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There is someone in Technoblade’s den.
Or rather, they’re not inside, exactly.
Not yet. They’re just more hovering by the entryway, standing still before the gaping hole carved into the side of the mountain. They’ll come in eventually, Techno knows it, it’s only a matter of when.
They always hesitate when they approach his home. As if by standing there and considering the dangers for a good minute or two, it’ll make it easier to overcome them. Make it safer.
Or maybe they’re just trying to gather courage. He’s met plenty of cowards at his doorstep before. Just with the sight of his eyes amongst the dark, they’re always sent running.
Techno likes those ones. They may be boring, still annoying, but at least he doesn’t have to go through the tediousness of leaving his hoard to burn them to ashes.
Although, it’s been a while since anyone has come, cowards or not. The years have been silent for some time, and the seasons have treated Techno well. His hoard of treasure stays untouched, his sleep stays undisturbed, and he stays content. It is a good life. A quiet one.
Until now, with a new heartbeat standing at the edge of his den.
He supposes the peace could never last forever. Humans are too stubborn and unpredictable to let such things happen. They’d rather die a hundred times over than ever let Techno have a nice decade without an unwanted visitor.
Techno hums at the back of his throat, the noise lifting up through the air, echoing off the walls. He knows that the human at the entryway can hear it, because their heartbeat picks up speed, and there is a shaky breath being let out from their lips. They stand there, so still, so careful, entirely unknowing of the fact Techno can hear them perfectly. He hears a shuffle of nervous footsteps and the clink of armor, and he knows why this person is here.
An annoyed growl cuts through the cave, and he hears the human’s heartbeat grow even quicker. Maybe they will be a coward. Maybe they will put that sword down and run the other way. Techno would hope so. He’d rather sleep than deal with this.
Alas, Techno’s wishes are not met.
The human comes inside, through the doorway, dirt, rocks, and bones crunching underneath their boots. They walk slowly, heartbeat racing, the air in their lungs not seeming like enough.
Technoblade opens his eyes.
It’s dim inside his den. The doorway only lets in so much light, and his hoard is kept far in the back, himself resting upon it. The shadows of the cave drape over him like a protective blanket, keeping him unseen from the single foolish warrior stumbling in.
From here, Techno can see a head turning this way and that way, searching through the dark. Clunky armor that doesn’t quite fit right. A sword that is held hesitantly, carefully, like the blade might hurt the hand that holds it.
This one is more foolish than Techno first thought. Has he ever slain anything before this? A dragon is hardly a good choice for a first fight.
“Hello?” A voice calls out, and the greeting echoes right back, bouncing off the stone calls, making the hunter flinch. Technoblade almost snorts at the sight. A soldier afraid of his own voice. That’s something human indeed.
Techno doesn’t move from his hoard, doesn’t stand. Instead, he just lifts his head, eyes bright against the dark, and he looks dead on towards the idiotic warrior who’s stepped foot in his home.
Maybe he’ll just let this one run. He’s sure he can scare it off rather easily.
“Hello?” The soldier repeats, a little louder. “Uh- hey! Fucking dragon!”
Or maybe he won’t. Maybe he’ll just burn the little heartbeat to a crisp. That’d be more satisfying, would it not?
“I-I know you’re in here!” He calls, turning in circles and stepping deeper into the cave. The sword in his hand is held loosely, and it swings through the air as he turns and turns, almost like a twirling dance. “Answer me, bitch!”
Techno does. He gives a sharp snarl, loud and deadly, and the human goes dead still. Techno can hear his breath grow into a panicked wheeze. His heartbeat is so quick. So scared. Surely, he will run.
“Come out!” The soldier screams instead. His voice is high-pitched and shaky, but it rises up into the air all the same, and Techno narrows his eyes. “Show yourself! Don’t you want to give an introduction to your- your epic honored guest?!”
“Guest.” Techno repeats, the word seeming to be more of a rumble rather than a language in his mouth. “You come into my home with a blade in hand, and expect me to think of you as a guest?”
Tommy breathes out shakily, staring out into the pitch black darkness.
“Yeah.” He says, not sounding confident in that answer at all. Faintly, he sees two pinpricks of light, bright red, staring him down.
It looks small. Harmless. Like just a tiny animal off in the woods, staring at Tommy from afar. Tommy can take that. He can fight that. He can win.
But then it grows bigger. It rises higher, high, high, high above Tommy’s head.
It comes closer, with the sound of something being moved aside, like an avalanche of clinking coins. Metal dragging against metal, things falling and rolling and settling.
The dragon’s hoard. It must be a sight to behold, a mountain of gold. Crowns and coins and jewelry, more than Tommy could ever imagine. He wishes he could see it, past the dark.
All he sees is the eyes of a pissed off dragon, staring right into his soul. A low growl rises and fills Tommy’s ears, and he holds back the urge to slap his palms over them to block out the terrifying noise. That is the noise of imminent death. The noise of a warning for fire being sent out.
But Tommy doesn’t move.
“Dragon.” He only says, lifting his chin with trembling hands. Techno huffs, sending a bit of smoke his way, Tommy feeling it enter his lungs. He coughs for a moment, and Techno watches with an amused snort. “You- oy! Don’t fucking smoke at me.”
“I’ll do what I like.” Technoblade nods, moving away from the soldier. He circles around in the dark, steps slow and quiet, yet heavy against the dirt. “What could you do to stop me?”
“Stab you, that’s what.” Tommy says, lifting the sword in his hand. “I’ll kill you.” He could. He will. (He has to.) “I’ve come to slay you.”
A laugh comes from the dragon at that. He laughs, a cackling sort of noise, and then quiets down with a sigh. Tommy’s heartbeats feel so heavy within his ribs.
“You want to kill me.” Techno repeats. “With what? That little blade?”
Tommy points the sword at the dragon with a scowl, but he’s not quite sure where the dragon is. The beast keeps moving, keeps circling, and all Tommy can spot past the dark is the dim silhouette of a slithering tail.
Prime, how big is this dragon? Tommy had hoped it wouldn’t be too large, but- if that’s just the tail-?
“I don’t think you would get far.” The dragon continues, making fun of Tommy’s weapon. “I could offer my chest to you, entirely unprotected, and that thing wouldn’t even make a scratch on my scales.”
Tommy swallows. It’s- it’s bluffing. That’s not true.
(Right?)
The sword now feels a bit pathetic in his hands, but he holds it up regardless. He spins, trying to follow the voice that fills his ears, but he can’t find those red eyes again. The dragon keeps surrounding him, keeps staying too close.
The soldier stumbles back with a fearful noise. Deeper into Techno’s den. Techno shifts his wings upon his back and listens to that heartbeat once more. It beats just the same, fast and panicked, terrified.
But the warrior does not run.
“What could you do?” Techno asks, pestering and insistent. “What will you do, if that piece of metal in your hands is nothing but useless weight?”
“It’s not useless!” Tommy shouts. He grips the sword tighter, anger burning in his chest. (It’s the first thing he was allowed to keep, all to himself. It is his sword, his and no one else's. If he dies here, he will die with it being his. All his.) “Give me your heart, then! We can try it!”
Another snort. “I’ll decline.”
“You already offered. Don’t be an ass and back out.”
“As I’ve said before,” Techno moves forward, dipping his head down towards the human, eyes bright. Tommy stumbles back again, nearly falling with surprise. “I’ll do what I like. This is my den, you know. What makes you think you’ve got any voice?”
“I’ve got a throat and I’ve got words. That’s a voice.” Tommy responds. He points the sword up high.
“That’s not power, though.”
“I don’t need power. I just need to kill you.” Tommy gasps in a breath, and then stands as tall as he possibly can, shoulders squared and his weapon up high. “I’m going to kill you, dragon. Then I’ll take your heart and show it to the entire town, let them know I’ve won.”
Techno only scoffs. This one thinks he’s going to make it back to the town. That he’ll make it that far.
The determination is admirable, to be entirely honest. That’s always been something Techno’s enjoyed about humans. Their emotions, their fire. They’re such small creatures. So tiny and so frail, and yet they will stare into the very jaws of death, and will still bite. Still kick and scream as if that will give a chance in the face of hopelessness.
“Yes, yes.” Techno hums, deciding to humor the soldier for the time being. He likes the conversation, so what. It’s not every time the humans come in talking first rather than just immediately swinging. Techno does value their thoughts. It’s entertaining. “I’m sure you will do just that.”
Tommy huffs. “You don’t believe me?”
“Hm. Where are the others?” Techno only asks, leaning in close, his snout almost nudging against the tip of Tommy’s sword. Tommy lets out a choked squeak, and practically scrambles to move back as fast as possible.
“What others?!”
“You aren’t the first to come slay me.” And he won’t be the last.
Techno lifts his head back up, and moves through his den once more, slowly but surely bringing Tommy further and further inside. The light from the doorway begins to fade away as Tommy keeps stumbling to keep distance, but he doesn’t seem to notice.
“There are always others. They always come in with crossbows, with spears, with chains.”
Tommy turns his head this way and that way, eyes wide. Techno grins.
“With fire, even.” He continues. “You’d think they’d understand that fire can’t exactly hurt a dragon, but- well. There’s been attempts anyhow.”
The soldier is quiet. He looks down at the floor with a quiet breath, and lifts his head with a shiver. “Where are they?”
Techno slowly comes to a stop. “Hm?”
“The others. Where are they? Where did you put them?”
Oh.
That’s- that’s terribly naive.
How foolish is this soldier? Did no one tell him of the stories? Of the deaths by fire at his door?
“You’re standing on them.” Techno only says, and Tommy looks down.
The sword clatters to the ground.
Tommy is standing on bones. Human bones, charred black. He stumbles back and falls onto the ground, and screams at the impact. He kicks his legs and looks up at the dragon, and finds it hidden in the dark.
Everything is so dark. Tommy- he can’t see.
Prime, he cannot see. When did the sun outside get so far?
“Did they not tell you before you came?” Techno asks, something teasing in the tone. Tommy shrinks away in fear. “Did they not tell you of the dragon that lives in the mountain, the one that has stayed here for centuries now, and will stay for centuries after? The one who’s killed every single stupid human that’s stepped foot into its home?”
“No.” Tommy responds, hardly even a whisper. Techno still hears it as clear as day, and he pauses. “No, they said-” And he stops.
Techno stops as well. He stays still, listens to that beating heart. And he turns his full attention onto the human on the ground.
Were humans… always this small? Or is it just a matter of perspective?
Techno moves closer. Tommy practically shrieks at seeing red eyes come near, and he jumps to his feet, running away.
“No!” He yells, and he grabs the sword off the ground, fumbling over his feet and running over burnt bones. “No, I’m- it doesn’t matter what they said! I’m going to slay you!”
The soldier keeps running, sounding desperate, yet furious. Stubborn in every single inch. He moves, and finds claws in the way. He goes to move around it, only to find a wall of scales.
He climbs the scales, with nothing else to do.
“Now I’m curious.” Techno hums, watching the hunter scale up his side. He can barely feel his weight moving across, and he just watches as the human gives his all, lifting himself up, giving grunts of effort. “What did they tell you? Did you imagine this would be easy?”
He shifts, and Tommy goes down tumbling with a scream, losing his grip. The sword clatters to the floor, and Tommy falls with it, his armor clanging against the ground. He sits up not a second later, pushing himself to his feet.
“Did you think you could win?” Techno asks. Tommy grabs at his sword again, raising it high and swinging it wildly into the air with Techno’s snout coming near. It doesn’t even touch him, but Techno moves away anyhow. “Or are you just so blind with pride that you refuse to accept defeat?”
“Fuck you!” Tommy screams, and it is frantic. His chest heaves for air, and his voice wavers like a warning for tears. “I’m not scared of you!”
“Are you, now?”
“I’m not!” Tommy raises the sword high with all his strength.
Techno huffs.
“Liar.”
And he moves a claw closer, knocking Tommy down with a mere nudge. Tommy shrieks, but rolls to his feet, and coughs with smoke flowing into his face.
“I can hear your heart, did you know? I can hear your fear.” Technoblade says, and oh, how Tommy’s heart races even faster with that. Precious thing. “Or did they not tell you that, either?”
“Shut up.” Tommy mutters, stepping backwards right into Techno’s tail. He flinches away, and walks backwards, and feels a gust of warm air blow against him.
There are red eyes right beside him.
“I’ll do what I like.” Techno says, and-
“Shut UP!” Tommy swings.
Miraculously, the sword hits its target. It drags against Techno’s snout, scraping against his scales with a clang, and Tommy gives a furious cry, swinging once more and getting nothing as Techno moves away. He is uninjured. Not even scratched.
“I’ll kill you!” Tommy repeats, and he screams out into the cave, his voice echoing so loudly. “I’m going to kill you, and I’ll take your heart, and then I can go home!”
Because that is all he has ever wanted.
That is all Tommy wants.
If he kills the dragon, then the town will want him. It’ll welcome him back with open arms, greeting him as a honored warrior who’s slain the danger that sleeps within the mountain. They’ll regret all the things they said to him before, they’ll regret ever doubting him.
He will be loved.
“Oh.” The dragon says. “Oh, is that what this is?” His voice is no longer teasing. It’s quiet. Nearly on the edge of bursting.
Tommy knows the start of a fight when he sees one.
“Come down here!” Tommy yells, still holding that sword with fury. “Fucking fight me!”
There is a shift in the darkness, the beast moving around, and Tommy braces himself for a hit, for smoke in his face.
And then there is fire.
There is heat, warmth filling the air, and Tommy covers his eyes, his face, and realizes after a second of horror that the fire isn’t burning him. He dares to glance past his arms, and sees the dragon before him.
It’s huge. The thing towers over Tommy, lifting its head up, and the fire is not aimed at him. It is aimed at the ceiling of the cave. The flames spread out and catch onto vines up above, glowing red plants that burn like a hot piece of coal. When Techno is done, the warmth still stays, and with it, the light. A soft, warm light, shining down.
He looks at the hunter once more, expecting a foolish young man.
He finds a child, instead.
A single fledgling, with armor that does not fit, and a sword that is too big.
And never has anger risen up so quickly within his skin before.
Techno knows how humans are. He knows how annoying they can be, how foolish. But never has he seen humans be so cruel, so stupid to where they will send one of their young into certain death.
Because that is what this is. Techno has never let a hunter live once they enter his home. Once they pass that entryway, they are his to burn to ashes. Their bones are added to his hoard, charred, blackened remains, trophies of all the hunters who failed to do anything to him.
The humans know this. All the towns and people who are near, they know of the danger that is a dragon.
And yet.
“This changes some things.” Techno says, and he cannot keep the furious growl out of his words. Tommy lifts his sword in defense. “This changes many things.”
“What does?”
Techno lowers his head, Tommy stumbling back.
“Well. You’re young.”
That seems to be the wrong thing to say, because Tommy’s face goes red, and he begins to shout. “I am not!”
Techno only snorts with a puff of smoke.
“I’m not!” Tommy insists. “That doesn’t mean shit! I can still fight you. I’m still going to kill you.”
“Stars, you’re just a little thing.” Techno leans in close, resting his head down on the ground, Tommy trying to strike at his snout. Techno blows a gust of warm air, and Tommy falls back with a shriek, his sword falling again. “Who would’ve ever thought you would stand a chance?”
Tommy simmers with rage. “I stand a chance.”
“You do not. The sword does nothing. Your armor doesn’t fit. You are young.”
“I’m fifteen!”
“Fifteen hundred?” That’s not terribly bad, actually.
Tommy sputters a bit at that, his determination faltering. “No! fifteen years!”
Oh, stars, that’s worse. This isn’t a child. This is a baby.
They’ve sent an actual baby to go fight him.
That’s a worse insult than just trying to kill him. Because while hunters are tedious, they are not painful. They do not cause anything more than annoyance, and the occasional satisfaction at seeing them fall.
This isn’t painful, exactly, but it is upsetting. He does not care for humans, but he knows the importance of life either way. He may be a dragon, but that does not mean he is a brutal creature without emotions, thoughts.
He has empathy. He has love.
Here is a young soul, left to die. Who would Techno be if he were to leave it to suffer?
And who would he be if he were to not burn every single stupid human responsible as revenge?
Tommy gives a noise of fear, and only does Techno realize he’s been snarling out into the air without even meaning to. He reigns himself back into silence, and takes a better look at the baby before him.
He is small, no matter how much the human will go denying it. He doesn’t look hurt, but he does look dirty. (He’ll need to wash that dirt off another time, once the fire inside his chest has simmered down.) His hair is a golden blond, and while it’s not nearly as bright as the rest of his hoard, it is good enough. Techno will accept it. He’ll cherish it.
The kid is his now. All his. The humans gave him up the second they sent him out with that armor, and they cannot take him back.
Speaking of that armor, it is just hideous. But he knows that symbol carved into it. Knows the town.
It’s rather close.
“What?” The baby asks, and Techno blinks, brought out of his thoughts. He looks at the human, and sees him flinch away.
Techno tilts his head in question.
“You were just staring at me!” Tommy explains. Ah. That explains it.
“I was just thinking.”
Tommy frowns. Glances at the sword beside him. “Of what?”
“Don’t bother grabbing that.” Techno warns, and Tommy freezes up like stone. “And I was just thinking of who sent you here.”
Tommy stares up with a jerky nod, and despite Techno’s words, he still goes for the sword.
Techno reaches a claw forward and puts it down over Tommy, caging him in against the ground. Tommy screams with fear, kicking his legs and crying out desperately.
“Don’t kill me, don’t kill me!”
“I won’t.” Techno promises. “I’m not going to.” He pulls Tommy closer, dragging him away from the sword, and Tommy screams higher, his voice cracking with the effort.
“Fuck, no, no! I’m sorry! I’ll go back! I’ll go back to town!”
“You can’t do that.” Techno hums. “Remember? You said you had to kill me to go home.” He lifts his claw up, and Tommy is sprawled out on his back, chest heaving for air. He stares up at Techno with a baffled look. “Are you going to kill me?”
“Yes!” Tommy cries out, and Techno only laughs.
“No.” And he grabs at Tommy again. Tommy shrieks again with the claws over him, and then cries even louder with Techno’s head leaning down close.
“DON’T EAT ME!”
“You’d hardly be a snack, believe me.” Techno tells him, and then huffs with displeasure at still seeing that stupid armor stuck on his human.
This requires a better solution.
Techno sighs. Maybe the child will stop screaming with this.
Tommy still kicks and screams and punches with all his might, but the claws over him do not budge. They’re not squishing him, really, it’s just kinda hovering over him ominously, but Tommy still feels like he’s dying either way.
But suddenly, the claw moves away, and Tommy is free. He gasps in warm air, and sits up in a rush, trying to run, but his legs don’t get the memo. There is a burst of heat behind him as he falls, and his heart jumps into his throat at thinking the dragon has had enough, and he will be burnt to death.
It doesn’t happen, though.
Tommy struggles and chokes back tears as he tries to stand, and rather than feel flames burning off his skin, he just hears quiet footsteps crunching towards him.
He goes still, and turns with hope.
The dragon is gone. Left in its place is a man who looks like a king, with bright pink hair, and red eyes that glow.
It’s strange, and certainly suspicious, but Tommy is so caught up in the relief of having a human beside him that he just reaches out with a sob.
“Help me!” He calls, and help is there. He is not ignored, not abandoned. The man kneels down on the dirty ground with him and pulls him into his arms, keeping him close. The embrace is so jarring, so sudden, and Tommy melts into it, not knowing how to even take it.
No one has hugged him so closely in so long. Here is his savior, doing it without a single complaint.
He’s warm. Incredibly so. Tommy would wonder if it is just because of the strange vines above, or just the warmth of the cave itself, but he’s overwhelmed with emotion, and can’t bother to think properly of anything. He just cries, wracking sobs that shake him entirely.
He wants to go home. He wants to be safe.
But the town doesn’t want him back. And he was a fool who went into a dragon’s den.
“It’s alright.” A hand runs over his curls, and Tommy presses up into the hand, grabbing at the man’s shirt. “You’re alright.”
The dragon is gone, Tommy is safe, but he’s failed. Nothing is alright.
Fingers tug at the armor over his chest. The hero holding him gives an unhappy grunt. “Okay, we need this off. I’m burning this later.”
“Huh?” Tommy sniffs, looking up, but there’s already a hand yanking at the latches keeping the metal secure, and Tommy looks down and finds the chestplate becoming loose.
“Arms up.” The man says, and Tommy complies, lifting his arms and feeling the chestplate lift off him. It’s thrown to the side without any care, and then he’s dragged into another tight hug. Tommy almost bursts into tears all over again. “That’s better.”
“I needed that.” Tommy mutters, wiping a hand at his face and looking at the armor discarded to the ground, amongst all the bones and dirt.
“It wouldn’t have done you much good. You’re frail even with armor completely coverin’ you.”
Tommy huffs with frustration at that, but he doesn’t say much more. He’s just glad he’s not dying. Not being burnt into bones.
He makes the mistake of looking up into the hunter’s eyes.
He sees red, and goes still.
The arms around him are even tighter than before, and Tommy no longer feels like this is just a hug. This is a trap. He’s been caught in it like a fucking idiot.
“You’re the dragon.” Tommy breathes out, and the man’s face shifts into a small smile. "You're the fucking-"
“That took you a moment.”
“You’re-” That is not possible, Tommy wants to scream. He wants to kick and scream and cry that it’s not fair, it is all not fair, he doesn’t want to die, not to magic, not to fire, not to the dragon. But the dragon has got him right where he wants him, and Tommy can’t even reach his sword.
Not that it would do him any good.
“Convincing?” Techno grins, and his teeth are too sharp, his eyes too bright. “I haven’t used this form in a while, I’ll admit.”
“You look- You look like a fucking idiot.” Tommy insults, ignoring the way his heart jumps at saying such a stupid thing. “Your hair is pink.”
“Some things just can’t quite blend in entirely.” Techno only hums, and he tilts his head to the side. “Now. I have questions.”
“No.” Tommy instantly says, but he doesn’t even go anywhere. He gives one kick, two, and then he gives up.
He is tired, okay? The adrenaline is fading out, and for some reason his mind is convinced that being in the arms of a dragon is safe. Everything is simmering down and his energy is slipping away. His arms feel kinda heavy. It’s shit. Tommy wants to stab the dragon in the heart.
“Just a few. Or.” Techno thinks. “Just one. And then I’ll let you rest.”
“You’ll let me go?”
The dragon only grins. “Depends on if you answer.” A bold lie. Techno will never let go. When a dragon takes something, it keeps it.
Tommy scrunches up his face with a frown, but he nods. “Fine! Tell me.” He says, ready to say anything.
“What did the people tell you when they sent you to me?”
Oh.
Actually, Tommy doesn’t want to say that one. He is not saying that one. The dragon can go burning him if he likes, Tommy will not say this. This is his mission alone.
He goes back to kicking. It is about as useless as the sword against scales.
“Did they tell you you’d win? That you had to win?”
Tommy squirms, throwing his head back and knocking it into the dragon’s shoulder.
“Did they send you up saying you couldn’t go back?”
Tommy reaches his hands up and tries scratching at the dragon’s face. His wrists are caught and pulled to the side, and he is held even closer, almost smothering. Part of Tommy wants to cry and sink into it, glad to just have someone to hold and protect him, for once. The other part of him really wants to jab this stupid dragon’s eye out.
“Not without a dragon’s heart.”
“Fuck you!” Tommy blurts out, the words coming out with a waver. “Fuck you, fuck you! Get off me!”
Techno sighs. “Oh, little one, they sent you on a death mission.”
“They didn’t!” Tommy denies, even though he knows it is true. He can’t admit it. He can’t. If he does, then he’s lost it all. It is a much crueler fate than death, then, because it means they’ve thrown him out to a dragon. To danger with a useless sword. “I can still kill you! I’ll kill you!”
“They knew you weren’t going to win. Do you know how many hunters your town has sent after me? I’ve seen men twice your size with armor enchanted with magic. I’ve seen soldiers with sharp axes and swords, bigger than what you had. I’ve seen armies march into my den, nets and chains in hand.”
Tommy closes his eyes, feeling tears burn within them.
“And they’ve all fallen to me. So you wouldn’t have stood a chance.”
And with that, Tommy sobs again. He cries, breaking apart in despair, wishing for the dragon to just stop talking so he can burn him up already. Add him to the pile of bones at their feet. That would be a mercy. That would be better than reminding Tommy that his home has kicked him out and pushed him off towards a death sentence.
“It’s alright now. I won’t let you go back.” Techno rests his cheek against the top of Tommy’s head, and Tommy’s breath hitches with confusion. “It’d be a waste to ever let them have you again. You’re so brave. You can be so strong, one day.”
Could he be? Could Tommy have that?
“You’ll stay right here. With me. I’ll take good care of you, don’t worry. Those humans will never wrong you ever again.”
Tommy listens to it all with disbelief, and falls into a foolish hope. He cannot trust a dragon. He cannot stay with a dragon.
But where else would he go?
And where else is safer than right here, in a dragon’s arms?
Tommy holds the careful hope within his chest, and sits still for the moment being. Maybe later he will scream once more, kick and cry and try killing the dragon for its heart again. Maybe later he will run, begging the town to take him back, to protect him.
But for now, he rests. And savors the thought of maybe being loved.
(And he drifts off, right there in Techno’s arms, all his energy drained out. Techno sets his fledgling upon his hoard of gold, the most precious treasure amongst all the sparkling jewels. He leaves the cave, letting Tommy rest.
And as Tommy sleeps his exhaustion away, a town burns from the fire of a dragon.)