XII
Ancient Bronze Tyrant
Men Za-Hel soared through the night sky over the grey expanse of Freefield, keeping his eyes peeled. His wings, durable as they were, were slowly getting weary from the hours of strain. How could I have so much trouble finding something so massive, he thought. Had Freefield always been this frustratingly large? It didn't matter- he would fly all night if that's what it took. It's not like he'd be sleeping back home anyhow.
Rey had told him that- in light of rising tensions- their army would be advancing on Freefield again tomorrow morning, with a force large enough to delay both dragons; so the Celestial Bane might tear through them both. Men's time was running out- he didn't feel nearly prepared enough to convince his father to stand down twice.
Finally, after hours of relentless searching, he caught sight of a patch of unnaturally broken clouds, a clear sign of disturbance from something massive. Sure enough, only a few minutes later, Men spotted a gargantuan bronze mass trudging its way across the field.
Men swore under his breath. He was looking for Agria, but… Xemmier would have to do. He didn't have time to pick one.
Men flew at an arch over Xemmier's back, landing confidently a good few feet away from his face, demanding the bronze's attention. Xemmier grunted as Men dug his talons into the ground, one foot in front of the other, and stared God in the eyes.
"Bold entrance." Xemmier growled, lightning crackling in his teeth. "Come seeking an escort to the underworld?"
"Hold, Xemmier." Men commanded. "I've come to speak with you."
"You've come to die." Xemmier glared. "You should have been warned I do not speak with pheasants. But you needn't worry about that now."
Xemmier raised his wings, the night growing ever darker as the moons trembled and hid behind the beast's unending wingspan. Men did not move, or dare to break eye contact.
"I'm trying to help you, dragon! To kill me would sabotage your interests. I could save your life!"
"Words as hollow as your bones, boy!" Xemmier's sparks grew more frequent. "I've learned better than to humor your altruistic delusions. Draw your weapon and die honestly!"
Men still did not break eye contact. Steadily, he unlocked the clip his chain was wrapped around, picked it up, and tossed it aside. Xemmier paused, still glaring at the tiny warrior.
Men held his left arm out, pointed towards the dragon, and slowly started walking. "I just… want to get a closer look at you."
Xemmier stared at Men with a growing fury. "Do not make the mistake of believing you can tame me, child."
"No… no taming." Men mumbled, steadily closing the gap between them.
Xemmier, stoic and apprehensive, did not snap at the Aarakocra as his feathered hand made contact with his dark, metallic nose. The two of them stood there, staring in silence- that act of touch sealing some unspoken pact of consent between them- uneasy as they both were. His breath finally starting to shake, Men lowered his hand, and walked around Xemmier's head, moving under his shoulder to examine his underbelly.
Xemmier, unable to see Men now, grumbled loud enough to be heard. "What exactly is so captivating that you must get so close?"
Men stared at the stomach of this massive beast, his eyes drifting between the hundreds- even thousands- of cuts, scrapes, and other wounds flooding the soft, copper surface of the dragon's torso. His body a canvas, a storybook recounting a history so unfathomably, unknowably deep that one inch of skin recounted more ancient pain than Men could fathom.
"You have quite a collection of scars, Xemmier."
"Indeed. Your steel lies responsible for most. Live as long as I have, as dangerously as I do, and your body will leave reminders for you, as well."
Men stood beneath one cut, about twice as large as he was, the stains of dried blood still coloring the healing flesh. "And this one…" he began, lightly brushing his hand across the wound. "How long have you had it?"
Xemmier winced, and growled again. "Watch yourself, boy." He huffed. "...I was gifted that one by a chimera with more fight than I believed it had left. That was one month ago."
"That's a long time." Men nodded.
"Yet here it remains." Xemmier nodded. "Pride and foolishness take heavy tolls on my humorously mortal shell."
"Because you don't heal easy, do you…?" Men mumbled.
"What was that?"
Men walked back out in front of Xemmier.
"A beast of your size needs to be careful of his weaknesses." Men asked. "I see why you’d be proud of your might- but It takes a long time to mend something as mighty and complicated as you."
"It does." Xemmier nodded. "And age has slowed that process even further. To rely on my scales alone would be my undoing. As it has been for my siblings. Hence the importance of never overestimating my majesty… I benefit from our pact as much as your nation does."
Xemmier glared at Men again. "...Why do you ask me this?"
"Agria claims he never set foot on Clearbrooke." Men explained. "Unfortunately, the people of Clearbrooke claim to have not just faced him- but put up a significant fight against him."
Men pulled the red scale out from his satchel, its glimmering surface large and sharp enough to serve as the head of an axe. "If Agria is lying to us…"
"His body would expose him beyond doubt." Xemmier smiled. "You're brighter than I gave you credit for."
Men grinned, stepped away from Xemmier, and retrieved his weapon. "Thank you, Xemmier. My father has been asleep for a time already, but this just may be enough to save us both."
"Father?" Xemmier cocked his head. He stared apprehensively at Men. "...Who are you, Eagle?"
Men turned to the side, half-facing Xemmier, and saluted. "I am Men Za-Hel, Soldier Prince of the Sky District."
"Za-Hel!?" Xemmier's sparks returned- he nearly dissolved Men by mistake. "You are the general's kin!?"
Men nodded.
"And you didn't think that information was pertinent to my not consuming you!?"
Men shook his head. "I didn't want you to comply because I was too dangerous for you to kill- or whatever you'd have done with that knowledge. I want you to cooperate because you understand the importance of what I’m trying to do."
"A foolishly naive mindset." Xemmier grunted. "And yet… I am thoroughly impressed."
Men Za-Hel grinned at Xemmier, took flight, and returned home.
