Chapter Text
The sun rose; early morning rays shone through the window, sunbeams bounced of jagged cliffs and the golden light glistened upon the crashing waves,soft chirps and soft songs from birds chorused, followed by dragon calls that echoed throughout Inarazaki.
Atsumu rolled in his bed; he groaned, a certain dragons snores taking over his otherwise uninterrupted beauty sleep 'gracing' his ears and forcing to him to wake up.
With a hoarse voice Atsumu muttered "Oi, 'samu tell yer dragon to shut its gob' before I shove my fist in it".
"Mm...then why dont'cha go ta sleep outside, tsumu.." Osamu quickly retorts still half asleep shifting in his bed.
The dragons booming breathing physically shook the house, then in turn,
Atsumu propels a light feathered pillow at the dragon who does not even blink an eye.
Missing his only pillow which he just sacrificed. Atsumu sits up and sighs accepting his fate and bracing himself for the day.
Light filtered through the home, covering the quarters in gold. Atsumu sat at the dark mahogany table in a very unnatural position, he drummed his fingers against the wood in uneven rhythm.
Food lay out on his plate practically untouched; except from picked apart pieces of scrap that had not been eaten.
Osamu sat down across from him with a deep sigh.
"Yer wastin' food again.".
"I was eatin it!" Atsumu protests " Just- y'know- slowly".
"Slowly? Or... Distracted?” Osamu arched a brow, eyeing the neat little pile Atsumu had unconsciously arranged.
Atsumu flushed, stuffing a bite into his mouth. “...Both?”.
Osamu shook his head, already touching Atsumu’s plate. “Unbelievable. D’you know how much salt I used on this fish? Perfectly cured. An’ yer just playin’ with it like it’s decoration.”
Atsumu groaned, dropping his head onto his folded arms. “Yer the only person alive who eats breakfast like it’s a religious experience.”
“It is,” Osamu said seriously, taking a bite. His eyes narrowed in satisfaction. “This is divine.”
Atsumu cracked a grin “Yer gonna marry a hunk of mackerel one day.”
“Better conversation than you,” Osamu shot back.
“Rude!” Atsumu clutched his chest dramatically. “See if I let ya name yer first kid after me now.”
Osamu smirked but leaned back, watching his twin’s leg bounce under the table. “Alright. What’s eatin’ at ya? Yer twitchier than usual.”
Atsumu sighed, sitting up. The words tumbled out too fast, he had kept it in for far too long. “What if I never find a dragon, ‘Samu? What if they all think I’m too much? Like—like they can smell it or somethin’, I dunno—”
Osamu held up a hand. “Oi. Breathe.".
Atsumu sucked in a breath, then muttered, “…Bet all the dragons meet up on some cliff just to laugh about dumpin’ me.”
Osamu just stared. “…Yer unbelievable.”
Atsumu leaned back, though his fingers picked at the table edge. “If they do, I bet they call it ' Dragons that regret meeting Atsumu.".
Osamu’s mouth twitched, almost a smile. “More like ‘Dragons Who Dodged a Bullet.’”
“Ha ha.” Atsumu shoved a cushion at him.
Osamu nudged the plate toward him anyway. “Listen—dragons leavin’ don’t mean somethin’s wrong with ya. They’re just not yers. Big difference.”
Atsumu went quiet, chewing this time for real.
Osamu gave him a long look, voice softer now. “Ya'll figure it out. Ya always do.”
Atsumu rolled his eyes but smiled faintly. “Wow. Wisdom an’ smoked fish. Truly, yer a man of depth.”
“Eat,” Osamu replied simply, already stealing the last bite for himself.
The moment Osamu left Atsumu finally began readying himself, putting on his usual attire.
Atsumu wandered further into the village it was lively more so than the area he had been previously, dragons wings flapped, children ran ;hid between legs and tails; weaving in and out ; playing games. Laughter and conversations dominated the scape.Merchants showcased there services and products, the town was homely, infact it was home, he and samu had been here their whole lives start to finish. It was all they had ever known but longing took over his soul;he yearned for an escape to leave the comfort, and to be free.
Its probably noon if he had to guess a time, sun overhead, sky bright, atsumu leaned against a wooden fence a timberjack- sunas timberjack, snapped up a fish he threw towards it devouring it in seconds.
"Story of my life " Atsumu muttered.
Suna crossed his arms against the fence looking in complete and utter disinterest. "Y'know" tearing through the quiet silence he had made for himself "At this point I think the only dragon that will stay with you is one as dramatic as you are."
Atsumu whips his head around staring at suna in disbelief, his face morphs into a scowl" excuse ya?".
Suna raises one brow "You heard me ."
Atsumu huffs, crossing his arms " Well, maybe I'm waitin' fer a dragon that actually has fine taste. Can't blame me if I have standards"
Suna doesn't blink " Standards? You've been dumped by like, what, six, seven dragons this month?".
"Six,". Atsumu shoots back, then grins "An' one of 'em even circled back just ta make sure I knew it was rejectin' me."
Sunas lip twitches the faintest of smirks, but continues on with a sigh; a glint of mischief in his eyes "maybe they do gather up somewhere to talk about you."
Atsumu perks up at the thought " Oh, definitely. Betchya there's a whole dragon gossip circle up there' An carved in ta the cliffs reads 'Avoid the blonde one'."
That earns him a low chuckle from suna before he regains his composure an invisible pump of his fists show in Atsumu head. " Your ridiculous."
"An' yer welcome" Atsumu leans back against the post and grins like he had won a medal.
The day had progressed along slowly yet fast.
Aran stood before the door his typhoomerang rested a few metres away from the entrance
The hall echoed with the crackling of fire, Ichiko Miya sat with a commanding presence in the room.
Glowing lanterns lit up the expanse, Kita stood at the chieftess's right hand side, gaze steady as ever, Aran tried not to look at him or draw too much attention to the way his heart quickened up upon seeing the man.
Tried.
The chieftess's eyes lifted from the scrolls and maps, acknowledging Aran nodding towards him.
"Ya came sooner then expected" she smiles lightly.
"Couldn't keep ya waiting ma'am" Aran replies.
" Ya'd best speak yer mind befor' it eats ya alive" she states even with the odd comment there was warmth, there always was.
He faintly smiles" Couldn't hide anythin' from ya if I tried could I?"
"Not a thing" she replies.
He steps closer. " It's the patrols, many have witnessed dragons acting out of the ordinary near tha high cliffs, apparently circling the area."
Eyes Interlinked.
" Hmmm, an I bet theres another spit it out?" Mama Miya prompted.
Aran shakes his head nothing could get past her.
"One of the grain houses took damage after tha last storm, roofs busted, it's been patched but were worried if tha next one to come might empty half of the contents"
The chieftess thinks, exhaling," see it be done that the store house be fixed, as fer the cliffs.... The island has a way of telling us what's wrong wait until it does."
"Of course.".
Kita speaks up breaking the silence " I'll ride with you to the cliffs tommorow, morning, two eyes are always better than one ".
Aran looks towards him as if he hadn't been the whole time the way he looks its as if Kita had hung the moon, " thank ya, the company would be good".
Mama Miya lips curve, sensing the feelings unsaid " it's handled then! Great, yer free ta go ".
Dusk was witnessed by all the gorgeous sky, at
nightfall.
Atsumu roamed the empty town, the glowing illumantion shone from the houses turning on as it was reaching twilight, the light from the almost absent horizons gleamed off the cliffs he noticed most people flying home his heart ached as it was something he could not do.
He wandered the streets the dirt paths kicked up upon his boots messing them up.
The sun burned into embers, staining the sky a bruised purple and gold, it bled into a ombre , atsumu went towards the direction of the cliffs, the forest was beautiful at dusk, but it felt heavier than usual every tree casted dark formiding shadows that seemed to follow him, the forest that sorounded them were bushy and full. He could hear all sorts of creatures but there was a certain pull for the great rock mountains, his feet kept carrying him and wouldn't stop.
The air shifted. He began fidgeting at his side, flicking at loose threads, playing with anything that he could. A scent mingled in the air. Sweet. Heavy. It clung to the back of his throat resonating there as if it belonged there. He coughed; an attempt to clear his throat.
"Perfect," he muttered breaking the long silence he set himself, it was far to loud in the hush." I'm gonna die smellin' like a bakery in the sun.".
And then he heard it.
An enchanting hum; came through the forest, enticing him, it was low,winding, strange. It had wrapped around him like prey of a snake, and a ghostly squeeze to keep him still. The notes made him feel seen, it scared him, they tugged at his heart; his heartstrings.
He was quiet, he never was; but something was different this wasn't an ordinary scene; no longer trembling he kept the fear inside far enough burrowed that he could hide it. His breath slowed but his chest picked up beating his ears he could hear every pump, for a boy who never stopped, the quiet was the most terrifying aspect.
The song coaxed him, lured him into the clearing unconsciously.
At last, it showed itself.
The Death Song.
It was extremely large, he had never even seen a death song in person resorting to myths and legends, the books had barely covered the dragon. But he did know it was mystery class and very few existed.
Their scales of Molton gold gleamed off the faint rays of sunset. It was beautifully terrifying. It's body curved like coils showcasing it long and slender body. It's wings like Great sails large imposing,and brightly coloured, intricate patterns like a poisonous butterfly. Its figure elongated into a lengthy winding tail.
The clearing felt as if it was shrinking in on him, but he hardly noticed as he fixated into the intoxicating sight.
It's piercing eyes locked in on him.
He felt the vibrating throughout his body, it was seemingly getting louder. His knees threatened to give out, atsumu could feel the hum rattling his bones.
"Oh no" he croaked, his jaw felt stiffened, he practically forced it to move.
"Yer-yer real shiny. Like.. like samus forehead when he leans ta close t'the fire.".
It's serpentine body winded towards him every claw with a drag of it nails in the ground but ever silent, he could feel the lure hanging in the air hiding itself, but impossibly present.
Although the steps noiseless its song rebrvrated in the ground.
Unwillingly his figure leaned into the sound it puppeteered his bones.
He tried to shake out of the grasp it had on him, gasping, jerking his head,begging to be released, to be let go. "No—no, no, no—don’t even start with that creepy lullaby! I ain’t… I ain’t—”
Undeniably close, there Infront of him directly, the creature had lowered its head it's scent suffocating honeyed, gaze held. It's eyes had more depth, more feeling, the irises held layers of emotions and years of experiences and he realised it wasn't just an imposing creature it was a life.
Then his legs finally gave up. A thud. He could feel his muscles tensing up every part preparing to run his body in fight or flight, there was a clear danger but he couldn't; he wouldn't move. It had almost broke the steady stream of notes. He was pinned by it's gaze and he witnessed every detail on the dragons face.
Atsumu thought to himself this is it. This is where it ends ' goodbye cruel world I probably,, won't miss ya'.
But the dragon hadn't striked, hadn't swallowed him whole.
It's heavy, warm breath felt hot against his skin. It was, just watching him.
For the first time Atsumu felt seen, he didn't feel disregarded, in a way that was more petrifying than anything.
Then, completely sudden, the hum dispersed. The death songs head lifted breaking the drawn out staring match, their wings unfurled and they had shifted back, it had given Atsumu another look before it had rose into flight, gone with the wind, gone too soon.
His pulse still as fast, and his legs still tense but less. He curled into a fetal position holding his body squeezing it his feet remained planted on the ground not having left even with, that..
His breath was far too quick, his body's adrenaline refusing to slow. "Coulda eaten me,” he rasped, his horse voice similar to the morning making a presence again. He croaked out a laugh breaking before it left his throat. “Woulda saved everyone the trouble.”
And just like that it was silent; again. Empty. But Atsumu still buzzed the prickling sensation at the back of neck remained. His body still felt warm maybe from the blood pumping, maybe from when the death song had breathed on him. It's presence was gone, but it was still felt.