Chapter 217 - Vol. 4 - 16

Gurron

"So, that's a 'no' then?" The half-demon asked as Gurron nearly chuckled. 

He hadn't been angry to hear her request. It was a sensible one, after all, considering his current state. However, he still rejected it. 

"I am afraid so," he replied weakly. "If anyone is to do such a thing, I would rather it be my daughter."

Even now, Gurron was contemplating what exactly Sinneah would do once he was gone. He had been a constant factor in her life from the moment she was born. If she was a true dragon, he knew she would move on in no time, maybe even be eager to begin a life of travel on her own. 

However, as she was part human, he couldn't predict how she would react. 

"Daughter?" Ash asked looking at him, confused. "What do you mean?" 

"I may be mistaken, but is that not what you call a woman you've raised since birth?" Gurron asked. "At least, that was the word I was taught." 

"... No, you're right, I guess," Ash shrugged, looking away. "I'm just having a hard time imagining how that happened." 

They paused for a second, as silence settled between them. Gurron took a few slow, dragging breaths while Ash glanced at him every couple of seconds. 

"Would you like to know, then?" He asked. "How this came to be." 

"... Sure," Ash shrugged.

And Gurron closed his eyes, as he searched his memories. 

---

Almost Thirty Years Ago

Solitude was normal for a dragon.

Whether it was humanity, the various beasts that roamed the lands, those wretched demons, or their own kind, dragons often avoided them and kept to themselves. Many dragons, Gurron included, didn't even have families as these creatures were so territorial, they were often abandoned a year or two after their birth, and left to fend for themselves. Some chose to do so by hiding at the top of mountains, or finding old, abandoned human ruins and making a home out of them. 

For Gurron though, his favorite place to live in was the sky itself. The dragon spent most of his time in the air, soaring from one place to another. It was something he considered to be as integral to his being as the flame that would come from his core when he needed to exterminate an enemy. 

Looking down at the world from above was how he chose to spend most of his days, however, every now and then, he'd still need to go down for a meal. Dragons could live for a very long time without food, but starving was something no creature enjoyed doing. 

It was on one such occasion when the emptiness of his stomach made him descend just a short distance north of that grey land, where square mountains and hills were packed so closely together. Gurron had once approached it, curious, only for a metallic beam to be shot through his body, which took him a month to fully recover from. 

That had been his first encounter with that species known as "humanity" and this was his second. 

Gurron flew down into the forest, landing near a body of water, where multiple animals were drinking from. Hunting, like flying, was something he enjoyed practicing, and he intended to do so right now. As soon as he reached the ground, the animals panicked and Gurron let fire surge out of his body, aimed at one of them. With his hands, he yanked one, grabbing it in his right hand and slamming it down to the ground. 

Two quick, easy kills, which meant a meager meal, but he could get more later. 

That was when she appeared, walking through the trees ahead. Gurron looked up when he saw her. 

A human stood past the body of water, on the other side, looking back at him, fearlessly. 

He didn't know too much about them, back then. Not even what they were called, only a little of what they were like. Small, tiny creatures, but crafty, surprisingly powerful at times, and clever. 

His eyes focused on this human. A female with short golden hair and crystal-clear eyes. She was wearing a strange white armor that Gurron had not seen before, though he had no idea what was considered normal for these things. She approached him, then, walking through the water which reached up to her knees. 

He understood this to be a challenge of sorts.

There was something strange about this. The way she walked towards him, the way her eyes never strayed from his. Normally, Gurron would not hesitate to cover her in flames right at this very moment, but he paused. 

He took a deep breath and let out a roar that shook the forest, sending the birds around him flying away. Still, she stood in front of him, her expression unchanged.

Finally, he initiated the battle that occurred. 

He raised his right hand and tried to crush this insolent creature, but the woman dodged out of the way nimbly, and then ran up to him. Gurron was so surprised by this that he failed to react as, suddenly, a sword made of light appeared in her hands. 

And she slashed under his chin with it, sending a sharp pain ringing out through Gurron's body. He roared again and leaned back, sending out fire from his snout in an effort to disintegrate her. The flame covered her, and Gurron assumed she had perished. 

But, when he stopped, he found that she was standing in front of him, entirely unfazed. 

He was as confused as he'd been in his entire life, and anger overtook him and he fell into a rage, swiping at her with his claws, trying to bite down on the woman, and leaning his head back again to send out more fire. The flame still had no effect, his claws and his bite were dodged easily, and then, that sword of light reemerged and she used it to stab into his body. 

Gurron responded with a swipe of his hand, pushing through the pain, that finally caught the woman and sent her crashing into a nearby tree. He heard her cry out and knew that finally, he'd damaged her. 

As annoyed as he was at her defiance, there was a part of him that was also excited. He hadn't experienced anything like this, a real fight, in a very long time. So, he charged towards her, pushing himself forward with his legs and hands, until he tried to bite down on the spot where she was. 

And, she stopped him. Not with a weapon, or one of those metal plates some humans wore on their wrists, but with her own hands. 

It was like he was trying to push against the ground itself with how firmly she held him. He wondered how she could do this, his eyes widening with shock. 

And, what followed, he would never forget. It was a sight that he could still remember to this day if he just closed his eyes and thought hard enough about it. 

The woman pushed him away, and then with that sword, she spun into an attack, and rose-colored flowers emerged from her blade. The area around them was covered in a rosy haze, and she muttered a few words before sending out a slash towards Gurron that was as beautiful as it was lethal. 

The cut pierced his body and slashed deeply, but Gurron was too stunned to even notice. 

As his body's strength gave out from under him, he watched as the woman, who was breathing heavily, walked over to him.

Her eyes remained fixed on him, all while the attack played back in his mind multiple times. He had no clue what he'd just witnessed  as she suddenly walked up to him. 

The sword made of light returned, and Gurron understood what she was going to end him here. As was deserved, of course. He had lost and she had won. Such was the way of nature. 

Still, if Gurron was to die, he figured he would not die so laughably. So, he narrowed his eyes at her and tried his hardest to stand up. 

His legs and arms trembled as he did, but he managed it, all while she watched. 

Then, he aimed his head up and gave the mightiest roar he could, knowing it would be his last. It lasted for only a few seconds and did nothing to deter the human in front of him, but it was a worthy conclusion to his life, he felt. 

When it was done, he fell back to the ground and watched her, wanting to see the exact moment she ended his life. 

But, she wouldn't do it for some reason. The woman stared at him, her eyes narrowed. At this distance, Gurron could notice more details about her appearance that he couldn't before. She had pale, nearly colorless lips, and was covered in what he assumed to be scars. 

Then, the sword disappeared, and instead, she placed a hand over his head. 

Her hand glowed, and, strangely, Gurron felt his body begin to recover. 

He wondered what was happening, as he had no idea. As dragons were immune to the magical forces of this world, he understood that this had to be something different. Whatever it was though, it worked wonders. 

His strength slowly returned and he stood up on his arms and legs, looking down at her.

Then, she started saying something. 

It sounded like "meeh, meeh," as she tapped herself on the chest. 

And, as funny as it sounded to him, Gurron attempted to mimic the sound. 

"... Me," he spoke, and the woman smiled. 

---

Twenty-One Years Ago

The woman did not leave after that, and, as curious as Gurron was, all he did was watch her as she walked around and said words he did not understand. 

For ten long years though, he learned. It was a slow process, but eventually, he had started to understand some of the things that she was saying. 

For one, humans had "names" for things, and hers was Tomoe. 

It had taken a long time before he could say the word himself, but once that barrier was broken, she taught her all sorts of words. Now, he knew the things around him were called trees, the liquid he would drink from was called water, the puffs of mist he'd fly through were called clouds. 

This knowledge became addicting to him, and Tomoe was happy to indulge him in this regard. 

Some concepts were harder to grasp than others though. Hatred, fear, jealousy. Love, particularly, had taken him a long time to understand but learn them he did. 

In return, of course, he gave her gifts of his own. He showed her what flying was like, taking her on his back as he would soar through the skies. He showed her different places, all of which she told him she'd never seen before. While he learned what life was like for a human, she learned what it was like for him. 

Until, eventually, a sense of mutual adoration had formed. This enemy had turned into the first thing that Gurron could call, as she'd taught him, a "friend". 

Twenty-one years ago though, something happened. The two of them found a new area to explore, one that neither of them had been to. 

It was covered in mist, and from above, Gurron could see that it glowed in multiple colors, with lightning coming from a cloudless sky above occasionally falling down on it. 

They journeyed there and encountered experiences that were new to both of them. But one day, something happened neither of them could have predicted. 

While they rested here, Tomoe had begun to grow sick. Gurron had wondered if they should leave, but she felt this place was so gorgeous, she didn't want to go. 

Her condition worsened with each passing day though. 

And, as much as Gurron asked for them to leave, she wouldn't do so. Until, one day, as the two of them were asleep, something happened. 

Gurron awoke when something bright caught his attention. He opened his eyes and saw that, between him and Tomoe, white ethereal lines were coming out from their bodies. These lines intertwined, swirling together and merging in the air, until, slowly, they began filling out the form of a human. 

Slowly, her body was filled out. Scales, hands, legs, a head, and sharp teeth. Gurron saw it all with awe, urging Tomoe to wake up and see what was happening. 

She didn't respond though. Instead, he watched this process on his own, and it was only after it was done that he looked over at Tomoe. 

Her body was perfectly still, her eyes closed. 

And her eyes never opened again.