind of dream.
After a while, Cale said, “My stepmother’s a good cook, too. She likes caring for people. She cares for me, after all. Even when I get drunk during the day and get trapped in rock pools.” He scratched his neck. “You’ll be safe. No one will hurt you.”
The half-blood dragon was afraid. He couldn’t swim. He might be agreeing to something newly horrible in some way he couldn’t fathom, even outside poison or a new form of imprisonment.
…But what did he have to lose? If he was poisoned, well, he’d been poisoned before. If Cale’s people were new jailors, well, at least they’d be different ones.
And he liked to think that someone like Cale, who wasn’t offering him money in exchange for anything, wasn’t cruel.
He stepped onto the rocks and moved closer to Cale, who gazed up at him with a grin.
The half-blood dragon knelt down and took the vial and uncorked it. He gazed at the potion, before downing it. It didn’t have an immediate effect, but he could feel it inside him. It was tasteless, at least.
He felt cold and shivered.
Cale pulled the half-blood dragon towards the rock edge, where the half-blood dragon sat down and put his legs out, so they trailed in the water.
He could already feel the tide calling to him. His head was a bit dizzy.
“Come on,” Cale said. “It’ll speed up in a bit.” Cale tugged the half-blood dragon’s left leg.
The half-blood dragon gazed at the watery depths, wondering if he was going to die. But the potion in his blood pulled at him, and he slipped off the rock edge and into the water.
But it wasn’t dark. He could see Cale floating nearby, watching him. Cale’s long red hair seemed to glow in the water. It was beautiful.
And… the half-blood dragon realized that he could breathe, somehow. His heart raced in excitement. This was real magic. And he was fine! He spread his arms, feeling unsure of what to do.
Cale reached out to hold the half-blood dragon’s arms, keeping him still, and letting him get his bearings better.
The half-blood dragon’s feet kicked, and he could feel the water move beneath him. Things sounded weird, but he was adjusting, slowly. He could see the bright colors of the plants underwater. Distant fish swimming. It was nothing like his dreams of what the dangerous sea was like, full of monsters and death by drowning.
<Come on,> Cale said, his voice traveling without his lips moving.
The half-blood dragon realized he’d spoken with his mind.
<You need to learn how to swim,> Cale said with a smile. He took the half-blood dragon’s right hand in his left. <And maybe you can pick a name for yourself while you do?>
The half-blood dragon followed, kicking along like it was natural, and they swam deeper into the water.