The Gifting Comet
Sequel: Star-Crossed [M Human x F Valstrax] [NSFW]
Because this story was originally written as an inclusive one-off, the characters here are purposefully gender-neutral.
“Hmmm…” The frigid wind racing past does little to hamper your thoughts, though it demands both your hands grasp the map, lest it be blown away into the midnight sky. Perhaps it would’ve been smarter to completely plan out your route before taking off…In any case, you need input from the one who’s made this possible in the first place.
After folding up the parchment to be stuffed inside your pocket, you carefully shimmy up the back of your ride, keeping low to minimize your exposure to the brunt of immense pressure being applied to them at such a ridiculous speed. There’s no doubt they can feel your comparatively tiny body crawling across their neck, but their attention remains firmly ahead, likely to avoid hurling you into the abyss from an errant twitch.
Eventually you perch atop their head – even with your form nearly flattened, you’re almost fully at the mercy of the howling wind. Securing your legs around their crest and, with only a small amount of trepidation, you lower yourself until you’re more or less level with a red eye that observes your descent with intrigue. Hanging nearly upside down who-knows-how-far up the troposphere while soaring at speeds mankind could only dream of replicating would leave just about anyone hysterical, but you’ve done this enough times that the process is natural.
You remove the map, unfolding it to be presented to your partner – or as best one can when the damn thing is trying to zoom away. “Whadya think, Val. You reckon we can reach the last coastal settlement before sunrise?”
Val’s eye narrows, and you immediately realize the implication of your seemingly harmless inquiry. Loath to endure yet another round of silent treatment from an inflated elder dragon ego, you hastily continue.
“I don’t mean your speed, you dolt! We’re not just doing laps around the continent, we still have to stop and deliver these things to houses, nests…that takes time!”
Their glare relaxes, observing the space ahead in thought for a few seconds before returning to you. Their response: a low series of warbles, each one making you frown.
“Not my fault he was awake. Who in the world stays up this late?”
~Growl~
“Yeah, but he wasn’t a Nargacuga. And the Nargacuga we DID encounter returned to their nest at the worst possible time.”
~Another low growl~
“It’s not nest invasion if we didn’t take anything! We left a gift.”
~A set of chirps~
“That’s because they chased us out! Of course it looks bad when they don’t listen to us!”
~A single chirp, accompanied by a narrowed eye~
“So what if they never do? WE know what we’re doing. When all’s said and done, you and I both know they’ll all realize our intentions and be grateful for the visit!”
For a creature without eyebrows, Val has become awfully proficient at expressing themself, and their reluctant stare makes you acutely aware of the point they’re trying to get across, a pleading tone coating your words.
“Come on, we ARE doing something good for everyone. If we weren’t, you wouldn’t have agreed to this. It’s only possible because of you.”
You let that final statement hang, observing their muzzle for any signs of disagreement. After a few tense moments, a sigh escapes their beak, eye rolling in turn before returning to lookout as a smile forms on your own face. You knew they’d agree.
You take a moment to rub your head against the great silver-scaled one keeping you aloft, which isn’t easy considering your current position. “Love you too, buddy.”
A sharp huff is their only verbal response, but you can feel their head faintly shifting to return the gesture, marking the end of the conversation. Putting away the map, you pull yourself back up, taking a moment to dispel the surge of dizziness from the blood rushing out of your head. You’re about to begin the trip back when an idea makes you pause.
…Smart? No. Stupid? Yes. Suicidal? Only if Val weren’t around. Worth doing anyway? Absolutely not.
…You’re definitely doing it.
You eye your friend’s back, taking note of the various fin-like protrusions you’ve grown familiar with over time that you anchor yourself to during flight. Maybe you’ll bruise yourself in the process, but hey: if they can perform ridiculous stunts just for the sake of it, so can you. At least this time it’ll be planned.
You smirk, turning around to face the wind once more. From your current position on top of their head with nothing to dampen the blow-back, it won’t take much to do it. After taking a deep breath to psych yourself up, you quickly rise, relinquishing your tether on Val’s crest.
The effect is instant. The full might of wind pressure bears upon you like an enraged Kushala Daora, your breathing smothered as you’re flung backwards into the cool air. Even if you were holding on to Val it would’ve only delayed your ejection by a few seconds.
It’s a curious sensation, being airborne. The world loses focus while your orientation is promptly flipped, the earth becoming the sky but your mind remains surprisingly stable, remembering your target and keeping an eye out for your lifeline. Not that you’re in any danger of course.
A flash of silver. That’s all you have time to process as an arm reaches out, fervently grasping towards safety. Impossibly, your hand touches something and you immediately grab it, your shoulder nearly dislocating from the force as you come to a harsh stop, nearly flung backwards again in the process but a second arm remedies that. Gravity finally takes hold, and you sink lower and lower until you’re once again resting on your buddy’s back.
You couldn’t have spent more than a second airborne, but the adrenaline surging through your veins is making you second guess yourself. You shakily chuckle. Why the hell did you go through with that?!
Oh right, Val. Your gaze drifts forward, but their head is blocked by a large brown bag. You actually flew back further than you meant to. Oops. Back up you go, past the sack until you spot their head craned back.
Val is staring at you, beak agape in what you presume is astonishment over your abrupt disappearance from atop their head. While this isn’t the first time you’ve made an accidental emergency exit, it’s the first to occur post-takeoff. They undoubtedly thought you booked a one-way trip to the ground and, had you spent another second detached from them, would’ve taken action and dived after you.
You wish you could’ve seen their face while it occurred. Alas, all you can do is chuckle again, the corners of your mouth creeping up.
“Gotcha.”
Their expression softens as realization sets in, shock slowly shifting into a glare, finally completing the trifecta with another eye roll before returning to facing ahead as you scoff in mock indignation, yelling against the wind.
“Oh, so when you do something reckless it’s okay and ‘you need to stop coddling me so damn much,’ but when I do the same NOW it’s a problem?! Yeah, yeah, I see how it is!”
Hypocrite.
---
The moon shines bright, offering luminescence beyond the crimson streaks of draconic energy jetting from the trident-like wings beside you. Cliffs and hills, along with the odd abandoned building lost to nature adorn the passing scenery, growing slower as you steadily descend.
Val’s landing is surprisingly quiet, although as usual you’re nearly thrown off in the process. They absolutely refuse to wear a saddle, considering it to be ‘too restrictive,’ and have concluded you potentially screaming in terror as you plummet to the ground to be preferable to minor discomfort. That they (begrudgingly) agreed to have the bag of gifts tied to their back is nothing short of a miracle.
Clearly they adore you.
You untie the bag, taking out the largest topmost present nearly as big as you and tossing it to the ground with a grunt. As Val turns to pick it up, you’re about to follow suit when you remember your missing getup.
“Right, almost forgot.”
Pinned underneath the sack is a sizeable article of red and white headgear, far too large for you to wear as anything but an oversized sleeping bag, but just right for a particular elder dragon. You drag it out it while taking an identical but smaller version from the bag before retying it. Having gone through the routine before, Val drops their head, allowing you to waddle across their neck and get to work.
Applying the oversized hat takes a bit, but eventually you finish, putting on your own before hopping off and turning around to examine your friend. They stare innocently at you, present still secured in their beak. Looking at them head-on, combined with the festive headwear adorning their crest, you can’t help but grin.
“You’re adorable, you know that?”
Val chuffs, and you’re rewarded with yet another eye roll; you’ve coaxed quite a number of them out this evening. They begin walking and you’re already being left behind. Cheerfully ducking under a swinging tail that lazily attempts to knock you over, you follow suit.
“And it’s true every time. Besides, we gotta look the part.”
You fall into a power-walk beside them, although you’re playing follow-the-leader. They’re the one actually capable of spotting your destinations, and landing smack-dab in the middle of a village or nest tends to produce too much noise – as you’ve learned from experience tonight – so you’ve taken to hoofing it from a sufficient distance. If there was ever a sign that Val is secretly head-over-heels for you, this would be it: willingly walking to a distant location. The horror.
Eventually you reach a short cliff face with hanging vines; the ascent cleared with a single jump by your friend but requiring a bit more effort from you, an unfair disparity you make known as you haul yourself over the ledge.
“…your claw, could’ve saved us some time. I’d pick you up if I – “
A single click of their beak silences any further words, your gaze immediately shooting ahead. Not too far away, a purple fanged wyvern lies asleep in the nook of a cliff, periodic snores emanating from them.
Your voice drops to a whisper. “My bad.”
Suddenly keen on minimizing the volume of your footsteps, the pair of you creep forward – or at least one of you does. Valstrax are the antithesis of subtlety, and it tickles you to observe their muzzle scrunched up in mild frustration, the continuous stealth missions seemingly harmless, yet going against their entire existence.
Truly, they must consider you soul mates.
Despite Val’s size, heavy footfalls, and identity crisis, their sneaking is on point: the monster remains knocked out as you approach. Magnamalo aren’t particularly known for their hospitality, so you’re keen on ensuring they remain conked out during this incursion. The obvious solution would be for Val to remain parked at a distance, but it’s a team effort and since they can’t follow you into houses, it only makes sense for them to be the gift giver for nests.
You come to a stop before Val, opting to let them continue. Trying your best not to focus on the Malice Wyvern’s rather sharp-looking fangs, you observe Val. Carefully, they stalk forward until there isn’t much distance between the two, at which point the gift is deposited with the tenderness of a brooding mother to her unhatched egg. Satisfied with their execution, they return to a thumbs up as you begin the process of slinking away.
Finally, a perfect run! It’s borderline absurd just how many problems you two have run into this night, from insomniac villagers to nocturnal hunters. Why has it been so hard to get in and out without any fuss? And even if you were caught, why does everyone assume the worst? Maybe it’s the sizeable elder dragon accompanying you? Val hasn’t done anything wrong. In any case –
*Snap*
You flinch, halting as a sharp noise breaks the relative silence. Upon looking down, a sizeable twig lies broken beneath your foot.
What the…where did that twig come from?! There aren’t any trees around! And why did it make so much damn noise?!
That’s when a short growl makes your stomach drop, causing you to whirl around in what you believe is justified trepidation. The Magnamalo shifts, legs stretching out in a felyne-esque manner as they lazily yawn before covering their snout with a paw and going still.
You observe them for a few tense seconds to confirm that they aren’t feigning sleep, then breathe a sigh of relief before facing Val, who’s glaring at you in what is unmistakably an accusatory manner – you’re quick to engage in the mute argument, facial expressions running wild.
…No, you are being careful!
…Even with the moonlight it’s hard to see! Do you look like a Valstrax?!
…Shut up!
That pathetic backlash marks the end of your debate, and with a smug shake of their head they resume walking. Bah, who needs vision? You have opposable thumbs. You can scratch that hard-to-reach spot just aside Val’s crest that they’re too proud to scratch because doing so makes them look sort of like a canyne in the process. Val basically NEEDS you. You don’t have to take this –
*CRUNCH*
HOLY MOTHER OF – you actually jumped in diluted terror. But that wasn’t you!
You stare in disbelief at this source. Beneath Val’s claws is a large slab of wood, or at least the splintered remains of what was. The poor thing has been absolutely annihilated. Val is shocked, staring down at the mess as though they couldn’t have possibly seen it coming. You on the other hand…
Your buddy must sense the gaze burning a hole in their scales, because they look up to you just in time for another round of furious charades.
…What do they mean ‘it wasn’t there before’?! HOW in the ever-loving hell did they miss that?! What did they say before, about ‘superior vision’?!
…Yeah, you stepped on a twig! They vaporized an entire Gog-damned tree trunk! You bet the entire locale heard that!
…Keep talking like that and you’ll stop scratching their crest for a –
An odd, guttural noise freezes the pair of you, eyes going wide in apprehension.
Oh no.
Almost comically, you both slowly turn in sync to the source. The fanged wyvern stirs, heavily blinking while another yawn escapes. Exhausted eyes size up Val for a moment before deciding they’re better off shut. With a huff, they return to slumber.
…
The Magnamalo sits up in a flash and instantly focuses on the elder dragon that has so rudely paid visit to their nest, a confused growl their only response to the unexpected sight.
This probably isn’t good. Maybe you can talk your way out of this jam. You know, because it worked so well the last several times…
Before you can act, an oversized foreleg blocks your sight, the midnight sky replaced with three crimson chest vents pulsing with energy. Val towers over you, head lowered in a defensive manner. Even from this angle you can detect the beginnings of a snarl etched on their beak, although the appearance is somewhat diluted by the festive hat. Still, it’s only happened a handful of times and you immediately recognize the gesture. They must not want a repeat of the Nargacuga incident.
A surge of pride and bashfulness course through you…only to abruptly be replaced with worry. In their haste, they’ve forgotten the key thing they once chastised you for: you’re technically the invaders in this scenario. Well-intentioned invaders, but invaders nonetheless.
You peek out from behind Val. Strangely enough the Magnamalo has yet to budge, only a tired huff their response. They appear groggy and confused more than anything. Aren’t their species supposed to be highly territorial? In any case, you need to try and defuse the situation before Val inevitably escalates it like they nearly did before.
You step out so you can be properly seen. “Hey – “
The Magnamalo’s gaze drifts to you. Suddenly their eyes go wide, exhaustion disappearing in an instant. In the blink of an eye, they go from sitting to standing, maneuvering so quickly you can’t help but twitch as Val growls. Despite the warning, the purple wyvern pays no attention to them. Instead, their sight is set solely on you. You can’t quite place their expression, but not abruptly attacking you has to be a good thing, right?
“Uh, hi. We’re not here to uh, attack or anything.”
No response. You’ve obtained fluency in deciphering Val’s expressions, but this Magnamalo is a different story. Is that…incredulity over anyone being dumb enough to hijack their nest? Surprise that anyone would visit so late?
You motion towards the oversized box. “We brought you a gift. Y’know, as a surprise. Everyone likes gifts, right? Well…surprise!”
The Magnamalo glances at the mystery present; a paw raises to first point at it, then themself with an unusually timid growl that brightens you up.
“Yeah! You can open it now if you want.”
After a few seconds likely spent questioning the validity of your statement, they proceed to the package. You take a peek at Val, who has eased up but continues to observe your gift recipient with rapt attention that doesn’t harbor the same enthusiasm as you. In fact, they appear to be less than thrilled, which confuses you. This is the first expedition that hasn’t resulted in being chased out of a domicile. Is that not cause for celebration?
The Magnamalo takes a few furtive sniffs of the gift, which is nothing more than a crate with a pretty red ribbon wrapped around it. Their head cocks in an oddly cute manner, and after a quick flash of teeth, a fang sinks into the top to tear off the cover with gusto. They peer inside, and…
You huff in amusement as they recoil, eyes going wide as they examine the contents. Their head turns to you, then back to the box. You, box, you, box, you. Finally, they once again gesture to themself with a grunt, and it’s impossible to miss the disbelief in their tone as you smile.
“I already said it’s yours!”
That declaration is met with a stare from the purple wyvern.
Suddenly they let out a cry, bounding towards you in an impressive burst of speed; you only have the reflexes to flinch before a sharp shriek erupts from above as Val lurches forward, once again placing you underneath them while a great silver-scaled wing flares out in the beginnings of a thrust. The action is enough for the Magnamalo to skid to a complete stop, their attention finally breaking from you to Val as though they just remembered that the elder existed.
Woah woah, what in the world is Val doing?! Earlier was one thing, but why are they still being so defensive when this monster has does nothing to warrant it? Sure, that leap caught you off guard but their demeanor isn’t one of animosity.
You hastily reemerge from underneath them. “Val! It’s fine!”
The call-out does nothing to change their stance, but their head does turn to observe you as you walk forward. You can see the aggression struggling to recede.
“Seriously, it’s alright.”
Eventually Val eases up, wing returning to their side with a huff. Throughout that exchange the Magnamalo has remained unusually still, wide-eyed but observing with a patience you wouldn’t expect from one who’s been threatened in their own nest multiple times.
You continue past the safety of Val, coming to a stop in front of the wyvern while scratching the back of your head. “Sorry about that. You wanted to say something?”
They take a single step forward, pausing before glancing at your unseen friend as though they’re expecting another interruption. When nothing occurs, they resume; step-by-step, each one with purpose. Despite your earlier confidence, you can’t help but wilt as their ‘sharper’ features come into focus, tilting your head back until you’re craning your neck to observe them just as attentively as they observe you. They’re definitely happy…right?
The Magnamalo’s head slowly lowers until it’s just above you, another glance directed towards Val. At this point a pang of doubt creeps into you, and you wonder just how fast your buddy really is. Not that anything bad will happen…you think. You h –
The wind is knocked out of you as an oversized head collides with you, knocking you down to the dirt with a grunt. Your blood barely has time to run cold before they’re upon you once more, nose digging into your comparatively tiny frame. You’re so caught off guard, you don’t even scream while they…rub against you?
Your mouth is agape as the Magnamalo nuzzles you like an oversized canyne, chuffs periodically blasting you with a short burst of air. Shock melts into mirth as your pulse stabilizes, and you can’t help but chuckle.
“You’re welcome!”
Their ministrations quickly evolve into full-facial contact, and you’re grateful for evolution granting them foldable tusks. Their scales aren’t exactly soothing, but their enthusiasm makes you smile nonetheless.
During this assault, you manage to crane your head back just in time to catch a glimpse of Val’s wing once again coming to rest. Their gaze meets yours as you give a thumbs up, and it’s impossible to miss their disapproval as their wings droop a little.
Seriously, what’s gotten into them? This is exactly what you both wanted: happy recipients. Here’s actual proof that your little adventure is a good thing! So why are they not happy? You just don’t get –
“WHOA!” Your holiday hat nearly tumbles away as your place on the ground becomes a thing of the past – you’re scooped up into a large paw with dexterity you didn’t think they had, only to immediately resume their affection with an eagerness that makes you laugh. And they’ve earned the moniker of ‘Malice Wyvern’? That’s hard to believe.
“Come on, it was nothing!”
From your new vantage point you can easily view Val; somehow their mood has worsened into irritation, beak slightly curled in growing disdain. They’ve even managed to remove their hat for some reason. At this point you give up trying to decipher their feelings; if they want to remain sour, that’s on them. Instead you’ll focus on the monster who has no qualms showing their joy. Although this has been dragging on for a bit.
You stifle another bout of chuckling. “Alright, alright, I get it. We can’t – oof – can’t stick around though, gotta deliver to the rest of the continent.”
That doesn’t seem to deter the wyvern, who continues to shower you with care like a child fawning over their stuffed Arzuros. From their reaction, you’d think one had just saved them from certain death. Heartwarming, if not somewhat odd. And as much as you appreciate their affection, these scales are threatening to start chafing you. How long do they intend to keep this up?
“…Not that I don’t enjoy this, but we kinda need to get moving.”
No response, only periodic growls and chuffs as you continue to be jostled against the Magnamalo. Your smile has slowly transformed into confusion, wondering if they even heard you.
“Hello?”
…
You direct your attention to Val, who’s been a bystander throughout the entire ordeal. If disgust had a corporeal form, it would be them at this very moment. You don’t even have to catch their eye; they’re already pacing towards the enamored wyvern, red irises trained on them with a hyper-intensity that adds concern to your growing list of emotions. The eyes of a Valstrax on the hunt.
You can’t help but try and appease your friend as they come to a stop in front of the wyvern, who pays zero attention to the peeved elder dragon encroaching on their personal space.
“It’s fine. They’re just a little – ow – okay, really friendly.”
Your words do nothing to dissuade Val, a dismissive growl their response while their head reaches in to pluck you from the Magnamalo’s grasp. It’s only now that the wyvern notices the invader in the process of relieving them from their spoils.
Well, it was fun for a few, but you’ll admit you’re ready to –
You grunt as you’re roughly jerked away not by a beak, but the same paw that’s held you for the past number of minutes. The Magnamalo has taken to holding you at arm’s length, away not just from them but Val too. Their expression is one of disappointment, a pleading whine dribbling out. Goodness, this is one needy wyvern.
Val, on the other hand… They stare blankly at the interloper, beak slightly agape. ‘Disbelief’ would be a gross understatement. This is the first time you’ve seen them at a loss for words, and it can’t JUST be because a monster decided to oppose them – no, that’s occurred plentiful times. And while you’d like to spend time pondering the reasons why, you know Val well enough that their silence only bodes ill for this poor wyvern.
The midnight ambience is practically deafening as the seconds drag on, your unease rising in turn.
“Yeah, so I’ll, uh, remove myself – “
A low, rolling growl from Val cuts you off as they speak, and it occurs to you that you have yet to observe them blink.
…
No. Nononononononononononononono.
You quickly glance at the Magnamalo, whose eyes have gone wide at this new threat. Despite that, they remain seated and firmly in possession of you. You can’t take back what Val just said, but when this Magnamalo inevitably unhands you, you can mediate and avoid a brawl. For now, however…
A click of a beak signals the start of the countdown. Val wasn’t kidding.
“Val, don’t! Listen, uh, Magnamalo sir…or mam. They’re kidding, I swear. Just put me down and we’ll get out of your hair…horns.”
You attempt to extract yourself from their hold, but it’s surprisingly tight. You can only squirm against the black pads keeping you in place. Why are they still holding you?!
Another click. Val’s wings swing outward, and in an instant their wingtips are pointed directly at you. What are they doing…and is it just you or is their crest starting to glow?
As if to answer your question, tinges of crimson begin spreading like a virus throughout the dexterous appendages. It’s not just their wings: flecks of draconic energy pulse from their chest vents, and even behind their crest with growing intensity. You didn’t know they could do that…but now isn’t the time to question their biology.
You alternate frantic glances between Val and your captor, who for some damned reason still refuses to drop you?! They’re gawking at the display like they’re not about to be removed from the gene pool!
“Val is kidding! They won’t obliterate you! Just put me down! And Val, please stop!”
You can’t help but pay rapt attention to the balls of energy forming from each brilliant-red wingtip. Val’s chest burns bright – draconic energy emits from their crest and wings with an ominous look only outclassed by their murderous stare, and you’re in the beginnings of full-blown panic as another click signals the approaching end. You’ve NEVER seen them like this before.
“Val, you know I’m here, right?! Maybe wait until I’m free?!”
Your plea falls on non-existent ears. They only have eyes for the Magnamalo, and at this point it has become excessively apparent…
Val wants this monster dead.
You prefer this monster alive. In fact, you prefer yourself alive even more! But this clingy wyvern and you definitely won’t be alive in the next couple of seconds if your best friend doesn’t stop.
“VAL PLEASE STOP I WANNA LIIIIIIIIIVE AND JUST PUT ME DOWN ALREADY YOU GOG-DAMNED – ”
You don’t recall hearing the final click. One second you’re hollering for your life, the next you’re roughly jolted as Val rapidly moves away, the action enough to shut you up. You’re free! Wait, no you aren’t. You’re still being held by the Magnamalo, who’s taken to sprinting away as fast as their three available legs can.
What the…
You only have enough time to view the shock on Val’s face before they move out of sight, your captor taking you down the cliff face and off in an unknown direction. With the looming prospect of death gone, your brain begins to return to normal functions. Namely…
“What the hell are you doing?! Why won’t you release me? What is wrong with you, are you mental?!”
The Magnamalo pays no mind to your rant, instead seemingly focused on putting as much distance between them and the bloodthirsty Valstrax as physically possible. They really don’t want to give you up, do they.
…
“ARE YOU TRYING TO KIDNAP ME?!”
At that, they wince but don’t break stride. What kind of craziness would compel a monster to kidnap someone?! Unbelievable! In any case, you’re stuck until Val decides to rescue you. A part of you wants to yell out so they know where you are, but their senses are top-notch and it’d likely be a waste of breath.
This Magnamalo is surprisingly quick for a monster limited to three legs. Of course, Val is Val so it’s a fruitless effort. That they haven’t caught up yet is quite unusual; maybe they were caught off guard by your captor’s brazen exit.
As the passing hills morph into forests, your brain dimly registers the familiar din of approaching thrusters before you’re roughhoused once more, the Magnamalo neatly dodging to the side to avoid a crimson blur that rockets past with millimeters to spare. The act causes them to skid to a halt, said blur also going from Mach One to zero so quickly you know you’d die from the force if you tried the same. Val!
Your savior stands not far away. Draconic energy surges from their vents, creating a flaming effect that perfectly matches the harsh streaks of crimson that spread beyond their wings and clash with argent scales. And their expression…If looks alone could kill, no one would ever find this Magnamalo’s remains. It finally dawns on you why they look so different.
Val isn’t angry. Val is enraged.
Val’s beak shoots open, and an earsplitting roar erupts from them that permeates through your very bones and makes you bare your teeth in pain. Even if you weren’t locked in place by a paw, you’d still be paralyzed.
Your ears ring well after they’ve stopped. Are your eardrums bleeding? You think you’re deaf now. Will –
It happens in an instant. You think you started moving, but suddenly you’re violently jostled as the world becomes a blur – grey and purple clash, clumps of dirt fly, and claws flail dangerously close to you. Orientation loses all meaning; you’re spinning too much to know where ‘up’ is. You’ve been dragged into this brawl against your will, and can only pray to come out with treatable injuries.
Impossibly, despite being handicapped and at a clear disadvantage, the Magnamalo still refuses to let go of you. And as your heart pounds against your rib cage, you want nothing more than for them to continue doing so, lest you get dropped into the middle of the scuffle.
Of course, it’s now that you feel their grip weaken. You’re still being tossed this way and that, so maybe if you –
You’re airborne.
Time seems to slow, possibly due to the adrenaline coursing through your veins. You can perceive the rapidly growing distance between you and the upside-down mess of limbs flailing about. Upside-down? That’s because the ground is the sky. Oh, there goes your hat. You think you spot Val’s crazed expression in the kerfuffle, but it’s hard to tell. You want to scream, but nothing comes out.
“Guh…”
For some reason, even amidst their struggle, Val’s attention diverts. Their ferocious gaze meets yours, and you swear they freeze. It’s the first time they’ve actually looked at you since this ordeal started. You wonder what you look like to them, because at this moment, you feel…terrified. Scared.
Silver. Even with your heightened senses, that’s all you register before the wind is abruptly knocked out of you with a painful grunt. Something smashed into you. Something is also weighing on your back, preventing you from moving.
Wait…it’s a claw. A familiar claw. It’s Val! You’ve somehow splattered neatly between two of their oversized digits, head poking out to observe the distant earth growing fainter by the second. They’re flying away…which means they caught you. They untangled themselves in milliseconds and caught you. Midair. Sure, they’ve said in the past that they could, but…
At this point you can’t even spot a hint of purple amidst the green, and quite frankly you don’t want to. You attempt to rise and reorient yourself, but the pressure on your back is too great. Is Val holding you down…? No, it’s g-force. They’re rocketing through the sky faster than they’ve ever dared to while you accompanied them. No monster could ever hope to catch up at this point, yet they don’t seem to care, likely intent on ensuring you never see that wyvern again for the rest of your life.
At least you now have firsthand experience behind their self-imposed speed limit. You’re short of breath, struggling to breathe while it feels like your lungs are compressing against your chest. You don’t know if you’ll pass out this way, but you have no interest in finding out. With danger completely out of the way and adrenaline starting to fade, you think they can ease up.
It’s one hell of a chore to yell, hoping to hell Val hears you as you gasp for air. “I highly doubt they can reach us! Slow down, please…”
Seconds tick by, but eventually you feel the load on your back lightening, allowing you to haul yourself up and into relative safety. You breathe a sigh of relief, ready to clear your mind, but it’s short-lived as the protective foreclaws bring you from underneath Val into the open, not far from their head where they can actually see you. They don’t say a word, muzzle clenched tightly shut while a red iris makes rapid micro-adjustments in its intense scrutiny of you. Their anger has faded, or at least the visible parts; even their crest no longer exudes energy. Knowing that they’ve calmed down, you feel far less averse to talking…but where does one even begin after that series of events?
“…Well that was weird.”
Wrong opener.
You cringe as Val roars, though thankfully not as loud as before, taking great displeasure in your understatement of the year. So much for being calm.
“That’s because it was going well right up until you TRIED TO KILL THEM! AND ME!!!”
Welp, there goes you too.
“HELLO?! MIND EXPLAINING THAT?!”
~Another ROAR~
“NO, YOU WERE GONNA KILL ME THROUGH COLLATERAL! DO I LOOK LIKE I CAN SURVIVE A POINT-BLANK BLAST OF WHATEVER THE HELL YOU WERE GONNA DO?!”
~Yet another ROAR~
“HOW IN THE WORLD WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT YOU HAVE IMPECCABLE AIM?! YOU DIDN’T SAY ANYTHING!”
Fascinating. It hasn’t even been a minute after Val’s amazing rescue and the pair of you are already at each other’s throats.
~ROAR ROAR~
“DID YOU SEE YOURSELF?! YOU LOOKED LIKE YOU WERE READY TO DESTROY THE WORLD! OF COURSE YOU HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING, I CAN’T READ YOUR GOG-DAMNED MIND!”
~An exasperated ROAR~
“BECAUSE I’VE NEVER SEEN YOU LOOK LIKE THAT! I RIGHTFULLY THOUGHT YOU. WERE GOING. TO KILL ME!!!”
A short roar this time, far less intense, and you’re caught off guard.
“OF…OF COURSE…Of course I trust you! But when my best friend ignores me no matter what I say, how else am I supposed to feel?!”
The accompanying roar is so weak it sounds more like a mewl, their words causing you to freeze.
…
It’s something you’ve always known, but for an elder dragon as prideful as Val to actually say it…it feels different. The anger clouding your judgement slowly dissipates as you process that declaration. Val appears to have calmed down as well, silently observing you.
Huh.
Despite the chill air racing past, your face feels warm – said warmth spreads throughout your system, and you can’t help but scratch the back of your head in poorly disguised abashment. Right.
“Well…thank you for caring about me that much.”
A low warble, as though their announcement was simply stating the obvious. Which it was.
“And I know you already know this, but since we’re all putting it out in the open…of course I care about you too. A lot.”
You grin, and Val’s beak creaks open in the beginnings of their own. Another rare moment usually reserved for after they’ve showed you their latest death-defying stunt.
“Sooooo, thank you. For everything you’ve done tonight, including but not limited to saving me from an overly affectionate Magnamalo…”
Their expression falls ever so slightly.
“…Even if they weren’t all that bad.”
Wait for it…
Val growls, and with a sigh you roll your eyes, albeit still smiling. Here we go…
All of their gripes from your latest adventure come pouring out in a series of long-winded growls and chirps, and as much as they need to vent, you still aren’t entirely supportive of their actions.
“…They were happy for the gift. Nothing wrong with showing a little appreciation.”
“…Well, yeah it was kinda odd that they only focused on me, but still.”
“…Again, they were happy. They were quite nice about it.”
“…Don’t give me that look! Outside of the kidnapping bit, I mean. I wasn’t actually harmed. Hell, did they even fight back with you?”
“…See? Nice. I think. Weird but nice.”
“…That’s what people do when they’re overjoyed: they show affection.”
A disgruntled chirp makes you chuckle. Goodness, they’re really hung up on that particular bit.
“You’re right, not to that degree you don’t. But it’s okay if others do.”
Val’s eye narrows, beak rapidly clicking in turn, and you raise an eyebrow.
“So…monsters I don’t actually know are a no-go, but those I do are fine, correct?”
~More clicks~
“Alright, only the ones I’m friends with.”
~Click~
“CLOSE friends. You’re really narrowing the pool here, buddy. The only one I’m close with is you…so what, you’re the only one allowed to shower me with adoration?”
At that, they emit a rolling growl, and you have to resist the urge to roll your eyes again as they repeat themselves over and over. You raise your hands in appeasement mid-sentence, unwilling to argue over technicalities.
“Sure, sure, ‘close friends’ and not just you. Gotcha.”
So just Val. Which is hilarious considering they’ve never come remotely close to doting over you like that Magnamalo did.
Val huffs, and after eying you for a few seconds, returns to scanning the skies. You on the other hand, continue staring at them in thought. They have an ego, sure, and obviously they care about you, but their fixation on that seemingly harmless interaction is intriguing. Clearly they didn’t like it, but why?
You’re glad Val has kept you aloft near their head, because you catch them taking repeated glances at you, so short you almost miss them.
Only close friends are allowed to give you affection. Only Val is allowed to give you affection. That’s awfully possessive of them.
Possessive…
…
Your head slowly tilts as the puzzle pieces slide into place. Val must sense something is up, because their eye begins darting between you and wherever you aren’t. Your mouth creaks open, but the words are so unbelievable you can barely bring yourself to talk.
“Val…”
Just hearing their name is enough for their beak to root firmly shut in an unnatural way, as though they’re forcing themself to remain mute. The corners of your mouth creep up. No way…
“…Were you…”
Val squints, and it finally dawns on you that they’re cringing. The realization is enough for your eyes to go wide in incredulity – with that, you know what must be said. The ball finally drops.
“…Were you jealous?!”
At that, the floodgates open, and you’re sent reeling from both the revelation and frantic growls from Val asserting that no they were NOT jealous why would they ever be jealous SHUT UP. You don’t know whether to laugh or admonish them. Maybe both.
“You were JEALOUS!”
No amount of ‘nu-uhs’ from them will stop you now.
“You…were going to kill them because you were jealous?!”
~Peeved growls~
“…Oh, NOW you say you weren’t gonna kill ‘em. Sorry, you were gonna maim them! Much better.”
~A miffed warble~
“Yeah they weren’t listening to me, but there’re levels to appropriate action. I wasn’t being attacked!”
~An annoyed huff~
“…Okay, that kinda makes sense. Not as much as you think it does, but I’ll give you that.”
Still, you can’t help but grin at their actions, the act causing Val to frown in indignation. They know you aren’t done.
“You really didn’t like their little display of affection, did you?”
Another disgruntled growl, but they’re just repeating themself in hopes your mind magically changes. Which it won’t.
“Agreed, them not listening to me wasn’t good. Them kidnapping me definitely wasn’t great either. But even before that, you weren’t happy. Don’t think I didn’t notice!”
At this point Val refuses to look at you, and the unusually timid warble that is their feeble excuse only widens your smile. Flustered. They’re genuinely flustered.
“…It upset you that much?”
Silence, save for the wind. Val’s never struck you as the selfish type, always willing to share. But tonight, you find out there’s one thing, or person, they refuse to let others have.
The warm fuzzies from before returns with a vengeance as you shake your head. “Well…if no one else is allowed to do it, it only makes sense for you to start up, hmmm?”
A snort escapes their beak, an amused smirk forming from the brazen request. Very funny, indeed.
“Hey, no need to be shy about it. You can always go back and get pointers from that Magnamalo if ya want.”
Val’s amusement dies in milliseconds as they finally refocus on you just to deliver a scathing glare that only makes you laugh. So easy to goad.
Once you’ve gotten the giggles out of your system, you sigh, taking a few moments to consider your position. Right, aren’t you two still on a mission? “So, you ready to resume where we left off?”
Your enthusiasm is met with an incredulous look, Val not hesitating to voice their objection.
“Whadya mean?! The night’s still young! And honestly, what’re the chances we run into TWO obsessive monsters? We can’t deny others the joy of gifts just because of one bad run-in!”
You purposefully excluded every other bad run-in, but thankfully Val must only have your latest snafu on their mind; they merely observe you with concern.
“It’ll be fine, trust me! And if it somehow ends up not being fine…well, I always know you’ll protect me.”
Val must not have seen that coming, because their eye goes wide and you catch the beginnings of a jumbled response that ends in their head turning away from you. Even from this angle, however, you can see them smiling as their beak clicks so softly you almost miss it.
‘Obviously.’
Your face is practically a furnace. Twice in one day you’ve managed to fluster them. “So is that a maybe, or…”
Their head swings back with an affirmative grunt, and you grin, rubbing the large digits currently keeping you safe. “Love you too, buddy. Thanks for putting up with me.”
Only a huff this time, but their claws flex ever so slightly before lifting you not above their head, but to their beak. You’re shielded well from the wind as the avian appendage takes initiative for the first time, nuzzling you in a gesture you’re sure to return. It’s a start.
After your brief snuggle session, Val is nice enough to place you on top of their head, where you can finally start the journey across –
…
You stare blankly at the empty space between their wings. The space where a certain sack of gifts should be tied firmly around their back. The space where there’s space instead of a bag.
“Val…where’s the bag?”
A pause. You’re glad you’re holding on tight to their crest, because you’re nearly flung into the night when they turn to check on it. Silence. The awkwardness in the air is almost palpable as the pair of you ponder the only plausible location it could be.
...
Eventually you sigh in defeat.
“Well…who’s up for a reunion?”