Reincarnated as an Orphaned Dragon!

Chapter 30 - "Second Chances"

I thought it was over, it was dark, and I lost feeling, but my resting place was anything but final.
I could hear noise and a tingle of pain ran through me.

Somehow, I could still feel? I should be dead.
I opened my eyes and I saw a crimson red sky and a flat expanse of almost black sand.

I tried to move and I heard a few shrieks.
Looking back on the ground, I glimpsed a few strange humanoids hiding behind some rocks.

One of them didn't get to hide in time, and I quickly realized they were sort of like beastmen.
But not the kind I knew about.

These beastmen had much more pronounced animal features than the ones I knew.
I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do, or why I was alive.
I must have been healed by these guys.

The one that couldn't hide stares at me and lets out whimpers that I feel guilty for thinking sound adorable.

"Please don't eat me!" He cried and confused me in my first few minutes of being awake.
What a strange thing to say.

"What? Why would I do that? Why would you try to help me if thats what you expected?" I slurred groggily.

"Uh, y-you beat Asgaroth! T-That's why!" He stutters, desperately searching for an answer.
It sounded like he was too worried to just say he had pity for me.

"It's fine, thank you for saving me." I tried to show gratefulness and they froze even stiffer.
They don't seem to know what to do when a dragon says thank you.

I looked down at where a sword used to be in me, and it's gone.
In its place there's a painful scar that wasn't fully healed.
I'll probably die if I try to transform with this.

On top of that, there was a constant purple haze radiating from my body that kept me feeling weak.

They led me away from the dead god, but not straight to their home.
I wouldn't want to bring a big monster home either.

Only one of them wanted to be close at all, though.
"I'm not from here, it would be nice to at least know why they hate me if they chose to heal me." I searched for an answer again.

The beastman once again stiffens before replying.
"That's because it was my idea and I just did it because I'm stupid..."

I would thank him for being stupid but that doesn't sound like it would come out right.
"So what are the other dragons here like then?"

"The others are scary monsters! Sometimes they come eat us!" He cries.

What is wrong with the dragons of this world?
Most of the ones in the other world would at least have some hesitation to going around eating people.

"Well, the least I can do is protect you from those monsters." I couldn't do much but promise them protection.

It was another thing to add to the list of things that need protecting.
I had a second chance to fix my initial failure, and I can't throw it away.

Eventually they all left me there and I didn't want to break trust by trying to follow them or anything.
I just hoped they would come back and didn't plan on just ghosting me.

I waited for what seemed like forever until I finally saw the familiar figure of my new friend returning.

I couldn't help being excited and jumpy because I didn't want to spend my time all alone.
He didn't look very happy with my bouncing and I quickly stopped.

"Do you have a name?" He asked slowly, like he wasn't sure it was okay for him to be asking for a dragon's name.

"Of course I do! You can just call me Lava."