Eye for an Eye (Pitaya Dragon x Reader)

The Dragonsworn

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"Oh. Hollyberry. You've talked to him before, right? How about you take care of it?" I gestured towards the waking dragon, obviously upset about this whole ordeal.
She simply raised an eyebrow at me without making an effort to help.
"Why? You seem to be taking care of him pretty okay! You're not too scared, are you, Y/n?"
"What?! No! I just have no idea what dragons are like and he doesn't really seem to be the friendliest!" I exaggerated panicked motions, but she just laughed. "Hah! He sure does have quite the attitude, I'll tell you that!"
As if on queue, the dragon rose up slowly, then raised its voice.

"Agghhh! What hassss happened?!? WHERE AM I?!" He then shot up quickly, his movements aggressive, until he winced and held at the wounded area I healed him in.
He narrowed his eyes, scanning our group dangerously until his gaze caught sight of Hollyberry.
"You.. YOU! Hollyberry.. YOU brought me here?" He stood up now, and I moved away so as to not divert his attention onto either me or Wildberry.
Hollyberry waved away what seemed to her an empty threat and chortled. "Pitaya Dragon! Finally came to your senses, eh?" She smiled at him as if he was an old friend. So they did know each other.
He snorted. "What are thesse measssly thingss you brought with you? I'll burn you all to a CRISSSP!"
Wildberry shot him a warning glance, and held up his gauntlet to threaten the dragon. "Be. Quiet. How dare you yell at her majesty?" He loudly threw his fist against the table, causing a clammer of bottles and utensils.

I nudged over a glass of juice I wasn't going to drink from. "Pitaya Dragon.. That's your name? Drink some of this, it should.. calm you, I hope." I offered the drink to him and he snatched it from me, downing it in seconds. He only took a breath when he finished to let out a relieved sound of someone who was parched.
"KHAAAhhah, much better!" He exclaimed after slamming the bottle down. Hollyberry grinned. "What else would you expect? You won't have a finer juice than that made from berries of the Hollyberry Forest!"

He looked at her with an unamused expression, staring the three of us down.
"Hnmfh. I'm curiousss... What iss thiss all about? Why did you bring me here, helping me out?" He stopped and a smile creeped onto his face, showing off his jagged teeth. "Didn't have the gutsss to finally end me, hmm? Hah! Of courssse! You're all pathetic cowardssss," he laughed as if he'd just told himself the funniest joke.
He looked at us expectantly, then clicked it together. "Oh. I ssee. You mortalss want ssomething from me, isss that right?"
Hollyberry nodded as the dragon snagged Wildberry's untouched glass and emptied it. "You are right. You can start by 'gracing us' with what excuse you have prepared for what that was all about?" She crossed her arms the way a scolding mother does. "A dragon, who terrorizes our lands, is suddenly found in our forests? You better have an explanation!"
"??Who sssaid I kept thesse landss in terror..?" Before Hollyberry could answer, a loud group entered, their voices above any ongoing conversations.
"You know, I heard Dragon City is preparing a dragon hunt, they're taking volunteers!"
"Apparently it's for the red dragon. The one from stories? People have been fleeing from their homes!"
"Wh... huh?!" Pitaya sputtered as he heard the outside conversation unfold.

I piped up between the two's conflicts. "You really expect us to believe you aren't the dragon everyone is talking about? Your evidence is incriminating! We even found injured people because of you, how can you deny that?"
"Hollyberry, your majesty. This... thing here is trying to trick you, I just know it! Don't fall for it." Wildberry cut off the dragon before he could speak.
"Why you puny little–! I'll DESSTROY YOU FOR THAT!" He shot up, ready to stand and tackle Wildberry.
He was quicker to stand. "Fine! Take that monster form of yours all you'd like– in front of all these people. We'll let you have a taste of defeat once more."
Pitaya narrowed his eyes dangerously and slowly sat down, growling with a sound that mirrored a complaining child.
He waved off the quarrel as if nothing had happened, and lost interest in Wildberry.
"You know, you mortalsss are awfully quick to judge. I was ssimply sssnacking on the local berriess on my way to the valley."
Hollyberry's full attention immediately shifted back to the conversation once she heard that.

"Oh-ho! I would've never imagined a dragon, falling for our berries! Eh– quite literally at that! Hahaha!"

"Hmnmn, gloat all you want! But whoever is in the Dragon's Valley– that'sss not me."
He then continued to steal Hollyberry's drink, gulping it down. "You're all sso puny! Alwaysss trembling in fear. For all I know, a toy 'dragon' iss the one caussing all thiss panic!"

Although I had been keeping quiet, I had to correct him.
"It's not just us. All the inhabitants of the jungle could tell something was wrong. And it's not rumors either, people have been claiming to see this red dragon patrolling near the volcano."
Hollyberry butt in. "Pitaya Dragon, isn't that your–"

"My nessst... hnmm..." He seemed deep in thought.

Hollyberry continued prying him. "Well now, are you ready to share the truth?"
Pitaya paused, thinking. "Thisss 'dragon.' They uh, look exactly like me? I thought you ssaid you could tell two dragonss apart."

Wildberry wasn't taking what seemed to be total bullshit. "Are you going to end this charade, or do we have to do it all over again?" He remarked argumentatively.

Pitaya quickly swerved to yell at the bodyguard again. "You– you know what? I don't like you." He sat back, crossing his arms. "And you," he gestured to my direction. "I'm not sssure. Aren't you going to pepper me with questionss like your fellow travelerss?"

"Well now that you mention it, sure. If this dragon really isn't you, then who, or what is it?"
He turned away, a low growl in his throat. "A red dragon...  then it musst be the Dragonsssworn..! That scheming little—"

Hollyberry, Wildberry and I all looked at each other, though Hollyberry was the first to voice what we were all thinking.
"The Dragonsworn? What is that?"

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