The Dragon of the Sky (2)

"WHAT?" This time, to silence him, Igneel had to press a paw on him. Despite everything, Natsu still caught a glimpse of Grandeeney's body, which was beginning to glow. When he made his way between the claws to look outside, he discovered that in front of the cave, there was now an elderly lady with a stern air and pink hair gathered behind her head. She wore a long red cloak and a dark green dress. She looked like a human in every way, but it was evident that this was just one of the many forms that the creature could take.

"No one in the world knows the medical arts and herbs better than me, Grandeeney, the Dragon of the Sky." Announced the dragoness. "If I say that my patient will recover, then you can't doubt it! And now, buzz off, little fly, before my patience reaches its limit and I decide to eat you for real!"

"Thank you, Grandeeney." Igneel limited himself to a final gesture before taking flight and heading back towards the forest. From above, Natsu just managed to see the dragoness taking the girl in her arms and returning to the cave.

"Don't worry." Igneel reassured him. "Grandeeney may seem aggressive, but I've known her for centuries, and I'm sure she would never harm anyone. I'm certain she'll do her best to heal that little one, especially if she took it so seriously as to change shape! You know, for a dragon, it's not easy to interact with a human, but with a pair of hands and no fear of crushing those around you, everything is simpler!"

"Uhmm..." And Natsu just nodded, hoping his father was right, as always.

That evening, he found the boy and Igneel again in the heart of the clearing where they lived, lying under a clear and starry sky. As usual, the dragon had brought prey to the nest, a large deer, and Natsu had eaten to his heart's content. However, despite all this, he couldn't sleep. He kept thinking and rethinking about what had happened during the day.

"Igneel..."

"What is it?" The large dragon sighed, already half asleep.

"I was thinking about something..."

At that statement, the reptile opened his eyes again to find his son leaning on the tip of his snout.

"What exactly is the one we found this afternoon?"

"Don't make me explain everything again from the beginning." The dragon sighed. "It's a human like you. Haven't you understood?"

"Yes, I know! I'm not stupid!" Natsu detached himself from his father with an indignant air. "And I know I'm human! I know the whole story and the fact that you found me abandoned in the forest, but... that one from today didn't look much like me..."

"It's because it's a human female." Igneel tried to explain better, finally realizing what was bothering his son. "Males and females are always different. Like deer: males have antlers and females don't. And like blackbirds: males are black, and females are gray."

"Like you and Grandeeney?" Natsu continued.

"Also like us, but dragons are all different from each other regardless of gender."

For a moment, Natsu remained silent, reflecting that it made sense. The newcomer didn't resemble him at all: she was smaller, with longer hair and fewer muscles. Surely, she must be as Igneel said, but there were other things he couldn't understand.

"How did she get here?"

"I think she was on board a ship that shipwrecked last night. It must have hit the rocks and sunk like a stone." Igneel began to explain but only to hear, "What is a ship?"

Oh, this was a bit more difficult to explain.

"It's a large piece of wood that floats, and humans use it to move from one place to another by sea. There are many shapes and sizes."

"Why do humans use ships to move? Aren't they okay where they are?"

"Well, my dear Natsu, there are many reasons why humans move. To get food, for example, and to find a better home. And then there are humans who move for adventure, like you, who want to travel the world when they grow up."

"Do they migrate like birds then?"

"More or less like birds, but unlike swallows, they don't always come back." The dragon continued. "You see, Natsu, in this universe, only one thing has roots and can't move from where it's born: trees. Everything else is in motion."

Natsu nodded, still wondering how a ship was really made. And what were those things she had on her wrists?

"They looked like pieces of a chain." Igneel continued, reflecting on the scene. "Maybe that little one was on board the ship because they were taking her away as a slave. I've heard that humans often make slaves."

"What are slaves?"

Igneel returned to reality only when he realized that Natsu still didn't know what he was talking about and was staring at him with a confused look.

"Slaves," explained the dragon, "are humans that other humans force to do things for them."

"Why do humans need slaves? Can't they do things on their own? And if they need help, don't they have friends to ask? Like when I ask you?"

Small, innocent, and with a big heart. Igneel couldn't help but smile at the simplicity of his son, placing a claw on his chest. "You're right, Natsu. It's a very cruel practice that no one else does in nature, certainly not dragons."

"You keep repeating that I'm human." The boy continued, sitting on the grass. "But I don't understand humans; they do many strange things."

"That's true! They are stranger than the strangest monkeys in this forest. But maybe one day, when you start traveling the world and see them up close, you'll understand them better." At that point, Igneel spread one of his large wings to cover Natsu from the breeze and nighttime humidity, inviting him to sleep. It had been an intense day, and it was better for him to rest finally. In reality, little Natsu, being soaked in fire magic, couldn't feel the cold or damp, but the dragon liked to keep him closer to guard him better.

"Igneel?" Natsu called again, but this time with a yawn. "Are you sure the human girl is okay?"

"Call her a girl, not a human girl. She's a girl just like you're a boy."

"Are you sure the girl is okay?" Natsu reformulated.

"Trust Grandeeney; I'm sure."

"Uhmm..." There was a moment of silence. "When can I see her again, do you think?" And Igneel found himself laughing again. After all, it was the first time Natsu had met someone like him, and it was no wonder he was so curious. "Let a couple of days pass, then I'll accompany you to the mountain myself." The dragon reassured him, and Natsu finally lay down under the wing, next to his warm and scaly side.

"How do you say it now?"

"Goodnight, Igneel."

"Goodnight, Natsu."

-—-

The characters in this story will be a bit OOC, Grandeeney for example has the same character as Porlyusica! But Erza won't be the same either, and it's worth it, trust me. Enjoy your reading!

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