Seeing that brings about such a raw feeling of sadness and loss that it triggers one of Ali's own memories.]
"Hey there stranger!"
Ali is so startled by the words that his shaky grasp on his transformation is lost and he immediately drops back down into his dragon form. He scurries away, hiding in some nearby brush as if that will protect him at all.
The human- a younger adult human, by Ali's guess, though Ali still isn't great at telling how old a human should be- chuckles at the sight. He crouches down to about Ali's height, offering a hand out to Ali. "It's alright, I'm not looking for trouble."
Ali lowers his head a bit, peering out at the human through the gaps in the leaves. Golden blonde hair like the wheat fields the humans are so protective of, with blue eyes like the rain that nourishes said wheat. It's a rarity around here, most humans have brown eyes and brown or black hair. How curious...
Carefully, Ali scoots towards the edge of the bush, so that just his snout is peeking out. The human laughs once more and holds his hand close to Ali's snout, allowing Ali to smell him. He smells of dirt and plants, so nothing like the hunters who smell of the strange tools they use to hunt dragons. Ali scoots out a bit more, this time letting his whole face be seen. He's still ready to scamper off if this human threatens him, but he's giving the human a chance.
The human takes this chance to bridge the gap between the two of them. He pulls his hand back and rests both hand on his knees, taking a relaxed crouching stance. "You're trying to take a human form, aren't you?"
Ali gives a quick nod. At least that form of communication is universal.
"If you want, I can help you get more practice."
Ali quirks his head to the side questioningly. How can this human help him?
Recognizing the gesture, the human continues. "I'm looking to end the Eternal Freeze in the territory across the mountains, and once I do I'm going to found a city right at the base of the mountain. That way trade between the north and east can spread. Plenty of humans coming and going, most not staying long enough to notice any irregularities in your behavior. What do you think about that?"
He has to admit, that does sound like an ideal situation. Practice is the only way he'll master his transformation, and right now it's hard to get practice in while the risk of hunters on the trail is very real. But in a city, where he's well-protected by the walls, that's a different story. Hmm.
He does a 'go on' gesture with a clawed hand. There has to be a catch to all of this.
"You're right, I'm going to need something in return," the human says, "It is said that only the fire of a dragon can protect someone as they go into the Eternal Freeze. If you can provide that fire, I can provide you with a home. What do you think?"
It still seems like too good of a deal. Fire is easy for him to make and pass on, and he's not sure how a bit of dragon fire will stop the Eternal Freeze. This human could very easily just take the fire and never return.
But, well...what's there to lose? If this human really does never return, then all Ali loses is a bit of fire.
Ali crawls out of the bush and then shifts to the human form he had been working on. It looks much like the locals in the area, with inky black hair and a thinner frame, but his bright red eyes are impossible to conceal. Dressed in a plain shirt and pants with no shoes to speak up, Ali looks more like a beggar than a dragon. And when he speaks, his voice is raspy and unsure. "Name?"
The human smiles at Ali. "Ulrych."
Ulrych proved to be a man of his word a hundred times over. With Ali's dragon fire he quickly put an end to the Eternal Freeze and brought spring to the land. And he invited Ali along right away, moving him into one of the first dwellings of the newly-formed town. He helped Ali dress properly and learn to speak more clearly. He taught Ali how to act more like a human. He also introduced Ali to many new and exciting things, like wine and smoked meat. Though the start had been tenuous, the friendship blossomed quickly.
In those first days the castle was more of a cave with stone walls covering the fourth side, but it quickly expanded over the decades. The town became a city, and the city became a small nation. Before Ali knew it, he and the others working for the now-king had to think about things like establishing currency and armies and such.
But as the town grew, Ulrych aged. It wasn't until Ulrych turned down a night of drinking that Ali noticed just how old Ulrych had gotten. Age marked his face, and his golden hair had been taken over by grey. He needed a cane to get around and slept far more than he had in his youth. Then, he stopped leaving his bed entirely.
One day, near the end, Ali sat in a chair at Ulrych's bedside. Ulrych was so sick and weak, and nothing seemed to make him better. Life continued around the country, but in this room Ali was at a standstill.
"This can't be how it ends," Ali said, voice cracking a bit despite years of practice at control, "It's only been 60 years. The country has only just started."
Ulrych turned to look at Ali and offered him a weak smile. "I'm 86, Ali. Most humans dream of living this long. No matter what we do, death will catch up with us eventually."
"But there's still so much to do!"
"The others that come after me will continue the work. Concord will choose a new king, and life will go on." Sensing Ali's distress, Ulrych moved a shaky hand over to cover Ali's, offering some comfort. "Humans will come and go, but you will always remain. That's what you wanted, isn't it? To look over the people who live in this country?"
Even with that small bit of comfort, Ali feels his throat tightening. "I'm not ready to do it on my own."
"None of us are ever ready. But nothing will change if you wait for 'ready' to happen." The elderly king pauses to breathe, but soon he gives Ali a warm smile. "Besides, you won't be doing it alone. Concord will be right there with you."
Even in such a serious moment, Ali frowns as soon as Concord is mentioned. "He's an ass." An insult with a double-meaning, due to Concord being both an asshole and a unicorn.
The king suddenly laughs at the insult, which devolves into coughing. Ali starts to fuss over him, but, Ulrych waves Ali off. "I'll be fine. I'm prepared for my final sleep. Look after Concord and the country the three of us built, will you?"
"...alright." Ali could never disagree with his first and dearest friend.
A week later, King Ulrych, the first king of the country that would eventually be named after him, was buried in the capitol's cemetery.
The legend of 'the king who used the fire of a dragon and the magic of a unicorn to end the Eternal Freeze' persisted into the modern era.
[ the passage of time is always a cruel one, when you remain so unchanged compared to the world around you.
zhongli is quiet as the memories chase each other across the mirrors, god and human alike. dragon. death. always loss, and always something so deeply ingrained into memory, now. a scar left behind because of love. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Seeing that brings about such a raw feeling of sadness and loss that it triggers one of Ali's own memories.]
"Hey there stranger!"
Ali is so startled by the words that his shaky grasp on his transformation is lost and he immediately drops back down into his dragon form. He scurries away, hiding in some nearby brush as if that will protect him at all.
The human- a younger adult human, by Ali's guess, though Ali still isn't great at telling how old a human should be- chuckles at the sight. He crouches down to about Ali's height, offering a hand out to Ali. "It's alright, I'm not looking for trouble."
Ali lowers his head a bit, peering out at the human through the gaps in the leaves. Golden blonde hair like the wheat fields the humans are so protective of, with blue eyes like the rain that nourishes said wheat. It's a rarity around here, most humans have brown eyes and brown or black hair. How curious...
Carefully, Ali scoots towards the edge of the bush, so that just his snout is peeking out. The human laughs once more and holds his hand close to Ali's snout, allowing Ali to smell him. He smells of dirt and plants, so nothing like the hunters who smell of the strange tools they use to hunt dragons. Ali scoots out a bit more, this time letting his whole face be seen. He's still ready to scamper off if this human threatens him, but he's giving the human a chance.
The human takes this chance to bridge the gap between the two of them. He pulls his hand back and rests both hand on his knees, taking a relaxed crouching stance. "You're trying to take a human form, aren't you?"
Ali gives a quick nod. At least that form of communication is universal.
"If you want, I can help you get more practice."
Ali quirks his head to the side questioningly. How can this human help him?
Recognizing the gesture, the human continues. "I'm looking to end the Eternal Freeze in the territory across the mountains, and once I do I'm going to found a city right at the base of the mountain. That way trade between the north and east can spread. Plenty of humans coming and going, most not staying long enough to notice any irregularities in your behavior. What do you think about that?"
He has to admit, that does sound like an ideal situation. Practice is the only way he'll master his transformation, and right now it's hard to get practice in while the risk of hunters on the trail is very real. But in a city, where he's well-protected by the walls, that's a different story. Hmm.
He does a 'go on' gesture with a clawed hand. There has to be a catch to all of this.
"You're right, I'm going to need something in return," the human says, "It is said that only the fire of a dragon can protect someone as they go into the Eternal Freeze. If you can provide that fire, I can provide you with a home. What do you think?"
It still seems like too good of a deal. Fire is easy for him to make and pass on, and he's not sure how a bit of dragon fire will stop the Eternal Freeze. This human could very easily just take the fire and never return.
But, well...what's there to lose? If this human really does never return, then all Ali loses is a bit of fire.
Ali crawls out of the bush and then shifts to the human form he had been working on. It looks much like the locals in the area, with inky black hair and a thinner frame, but his bright red eyes are impossible to conceal. Dressed in a plain shirt and pants with no shoes to speak up, Ali looks more like a beggar than a dragon. And when he speaks, his voice is raspy and unsure. "Name?"
The human smiles at Ali. "Ulrych."
Ulrych proved to be a man of his word a hundred times over. With Ali's dragon fire he quickly put an end to the Eternal Freeze and brought spring to the land. And he invited Ali along right away, moving him into one of the first dwellings of the newly-formed town. He helped Ali dress properly and learn to speak more clearly. He taught Ali how to act more like a human. He also introduced Ali to many new and exciting things, like wine and smoked meat. Though the start had been tenuous, the friendship blossomed quickly.
In those first days the castle was more of a cave with stone walls covering the fourth side, but it quickly expanded over the decades. The town became a city, and the city became a small nation. Before Ali knew it, he and the others working for the now-king had to think about things like establishing currency and armies and such.
But as the town grew, Ulrych aged. It wasn't until Ulrych turned down a night of drinking that Ali noticed just how old Ulrych had gotten. Age marked his face, and his golden hair had been taken over by grey. He needed a cane to get around and slept far more than he had in his youth. Then, he stopped leaving his bed entirely.
One day, near the end, Ali sat in a chair at Ulrych's bedside. Ulrych was so sick and weak, and nothing seemed to make him better. Life continued around the country, but in this room Ali was at a standstill.
"This can't be how it ends," Ali said, voice cracking a bit despite years of practice at control, "It's only been 60 years. The country has only just started."
Ulrych turned to look at Ali and offered him a weak smile. "I'm 86, Ali. Most humans dream of living this long. No matter what we do, death will catch up with us eventually."
"But there's still so much to do!"
"The others that come after me will continue the work. Concord will choose a new king, and life will go on." Sensing Ali's distress, Ulrych moved a shaky hand over to cover Ali's, offering some comfort. "Humans will come and go, but you will always remain. That's what you wanted, isn't it? To look over the people who live in this country?"
Even with that small bit of comfort, Ali feels his throat tightening. "I'm not ready to do it on my own."
"None of us are ever ready. But nothing will change if you wait for 'ready' to happen." The elderly king pauses to breathe, but soon he gives Ali a warm smile. "Besides, you won't be doing it alone. Concord will be right there with you."
Even in such a serious moment, Ali frowns as soon as Concord is mentioned. "He's an ass." An insult with a double-meaning, due to Concord being both an asshole and a unicorn.
The king suddenly laughs at the insult, which devolves into coughing. Ali starts to fuss over him, but, Ulrych waves Ali off. "I'll be fine. I'm prepared for my final sleep. Look after Concord and the country the three of us built, will you?"
"...alright." Ali could never disagree with his first and dearest friend.
A week later, King Ulrych, the first king of the country that would eventually be named after him, was buried in the capitol's cemetery.
The legend of 'the king who used the fire of a dragon and the magic of a unicorn to end the Eternal Freeze' persisted into the modern era.
no subject
zhongli is quiet as the memories chase each other across the mirrors, god and human alike. dragon. death. always loss, and always something so deeply ingrained into memory, now. a scar left behind because of love. ]
... saying goodbye is never easy. Never kind.