The Red Dragon

Chapter 24

Fukou turned his head to look at him. Where before he had seemed furious, his expression was now too complex for Gray to read.

"I trust you're feeling better?"

"Yes, uh, thank you." Gray sat near the dragon, leaving a healthy amount of space between them, feeling self-conscious as the words he'd said to the dragon the last time they'd met replayed in his mind.

They sat in companionable silence for a while, Gray struggling with the words he knew needed to be said. He coughed uncomfortably, "I, uh, I wanted to say I was sorry about before."

"The struggling?" Fukou asked, the small grin that tugged at his snout making his fangs appear sharper, "I should have expected that."

"No, uhm, back when I named you. I didn't mean it, I was just being an ass. So you know if I, uhm, hurt your feelings or anything, I'm sorry."

The dragon shook his head before looking back up at the stars, "No need to apologize, Gray Fullbuster. It is a most fitting name. Sorrow and misfortune are indeed all I have ever wrought."

Gray winced, realizing just how deeply his words had hurt the creature. He quickly changed the subject. "Where are we?"

"I didn't think it wise to return to Talos straight away. Those men could have followed us. Now that you're awake, we can use the cover of night to return."

There was something that was confusing him, and Gray figured he had nothing to lose by asking, "Why didn't you just kill them?"

Fukou continued to stare at the stars, making Gray think he hadn't heard him until he finally replied, "I don't enjoy killing."

Gray lowered his head, pondering Fukou's response with some skepticism but growing admittedly more curious about the creature, "Is that why you have so many scars?"

Fukou chuckled, "No, I was actually trying to kill that one. He just bested me."

A laugh escaped Gray at the unexpected response, which he soon tried to hide behind a cough, but Fukou's eyes twinkled, regardless.

"Where have you been? It's been months since I last saw you."

"Why? Did you miss me?" Fukou teased, laughing at the dismay on Gray's face at his retort.

Before Gray could deny his words, Fukou explained his absence, "The Dragon King required my help. I was returning home when I smelled your blood and went to investigate."

"I don't understand you. Why bother with saving me at all?"

Fukou studied him fixedly before shrugging his massive wings, "Perhaps I seek to change your mind of the notion that dragons are heartless."

Gray's lips tightened into a hard line, not willing to concede on that point yet. That answer didn't satisfy him at all. Surely there had to be more to it. Why would Fukou care about what he thought?

"We should get going, we're still a long way away from home."

Gray watched as Fukou lowered himself and stared at him expectantly.

"Oh, hell, no!"

"Surely, you're not expecting us to walk there? It would take days. I could always cast that sleep spell on you again..."

"No! Fine, I'll do it, just don't drop me."

"You know, if I wanted you dead, I wouldn't have bothered healing you first."

"I'd feel more comforted if you weren't grinning at me like some sort of psychotic overgrown lizard," Gray complained, the sound of Fukou's unabashed laughter irritating him in ways he hadn't felt in a while.