Free Spirits (Zombie_In_A_Box X Pigeon)

[Kotorichan]

MC:

Name: Arumi AAral

Gender: Male

Position: Seke

Species: Dragon

Human appearance:

 

 

Dragon appearance: Large black dragon with green eyes

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

My character:

 

Name: Damian Mahal

Gender: Male

Position: Seke

Species: Human

Appearance:

 

 

 

---

Damian sighed quietly while staring at the sobbing child in front of him. He pulled the little one closer to himself, softly kissing his forehead. "What happened to you?" He asked, his voice deep and clear, no huskiness. The child rubbed his eye and showed to his head, obviously feeling pain, but... They were all out of pain medication. If it wasn't for the dragons, everything would be different. Better.

 

The creatures had taken their land, turning them into broken people who didn't have anything. Damian was one of the few brave people who sometimes went out of their hiding place in search for food or, as in this case, medication. He was bare chested, but the reason to that was simple - they had too little clothing for everyone. And since it wasn't cold outside, Damian figured he could be like this for a while.

 

"Damian!" A woman's voice reached his ears just as he was about to take his knife. "Please, bring us some food back. My daughter's starving." She pleaded while the man just nodded and tightly gripped the knife. "Wish me luck." He chuckled and, after receiving a kiss on the cheek, began making way out of the cave.

[Kotorichan]

Arumi flew through the cool mountain air, his black scales shining in the sunlight. He circled around a few times before landing in a clearing. He had been assigned to patrol these areas, a job he always hated. The dragon preferred to spend his time reading and studying, not hunting humans. They weren't even a threat anymore, he knew humans were too weak to try to fight back anymore.

 

He dropped his bag and changed to his human form, shivering in the slight chill. Arumi dressed himself with the clothes in his bag and pulled out a book. He had found an interesting plant in this area last time he patrolled, and wanted to study it again. It was the best way to spend his time.

 

The dragon wandered through the trees and rocks until he found the plant and crouched down, examining the leaves carefully. He picked up a small stick and used his fiery breath to burn the end into charcoal. Without any regard to his surroundings he settled down on the ground and began to sketch the plant in his book.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

It was quite a way to get out of their hiding place, a whole maze, to be exact. It was all to protect themselves from dragons. After learning that they could make themselves appear human, everyone took as much precaution as they could. Passwords, mazes, even certain tasks to prove one was definitely human. The only thing they still needed was a weapon to kill dragons.

 

Damian held his breath when he got out, hiding the exit with a rock for maximum safety. Goosebumps soon showed themselves on his skin as he made way to the forrest. Many of the plants there were ingrediants to their "medication". It was all mostly tea and mashed leaves, but it was better than nothing.

 

The forrest was full of life and right now, Damian felt like he was a part of it as well. His bare feet barely made any noise, not more than a rabbit would. The brunet was the best hunter in their hideout, both with animals and plants. He did get hurt a few times as was obvious from the scars across his back and chest.

[Kotorichan]

Arumi soon finished drawing the plant. He discarded the charcoal stick and busied himself picking it and pressing it between pages of his book so he could test the affects when he went home. The dragon stood up and began to wander around, looking for any other plants he might not recognize.

 

An unfamiliar scent suddenly met his sensitive nose. Arumi stopped in his tracks and took a deep breath. Dirt... Sweat... And something he didn't recognize... A human? He slipped his book into his bag and began to walk more slowly, careful not make any sound. He couldn't hear anything, so the it couldn't be an animal. A deer wouldn't be so careful about not making any noise.

 

The dragon followed the scent until he could see some movement through the trees. He paused for a moment, trying to decide what to do. He had no interest in killing the human, it would just make it so he would have to worry about more time patrolling the area. Since there was just one there was no chance that it was an uprising... Probably just a forager. Arumi brushed his hair back out of his face and purposefully stepped on a dry branch which broke with a loud snap. It would just startle the human if he snuck up on him.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Damian breathed quietly and calmly through his nose, hiding behind the trees to stay as well hidden as possible. Deeper in the forrest, he knew he would find at least a few deers - that should be enough for a few days. The brunet had no idea he was noticed, however a stronger blow of wind sent shivers down his spine.

 

Then suddenly, a branch was stepped on, the sound from it causing Damian to flee as fast as he could. He was fast, therefore it didn't take long for him to reach his target - a waterfall. Behind it there was a small cave, he should be able to hide there. But, before actually getting there, the brunet stopped and looked around, the knife tightly in his hands. He wasn't about to die...

 

His dark eyes shone with adrenaline of hunt. It was scary, that was certain, but he couldn't live without it. The fear he achieved when risking his life was incredible. Simply incredible...

[Kotorichan]

Arumi let out a soft groan of annoyance when the human ran. He really didn't want to chase him but if someone else found him... The dragon reluctantly pulled his clothes off and stuffed them in his bag before changing forms. He spread his wings and took off with the bag slug over the end of his tail.

 

It only took a few seconds for him to spot the human on the ground. Arumi swooped down, changing into his human form just a couple feet off the ground so he landed on his feet. He was completely naked but it really didn't bother him that a human saw him like that. The dragon had made sure he landed a short distance away from the human so he couldn't immediately be attacked, but he just hoped that the man wouldn't try to run again.

 

He held his hands out as a sign of peace. "Stop running, I'm not going to kill you" He said, his voice low and rumbling. He had never heard a human talk so he always sounded like a dragon even in his human form. "If I wanted you dead then I would have killed you already"

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Damian froze in place when he saw a dragon above himself. His eyes went wide and his knuckles turned white from holding the knife so tightly. Seeing the creature turn into a human sparked the fire of anger inside him. "How dare you..." He hissed, blood pounding to his head. Seeing these creatures take form that was meant to fool them was making him furious.

 

"If you don't want me dead, leave me alone." Damian scowled, lightly lifting up the knife. He wasn't ready for a serious fight... His clothes, his weapon, neither of those could be used against dragons. The brunet had to bring back food and medicine, however. The people believed in him... "Leave me alone. I need to get medicine." He wasn't sure why he said it; perhaps a part of him hoped that the dragon would understand and give him time... Although that would be stupid.

[Kotorichan]

Arumi sighed and dropped his hands to his sides. "I'm not going to get in the way of that... Honestly I just want you to go back to wherever you came from. It'll cause lots of problems for me if you get caught by another one of my kind... A human head is considered a sign of power these days, so I have no doubt that you would be killed along with any more humans that they might find"

 

The dragon turned away to pick up his bag. "Of course they would have my head as well for not alerting the council... But doing so would mean I'd have to patrol this area more often" He put his clothes back on and turned to the man again. "I know your kind is too weak to be any sort of threat to us, no matter how much food and medicine you gather you'll only be able to scrape by in those caves... Am I right?" He tilted his head to the side, his gaze fixed on the human's face in a piercing stare.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

"I'll go back to where I came from when I get what I need." Damien was determined to get food and medicine; he was better off dead than empty-handed. The brunet watched how the dragon's arms lowered to his sides, however didn't change his stance. He did listen to what the other was saying, but didn't bother replying. It wasn't like an answer was required from him, after all.

 

The man didn't move an inch while the other dressed up, his dark eyes still holding a cautious gaze. "I won't get caught again." He said quietly, for a short moment his grip on the knife loosening. However, he remembered how dangerous it would be if he wasn't ready and gripped it tightly once more, ready to throw it if needed. Damian scowled at the question, tilting his head. "How else could it be? You took our lands, our everything." He hissed in anger, staring back into the dragon's eyes. One thing was certain - a stare wouldn't be enough to scare him off.

[Kotorichan]

"You will get caught again" Arumi growled, a short burst of smoke left his nostrils. He didn't get why this human was so unwilling to even listen. "I can easily smell you, you smell like a human no matter how much filth you cover yourself with"

 

He took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure. "I apologize for snapping like that... I just don't want to deal with the others finding you..."

 

Arumi stared at the human again, thinking for a moment. "What if I help you? If I assist you then you would be done faster and so could leave sooner. Then we would be finished with each other and could go our separate ways" he brushed a lock of hair over his shoulder. "Or do you have too much pride to let anyone help you?"

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Damian quite literally jumped back when he saw smoke coming from tge dragon's nostrils. His eyes went wide for a moment, ready to throw the knife and run. The brunet stared at Arumi quietly, his lips pursed into a frown. He took in a deep breath, narrowing his eyes when the other apologized. Was this some trick? A dragon apologizing to a human?..

 

"I have too much common sense to trust you that easily." Damian said quietly, a scowl on his face. "Why would you offer anything like that? It doesn't make any sense." Then again, so does me still being alive... He thought to himself and slowly lowered his knife, still extremely cautious. "Fine."

 

The man was still holding onto his knife, not sure if it was safe to put it away yet. "How do you plan on helping me?" He questioned, tilting his head slightly. If he managed to kill some animals with nicer fur, he could make himself some proper clothing... Well, if people let him, that is.

[Kotorichan]

"If I wasn't trust worthy then I would have killed you already" Arumi sighed, trying to stay calm. "I want you to leave so I can continue my research on the plants in the area. And like I said, I don't want to deal with the others finding you... That would make my research even more difficult..."

 

"I can easily catch a few deer for you, probably more than you would have been able to kill, and you just get whatever plants you need for medicine" Arumi gave the human a slight smile. "well? If you accept then we can meet back here just before sunset. That will give me all night to do my research and you can return to your people sooner"

 

"Your other option is for me to follow you until you leave so I can make sure you don't stay until the next dragon's shift and get me into trouble"

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Damian was left with a rather hard choice to make. If the dragon went off to kill the deers, there was a big chance he'd just get more dragons and he would end up dead. His lips stayed pursed into a tight frown, eyes still showing obvious distrust. But maybe it was the best choice after all...

 

"Fine." He muttered out again, lightly rubbing his forehead with his free hand. "I don't like either of those choices, but if you really can get me a few deers... I'll take that offer." The brunet decided, straightening out his back. "We'll meet at this spot when the sun begins to set." He said and put the knife away into a bag for it on his belt.

 

"I'll get some ropes ready to get the deers easier." He muttered and turned around, ready to head deeper into the forrest. The human still seemed tense, as if just waiting for the moment for Arumi to attack. "Actually..." He stopped and turned back around, then whistled a few notes, sounding exactly like a bird. "When you hear this, reply in some sign so I know it's safe."

[Kotorichan]

Arumi rolled his eyes at the suggestion of a code. "I assure you that no one else will be coming here. As far as they're concerned this is just a mountain that a dead coloney was in... But if it makes you feel better then I'll go by your code. I'll call you if its safe and I won't respond if it isn't"

 

The dragon stripped his clothes off and stuffed them back in the bag. "Now I'll be going, meet you back here soon" he didn't wait for the human to respond before changing into his dragon form and taking off, flying towards the depths of the forest to find deer.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Damian felt a frown coming back on his face while the other avoided using the code, at least he though that. The brunet nodded as the dragon finally agreed, his body relaxing noticably. Using a sign to determine wether it was safe was always a good choice, especially when giant flying creatures who breathed fire were out to kill you.

 

The dark-eyed male also didn't bother with good byes or promises of any sort. He turned around and slowly walked into the deeper forrest, taking out his bag to collect all herbs needed. Now that he didn't have to kill the deers, he had more time to collect everything. He mostly just cut off the plants right above the ground, so that they could continue regrowing.

 

In a few hours, as the sun had begun setting, the brunet was well hidden in the top of a tree, waiting for any sound at all. He made the signal from time to time, hoping that everything was fine.

[Kotorichan]

Arumi returned just as the sun was beginning to set, he had managed to catch four deer and a wild boar which he brought with him. He landed in the clearing and dropped the beasts. The dragon looked around for a moment before remembering that the human insisted on using a code. He sighed and changed into his human form, dressing himself quickly.

 

He waited until he heard the call before calling out in reply. "I'm here, it's safe. You can come out now" He sat down on one of the dead deer to wait, pulling his book out to look over his notes as he waited for the human to appear.

 

The dragon seemed to be completely relaxed, he knew that nothing in this forest could kill him so he had nothing to fear. Arumi doubted that the human would even risk attacking him, unless he was too stupid to know that other dragons would come searching for him.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Damian's eyes shot open when he heard the dragon call out to him. The brunet first cautiously glanced through the branches, only seeing the other. He quite gracefully got out of the tree, landing on both feet with only a soft 'thud'. The brunet tilted his head after seeing the pile of deers and a boar, sighing softly to himself.

 

"What do you want for this?" He asked while getting his rope ready. This many animals wouldn't be easy to bring back, but he had to make it. And he had to make it alone... He couldn't risk getting caught while getting inside their hideout. Honestly, that would immediately destroy any chances of them surviving at all.

 

However, Damian was a curious person. He took a short glance at the other's book, his eyebrows furrowing at the plant he saw. "It's dangerous, you know." The brunet muttered out and quietly looked at Arumi's face. "Little amounts feel nice, but too much will kill you in a few hours. Even a dragon." He spoke quietly, holding the rope tightly in both of his hands.

[Kotorichan]

Arumi hadn't been planning on asking for anything, but when he heard the human's comment he looked up from his book. "You know about the affects of these plants?" He asked. He hopped up from where he was sitting and walked towards the man. "In return for helping you find food I'd like you to teach me about as many of these plants as you can. I'm here every three days, I'm the only dragon who comes out here so I can help you find food whenever you need it... Just teach me about plants, not enough of us bother with research so otherwise I would have to figure out everything on my own."

 

The dragon watched Damian prepare the rope. "Do you need help bringing these to your-" he frowned as he realized the problem with what he was saying. "ah... no, you wouldn't want that would you?"

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Damian nodded at the question, taking a small step back as the dragon approached. No one could blame him for being a little bit cautious - the man standing in front of him could easily turn into a giant flying creature that would only take seconds to either stomp him to death or burn him. The brunet still wanted to live some more... "Deal." Damian said with a light smile, for the first time the two of them interacted. When he smiled, the man looked way more relaxed and friendly, even.

 

"It's way too dangerous. I can't let you see where I'm taking these." The man said quietly as he used the rope to get all the animals in one place, to slowly drag them off to the hideout. "I wil come back here in three days." He promised and pulled the rope over his shoulder, his muscular arms serving well in such tasks. "...I'm going to use the sign again. If you don't reply, I'll assume something went wrong." Damian added and looked at the dragon.

[Kotorichan]

Arumi gave him a quick nod, knowing that he still wasn't fully trusted. "Of course, just meet me here. I'll be waiting patiently." He thought it was stupid that the human wanted to use a code, any dragon would be able to smell the man and instantly know that there was someone around. But if it made Damian feel better then he wouldn't argue.

 

The dragon bowed his head slightly and gathered his belongings. "I'll leave you alone so you can bring those back to your people, see you in three days" he smiled slightly and left the clearing to find more plants that he could examine. He was feeling excited about having someone to teach him, there weren't any dragons that were willing to teach him.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Damian usually tried to cover his own smell with one of the animals', but they didn't have any fur or anything of the sort left at the hideout. If he had done that, his smell wouldn't be that easy to pick up... And now, now that he did have a lot of dead animals, he may as well make something to cover himself. The brunet began walking towards their hideout slowly, dragging the animals with mere strength of his arms - which was quite impressive, seeing as it was quite heavy.

 

He managed to come back successfully, bringing everyone food and herbs needed for medicine. The next few days flew by and Damian went out again, this time taking a stronger rope and a slightly bigger bag for the herbs. He knew that at some point the people would start suspecting something, but it didn't matter right now. Wearing the boar fur over him, the brunet quietly sneaked through the forest until he reached the destined meeting up place. Hiding away as before, he waited for any sign of movement before quietly making the sign.

[Kotorichan]

Arumi had spent the rest of his patrol wandering around the forest collecting plants he didn't recognize. He returned to his home the next afternoon and spent the three days experimenting with the properties of the plants.

 

He returned to the clearing the afternoon that he was assigned and sat down on the grass. After awhile he could very faintly smell the human, he could tell that he was trying to hide his scent and knew it would have worked if the dragon had never smelled him before. He could also hear the sign that they had agreed on, it was clear that Damian had survived this long on more than luck. "you're surprisingly smart human" he called out. "it's safe to come out"

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Damian honestly couldn't help the small, proud grin as he was praised by the dragon, in a way. The human gracefully jumped down from the tree, pushing the fur back from his head with a hint of a smile on his face. "Obviously, else I wouldn't survive." He said in a rather calm manner, however the knife was still in his hand. This was more of a habit than actual thought that Arumi would try and attack him.

 

"What questions do you have?" He asked, putting the rope aside as he stood in front of the other, appearing to be quite confident. Damian sometimes looked even too confident... But why wouldn't he be? He was smart, agile, one of the very best of their hideout. "By the way, the name's Damian. Does your kind even have names?" The brunet questioned, slight hints of curiosity showing themselves.

[Kotorichan]

"Of course we have names, I am Arumi Aaral 12th Prince of Kinia" He gave the human a slight glare. "And many of your kind can survive for decades by sheer luck, I was merely surprised that you weren't one of them since it was so easy for me to find you yesterday" He sighed and brushed his hair back out of his face. "I suppose you must have been desperate..."

 

The dragon picked up his book and opened it over his crossed legs. "I picked up some plants which I've been researching since I last saw you... There were some things that I couldn't learn though..." he flipped to a page with a pressed flower from the forest. "are you familiar with this one?"