Black Ember E-Book

Helia James

• Herausgeber: BoD - Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 400

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

Adam never truly understood the world. Deaf but determined, he embarks on a dangerous quest: to find a dragon's gold, repay a debt, and earn his place in the royal guard. But when he meets the dragon Crowley, he discovers the mission is not what it seems. A mysterious curse binds the two unlikely companions, and soon they realize that ancient secrets and unspoken desires, not gold, will shape their fate.

Leseprobe

I dedicate this story to my Muse, who stood by my side from the very beginning to the very end.

Trigger Warnings for the whole trilogy:

Rape, Abuse, Emotional Manipulation, Genocide, Religious Trauma, Torture, sexually explicit and erotic themes

SPOTIFY PLAYLIST

Table of Contents

PROLOGUE

ADAM

CROWLEY

FLEDGLING

CROWLEY

ADAM

CROWLEY

FLEDGLING

CROWLEY

ADAM

CROWLEY

FLEDGLING

ADAM

CROWLEY

ADAM

CROWLEY

ADAM

CROWLEY

ADAM

CROWLEY

ADAM

CROWLEY

ADAM

CROWLEY

ADAM

CROWLEY

ADAM

CROWLEY

ADAM

CROWLEY

ADAM

CROWLEY

FLEDGLING

CROWLEY

ADAM

CROWLEY

ADAM

CROWLEY

ADAM

CROWLEY

ADAM

CROWLEY

ADAM

CROWLEY

EPILOG

PROLOGUE

What’s the thing dragons fear the most?

It‘s easy to think that dragons, these mighty and ancient beings, don‘t have anything to be afraid of. Being an apex predator, that lives for centuries if not millenia undisturbed.

Their scales are impenetrable and their fire strong enough to melt whatever dares to stand in their way.

It doesn‘t matter if it‘s fire spewing out of their maws or thunder and lighting bowing to their masters. Dragons are the embodiment of power and royalty. And stilll...

What if even them can get scared?

It‘s foolish to think, just because dragons are strong that they don‘t know how it feels to be scared.

Every creature on earth, from the tiniest ant to something as big as a dragon can feel frightened from time to time.

Crowley vowed to himself after he escaped his imprisonment to the Nevermore Island that he would never show fear anymore. He had learned the hard way how it felt to be terrified. And this fear had paralyzed him, unable to do anything. And so he watched his brother die.

After this day Crowley feared humankind.

The things he had loved as a fledgling now seemed strange and dangerous. His curiousity had endangered him and had killed his brother.

The scars on his skin had stopped hurting. They had become white lines along his black scales. Memories to never forget.

But the scars on his soul never fully healed. He never trusted any of those monsters ever again.

Humans had the power to create, but also to destroy.

A dragon can fight an army, can burn their land, but Crowley had been a child when he got captured. Not bigger than a horse, he hadn‘t been a threat. He would have died inside of that ship.

The small dragon never felt more isolated and scared than he did in the belly of that hellish ship.

Now that Crowley was an adult, he knew better. He would keep his distance like other Négul did. And he wouldn‘t let any human get close enough to hurt him again.

He would never be afraid again.

ADAM

Was it worth it?

A few days ago Adam would have answered with an immediate "yes".

The gaze of the young man fell over his shoulder back on the path he had taken up the mountain. With a low sigh he leaned against one of the few trees sparsely growing through the reddish rock and sand.

A few days ago he had reached the foot of the Latu-Trail, a mountain range seperating the two kingdoms of the contintent.

After his first nightfall between rocks and trees, first doubts about his travel had started to form in the back of his mind.

He must have gone crazy.

His journey had started because a pretty girl had batted her eyelashed and asked him to find a dragon. He should be glad it hadn't been a pretty boy or only the old gods knew what he would have agreed upon.

Adams face started to grow hot, the shame about his favored gender still sitting deep within, even after his 20th birthday. Old beasts died the hardest.

The "pretty girl" had been a witch. And she had promised him to return his lost hearing if he managed to find a dragon and get the "dragon's speciality" for her.

There were only two problems:

Firstly, Adam didn't know if dragons were real or not. His uncle used to read him bedtime stories, but those were only stories right?

And secondly, if he managed to find one - what was he supposed to do then? Wouldn't a dragon kill him without a second thought?

Adam had no real fighting experience. With being deaf and all he wasn't allowed in the guard or anywhere near their training grounds. That was especially why he had agreed to the witches crazy deal!

All he had were years of sparring with trees and his old childhood friend. Thinking about him still brought hot tears to Adams eyes, which he quickly winked away.

But if he didn't believe that dragons existed, why did he go on this journey? Because he wanted to be part of the guard more than anything.

If there was even one single dragon on all of the continent, Adam would find it. And then he would decide on what to do.

The witch had given him a direction of a cave in the Latu mountains, big enough to host a dragon. This was his first destination.

She had said to go north, almost all the way up to the Frozen Dessert and climb up the mountains. Asliver of uncertainity started to bloom within the blonde man. Maybe he was tricked and the whole deal was an evil joke.

Adam reached into his pocket and pulled out a big golden ring. It was as wide as his palm and sparkled in the sun.

The witch had given him this ring to have some leaverage if the dragon was willing to switch it for whatever this "speciality" was.

The ring was warm in his hand, as he rolled the metal around. Was this thing enough to bribe a dragon?

If this was a trick or prank at least he would be able to trade the gold ring for some food and a ride back home.

Adam slipped the ring back into his pocket and looked up into the sky. Exhaustion started to wear him down and the sun was burning on his tanned skin. Without many trees the harsh sunlight was merciless even for a farmer like himself.

For a moment he thought back to his uncle and their farm. He would return back as soon as possible. It was the end of summer, he would soon be needed on the fields.

Exhaustion made black spots dance on the edge of his vision. One look was enough to see the mountain top clearly against the blue sky.

The stoned path began to grow more and more harsh to walk on and even the last specks of green faded behind the blonde. Up here no vegetation was spared from the harsh cold winds nor from the burning heat.

If Adam continued north he would reach the snow desert in a day. Then he would have to turn around no matter if he found a dragon or not.

The sudden change in temperature after crossing the mountains called for better clothing. Adam looked down at his thin shirt, pants and the small fur cloak around his shoulders. He already started to shiver from the cold winds. The snow desert would be his death.

The blonde rolled his shoulders determined and rubbed cold sweat off his brow. What would he do when he reached the top?

Adam had memorized the map on his way to the mountains. The place where the dragon's lair should be was marked, so what if there was nothing? Maybe he had been tricked. A quiet voice inside him tried to creep up and tell him that he was stupid and naive to follow the words of a woman he barely knew.

A tremor in the ground prevented him from spiraling. Adam lost his footing and fell to his knees with a quiet scream. As quick as the tremor had started, it was over again. The blonde kept kneeling a moment longer, his flat hands pressed to the ground, but there was no other earthquake.

The long silver chain around his neck fell from the collar and dangled between his arms. Exhaustion made his arms tremble, but the blonde still hurried to put the pendant back inside his shirt. The necklace was a remembrance for his mistakes and burned his skin.

Slowly, Adam pushed himself back up. He wouldn't give up, not this close to the top. And if there was no cave up there, he would continue to look for the dragon's speciality. Maybe this was part of his penance and he would take what he was given. This much he owed his lost friend.

Adam's eyes looked up the stonewalls and gently wiggled his toes in his thin shoes. He expected another earthquake and wanted to be prepared. When he fell down he landed on his hands and cut open his palms. The fine debris in his cuts burned, but he had no water left to wash it off.

The last days he only stopped to sleep or eat. Naturally his feet burned and his body was exhausted. Most of his journey he could join a group of merchants. The traveled in carriages across the souhtern parts of the Latu mountains to cross from Altos to Oboros.

Adam accompanied them until they reached the mountain pass, said his goodbyes and went ahead alone. Up the mountain not even a mount like a goat would have helped him.

With his burning hands it hurt when Adam pulled his body up a ledge with a low groan. The sweat under his fur cloak started to cool quicker now that he had reached such an altitude. Adam felt one shiver after the other run down his spine and his teeth started to chatter. His heated breath was visible as small clouds travelling upwards with every exhale. Following his line of sight he noticed an opening just a little upwards behind the next stone ledge - this had to be it!

There was a gap between the ledge and Adam, wide enough that the young man had to jump. Without looking down jumped the blonde over it, hands reaching for the edge of the stone. His full body crashed into the stone wall, but he had made the jump. Adam's muscles ached with the exertion of pulling his weight up. But the gap could have been an abyss and if he had hesitated or slipped he could fall down into nothingness. Pushing his body to the extreme, the blonde finally managed to pull himself up onto the last ledge and crawled tiredly on all fours towards the cave entrance.

Only then did he allow himself to rest and breathe. It was then that he smelled a weird odor coming from the opening in front of him. A warm wind brushed over his face coming from within the cave. It smelled sickly sweet and another cold shiver ran down Adam's spine.

The smell was familiar and the uneasy feeling was growing. But he found a cave where the witch had told him he would find one. So he would march on.

With his last strength Adam pushed himself up on his legs once more an ventured into the darkness in front of him.

He was scared, obviously. Not being able to hear and the mere light coming from the sun in his back weren't the best conditions. He also didn't bring any weapons. Firstly, he still didn't really believe there was a real dragon. And secondly, if there was a dragon what could would a blade do? He would be dead before even pulling a sword out of its sheath.

Adam waited for a long moment with his back pressed against the stone wall until his eyes started to adjust to the darkness around him. The sand beneath his feet was soft, he felt it give way under his thin soles. Suddenly a sharp and biting odor hit his nose, strong enough for him to cover his mouth and nose with his hand. The smell reminded him of burning wood and something sharp like bile.

His blue eyes looked around, but he couldn't make out anything beyond the space lightened by the rays of sunshine coming from the cave entrance.

Without his sense of hearing his gut feeling had become his fifth sense. And right now it screamed at him to start running, that there was something dangerous lurking in the dark. The fine hairs in the back of his neck started to rise, but his feet were frozen in place.

Adam stared into the darkness with bated breath, but nothing happened. Slowly pressed the blonde his body away from the stone wall and took another step deeper into the cave. Had his gut feeling been wrong?

Another step in and something moved along the walls. A shadow? Maybe he had been stupid and this cave was home to an animal like a bear or tiger. Those he could have fought with a sword or at least wound enough for him to escape. But all he had been thinking was that this cave must belong to something bigger. The ceiling was so high he barely could make it out. And he knew how a bear's den smelled. This wasn't it.

The shadow along the wall started to move again and Adam froze. He half-heartedly had hoped not to find anything. Or to find a dead dragon he could bypass, even a sleeping dragon he would have been able to handle. The existence of a real dragon was something the elderly told the young to scare them. Adam was scared alright.

His eyes followed the snakelike movement along the stone walls with his eyes. His heart started to beat twice as fast as normally and his blood pulsed in his ears.

The only thing keeping him from running away in fright was the fact that whatever was lurking in the shadows hadn't attacked him yet. If it was a predator it wouldn't have waited. It would have attacked the moment he had entered the cave and was easy prey. So whatever he was about to encounter wasn't in on killing him quickly.

Adam's throat was dry. But screaming would have been futile, who would have heard him? The birds? Cold sweat started to drip from his brow, but he didn't allow himself to blink it away after it landed in his eye. He was staring at the shadow, watched it move, come closer until a figure formed in the darkness.

Something big stepped into the weak light coming from the entrance. With slow steps a big, black dragon emerged from the darkness. One of its claws the size of Adam's forearm.

Adam watched it move closer. The light danced along the black scales, but what captured his attention were the gold eyes looking down on him. The dragon lowered his head enough for the blonde to see the pupils constricting into thin slits, almost completely swallowed by the molten gold around them.

The exhaustion and the fear finally made Adam's legs give in and he landed hard on his knees. The soft sand eased the impact a little.

This was it. This was the dragon he was supposed to find.

How was it possible that something so big hasn't been spotted? That no one had seen a "real" dragon before? Adam himself hadn't believed the fairtales. Now he did.

All he had to do was to get this dragon to come with him so he could contact the witch and bring her the dragon's speciality. He didn't think about a plan on how to do that exactly since he hadn't believed in dragons up until the last five minutes.

"Come now, Adam. You are smarter than that!", reminded him Silas voice in his head and the blonde's hand found the necklace beneath his shirt. He needed a miracle, but he wasn't dead yet so maybe today was the perfect time for one of them.

Adam tried to calm his nerves with deep breaths. The giant monster in front of him hadn't attacked him yet and was silently watching. He felt goosebumps down his arms.

They were watching each other. Blue human eyes watched gold unreal ones. Time seemed to come to a stop.

Breathe, Adam. Don't blink.

CROWLEY

What’s the thing dragons fear the most?

For the dragon Crowley there was only one answer to the question: In all the centuries he had been alive there had been nothing that left any long impression on him. Everything came to an end eventually.

Maybe that was the reason why he hadn't killed the young man who had dared to enter his cave yet.

Taking a human life happened so fast. One swipe with his claw, one bite with his razor-sharp teeth and it would be over. He wouldn't even have time to scream for mercy. It would take a second to sever the blonde head from his shoulders.

But the young man in front of him showed courage to enter a dragon's cave on his own. Even though he hadn't been very stealthy from the start. Crowley hadn't moved quietly himself and still he seemed to have surprised the blonde man to the point where he almost seemed surprised to see a real dragon.

What a weird situation. The black dragon looked wordlessly down onto the human who stared back with huge, blue eyes. Crowley blinked once, his gaze never leaving the mortal's form, before he moved a little closer.

With a surprised sound the man jumped and fell back on his behind, struggling to stagger back onto his hands and knees. His eyes were still fixed on Crowley's golden irises.

The moment the blonde man raises his hands, the black dragon showed his fangs in warning. But the shaking hands weren't reaching for any form of a weapon. They started to move in odd ways. It took Crowley a moment to understand, that those symbols were forming words.

Crowley was old enough to recognize these form of communication from his past. He understood a few signs, but not enough for a proper conversation.

Dragons just like many other Négul were very curious creatures so during his studies of the human race he had seen them using several different versions of communication. Words, signs, pen and paper and so on.

Négul were known under many different names: Fairytales, myths or simple monsters.

Monsters.

Remembering the things that had been done to a young Crowley, made his whole body tense up and the long line of black scales along his spine started to rattle and raise like the back-fur of a scared cat.

Back then the black dragon had been a naive child, a fledgling, who didn't know about the evils in the world yet. But he had to learn it the hard way. Since then he never trusted another human and they better kept away from him or wouldn't leave his cave alive. It was better to strike first before he got hurt again.

Crowley wasn't a monster, like the humans described him. If there were monsters out there it had to be them!

He would never let a mortal hurt him again.

The young man in front of him still hadn't reached for anythingt that resembled a weapon. If dragon had the facial muscles for it, Crowley would have furrowed his brows.

The signs the human was forming didn't make much sense, why wasn't he just talking?

The continent had several languages and dialects, but whatever language the other spoke, Crowley would have been able to understand more than he did now with the few hand signs.

The black dragon lowered his head slowly to have a better look at the man's hands. The mortal repeated the motions a little slower.

"So you tell me that there is no gold here?"

Gold? Why would he have something so useless here? Maybe he had mistaken the sign for gold? No, you had to point your index finger at your ear lobe and then move your hand away from your ear as you change the handshape into the letter "y." So there was no mistake in the word, but why would a dragon have something like gold?

Dragons were collectors by nature. If you outlived most other things only the inanimate became of worth to you. But gold was hard and useless so Crowley never aquainted any.

After a long moment where he simply stared at the blue eyes of the human still breathing hard in fear he decided on what to do next. There was one way to get answers out of the mortal in front of him. Crowley wasn't sure if he could send his thoughts over into a human's mind like he could do with other dragons, but it was worth a shot if it cleared the situation.

Dragons didn't have any vocal cords like humans did. Flying through the clouds it turned out to be easier to communicate via directly sending your thoughts towards the other and recieve their answer in return.

Crowley would use this opportunity to quell his thirst for wisdom if it was possible to talk to other sentient beings this way. If it turned out to be a lost cause, he could still kill the man.

Why did this mortal walk into his cave, without armor or any way to defend himself? How did he find him?

One way or another, Crowley would get his answers.

FLEDGLING

"Why do we have to leave again?", the Fledgling asked the snowy-white dragon, that loomed over it's small body. It lowered its big head and their snouts touched.

"Because it isn't save here."

Her voice echoed in his head but was as clear as a bell. The strong, white body shimmered in the sun like diamonds.

As young as the Fledgling was he still knew this dragon was special to him. In later memories he would call her "mother".

When it hatched there had been more dragons flying across the lands. Now there wrere only three dragons around him left. Besides the white dragon there was one he barely saw, but he remembered dark scales and cold eyes.

The third one was the same black colour as himself.

That day was the last time the young Fledgling ever saw his mother or the dragon with the icy eyes.

The small dragon grew bigger and started to learn and adapt. It looked up to the other black dragon for guidance and would later call him "brother".

The black dragon's name was Orion and he taught his little brother important things like hunting, but also mundane things like the meaning of a name.

"You don't need a name, but it helps differentiate things, people or other beings. Like you can call me Orion you can choose a name for yourself or let someone you trust give you one. But be careful, names hold power."

The little Fledgling didn't understand what power Orion could have meant at that time.

"The I let you choose. I don't know many words and don't know what a good name would be."

Both dragons were submerged in a river. Orion listened to the sweet and almost naive words and made a sound that could have been a laugh. His little brother wasn't fully grown yet, in body aswell as in mind.

"Then I give you the name Crowley." It had a nice ringing to it. The way Orion said it, maybe he had known someone with that name.

From that day on Crowley started to name all kinds of things. Orion endulged in his little brothers excitement and when it came to important things he took his time explaining the little dragon the real names of things, places or plants.

Orion taught him about the white dragon Crowley barely remembered. That one had indeed been his mother and was called Indina.

Crowley didn't know exactly what a mother was, but Orion only took his time explaining him important things. So a mother had to be very important.

One day the siblings watched from a cliff a group of creatures Crowley never had seen before: humans.

Orion warned him of them and told him to stay away.

What an odd warning. They seemed so small and fragile. If they ever tried to harm him, he would just snap at them and scare them away.

Crowley still needed a few more years to be as tall as his brother, but he still found humans to be small and harmless creatures. But he was an obedient listener.

He kept his distance and only watched humans from afar. How they oddly walked on two legs and treated each other. They were loud and made sounds all the time. Sometimes loud enough for him to hear even from all the way over to his hiding spot.

Their habits were strange but fascinating. Crowley started to inch closer every time Orion was away and left his little brother on his own. He had promised the other dragon to keep away and he would keep his promise. But watching from a little closer up wouldn't do him any harm, right?

Having them a little closer Crowley saw them moving their mouths and making strange sounds. For the first few years those sounds didn't make any sense to him.

Watching those humans was Crowley's little secret. He kept it from Orion so he couldn't really ask him about them.

A few years later Crowley learned the mannerisms of the humans he was watching. He learned about different clans and how their looks differed as much as the colour of a dragon's scales.

The sounds they made turned out to be something called a "language" and also differed from place to place and person to person.

He learned how they interacted, how they showed their happiness and treated the ones dear to them. But he also learned how they showed disdain or even fought each other.

To Crowley they didn't seem that different from the ways Orion had explained him the world. Every living being had something or someone they liked and enough to hate in this world.

One summer the Fledgling watched for the first time how a human man killed a woman. The ruthlessness of the act shocked him to the core, but it didn't really dim his curiousity.

Crowley never showed himself to the humans and even if he would have wanted to, there was no way for him to speak to them. It was a little disappointing that something as fascinating as a human wasn't able to use their voice without moving their mouths the whole time.

Orion explained his little brother that his obsession was misplaced, since there were too many humans in this world for them to be anything special. Crowley didn't care. That only meant that his brother wouldn't scold him for his little secret.

There was never a dull day watching them. Crowley saw humans more than once and tried to remember their faces, but then they left and never returned. Some of them started to visually change, their hair turning grey and one day they just stopped showing up.

Crowley learned that a life-circle of a human was that much shorter than a dragon's. He watched something Orion explained him to be a burial.

A human male with long black hair, slicked back to a tight ponytail was clutching another man that looked almost identical to him.

Humans and animals alike were born, reproduce and die in a for a dragon very short period of time.

Watching the pained expression of that man holdigng the other human even stirred the little dragon's heart. This image burned itself into his core and awoke something he never experience before: compassion.

Humans felt for their kind, they visually suffered after losing someone important to them. A mortal life was very short and it didn't matter if children lost their parents or a mother had to carry her babe to the grave.

If humans and animals were alike, why did it hurt them more to loose one of their kind? Why did a human cry and scream and curse at the stars?

Crowley didn't understand his brother's adversion to the human race, at least not yet. His curiousity made him forget the promise he made his brother decades ago.

He disregarded to be cautious and inched closer and closer.

Orion had taught him to not be scared but wary.

Dragons were the kings and queens of the skies, there was nothing to be afraid of. So with the belief that nothing was stronger than a dragon he became prideful and arrogant.

If he was a mighty dragon what danger could a mere human be to him?

CROWLEY

Maybe the mortal would answer his questions. It depended on how cooperative he would be. By chance Crowley might be able to ask about the world behind the Latu Pass he hadn't seen in centuries. He hadn't left the mountains around his cave for more than a hunt or two.

After everything that had happened in his childhood, Crowley kept as far away from humans as he could. His brother had been right. And now he was dead.

And for the wars and political schemes the people of the kingdoms on the continent got themselves into – Crowley couldn't care less. Humans would use the power of dragons to kill others. We are no weapons. Don't think you can use us.

Humans were soft and fascinating things when Crowley had been little. Then he learned how cruel they could be. They would find ways to make use of beings like dragons or other Négul, to fight for them like puppets on a string.

"Of course you won't find any gold here. I am a dragon, why would I have any use for gold or other jewelry? I live here in the mountains so what would I use a single coin for?" A small puff of smoke escaped his nostril.

The mortal in front of him seemed spooked to suddenly hear a voice in his mind. Or maybe Crowleys answer had surprised him.

The black dragon moved slowly. The dark sand under his claws crunched. He lowered his head until he could see the other's form clear. His head was almost as huge as the man before him.

As expected, even up close the human didn't wear any armor, no shield and no sword. Maybe this man was tired of life or he hadn't lied and wasn't here to slay a dragon.

Crowley snorted once and his breath made the blonde locks on the man's head dance.

"Tell me, what's the real reason you are here?"

This time only a quick tremor went through the human upon having a dragon's voice in his head again.

The black dragon lowered his gaze back on the other's hands. Up close it was easier for him to try to read the hand signs.

He knew one or two signs so he quickly lost focus and rather watched the blonde man in front of him a little closer. Short, ashy-blonde hair with soft locks framing a tan face covered in freckles. A clean, but already worn-out shirt and dark slacks.

The fashion on the continent hadn't changed much over the past hundred years.

The only thing he hadn't noticed so far were the icy blue eyes looking up at him. His eyes looked a little glassy and his soft lashes trembled while he still formed words with his hands. Maybe he was holding back tears. Crowley could see his own reflection in those twin pools.

Surprised by his own curiousity the black dragon straightened back up. His movement spooked the man who dropped his hands immediately.

"You don't have to form any words anymore, I can hear your thoughts perfectly fine. So I ask you once more: What is the real reason you have sought me out?"

"I have been sent here by a friend."

Even thought Crowley just said he didn't need to form words it seemed like the other was so very used to it that he formed them automatically. Even though, he did not form the word for "friend" once.

Adam couldn't lie. Through their telepathic bond whatever he thought Crowley would know.

So why was the mortal in front of him lying then?

The black dragon pulled up one side of his lips and showed a row of razor-sharp teeth.

Was it a ploy? Had someone from the two kingdoms sent a deaf man as a decoy? But Crowley hadn't felt another presence around his cave nor could he smell anything out of the ordinary.

Maybe he was a mere commoner sent here by the crown, but without any defense and all by himself? What odd games were the humans playing?

The dragon's golden eyes were still glued on his visitor. The blue eyes watched him just as intently back.

A growl escaped Crowley's maw, a draconic version of a laugh.

"You really have nice friends, don't you?" Even though they spoke through their minds he could give his words the sarcastic tint they would have had if he spoke them normally.

"Humans send their friends to their deaths, how nice. What if I had bitten off your head the moment you walked in here? Sending friends to look for a dragon without any weapons, ha!" The black dragon opened his maw a little.

"And I would have every right to do so! After everything you humans have done to me and my kin." The words came too quick for Crowley to hold them back. Somehow looking at the human in front of him ripped the walls down he had built around his heart over the years.

This man here wasn't at fault, but humankind was. If he killed this one man not a single dragon would return but one more of those evil creatures would vanish. And still Crowley did not move.

There was something odd about this human in particular. And no it wasn't that he was deaf. There was something unusual that went deeper than the ability to hear.

At first Crowley thought he was dealing with another Négul. They were mostly able to change their visuals to blend into the world and keep undetected. Or maybe he was a wizard or a witch. Something similiar to the black dragon, but still utterly different.

But no. It was simply a human being.

The blonde man didn't smell like magic. Witches had a specific smell to them, coming from their inate magic. Wizards smelled like the ingredients they used for their cantrips and other little tricks.

And some people were given jewelry that gave them powers. Crowley didn't understand most of this type of magic, maybe because it had something to do with those gods some of the humans worshipped.

These people also had no special smell, but those pieces of jewelry made even a big dragon like Crowley shiver. They were unnatural and shouldn't exist.

He also despised wizards and witches, because those were still human. Wizards learned their magic and witches – no one knew where they got their magic from.

It had probably something to do with their blood. Out of all the magic users, witches were the closest to a Négul. Little was known about their magic, about the things they were able to do. And that's exactly what made them so dangerous.

What are you? Crowley still had no answer to this question.

The human's hands stopped trembling, maybe he finally made piece with a dragon's voice in his head.

"You are a weird man, human."

Without the threat of immediate danger the black dragon settled down a little. His tail curled around himself and his wings tucked themselves comfortably in.

After all these years he hadn't stopped being a curious being by nature. But the human better not underestimate their temporary peace. With a low sound he lowered his massive body to the ground.

"Why did you enter my cave without weapons?"

"I did not think I would need them", answered the blonde man and left the dragon speechless once more.

"I didn't really believe in dragons and other fairytales."

Crowley rolled his head to one side which was a weird sight to look at. He seemed like a dog who didn't understand what it's master was saying, but seeing this habit on a dragon was surprising.

"So I am just a story in one of your children's books?", asked the black dragon and a single wisp of smoke rose from his mouth.

The blonde man really had the guts to nod. Crowley bared his teeth in a silent warning.

"Careful, little one. Just because I haven't devoured you yet..." His voice must have been like a thunderclap in the human's mind. Maybe his temper had flared.

The mortal in front of him went down on his hands and clutched his head like he was in pain.

A row of sharp scales along his spine had risen like the fur of an excited kitten. But when he heard the pained whimpering, there was something like compassion welling up in his chest.

Crowley snorted once and tried another question without his full-booming voice: "Why are you only talking with your hands?"

This time the man needed a long moment to respond. It was visible that the man had started to shiver again. But he tried his very best to subdue the tremors in his hands. Once more he began forming words before he remembered that the dragon could hear his thoughts so he lowered his hands again.

"I am deaf. My uncle taught me how to use sign language if I don't have pen and paper around."

Even though he was trembling like a newborn the blue eyes were clear. There was the same curiousity in those eyes that Crowley felt. Both beings wanted to ask their questions.

The dragon didn't think for a single moment to lower his guard, but maybe this man was his only chance to have a proper conversation with a human. No other mortal who had found their way into his cave did hesitate to pull their weapon on a dragon. They only came to plunder, steal and kill. They didn't ask for permission.

Humans saw dragons as monster, but didn't see how monstrous their own race was.

They saw dragons as animals, as things they could hunt and own. Crowley quickly winked away the memories that threatened to come back. He never enjoyed killing humans, but if he had to keep himself save he would set the whole world ablaze.

To distract himself he asked the man: "What's your name, mortal?"

Maybe to make things easier the man formed four letters Crowley understood at the same time as he answered through their bond.

"Adam. And yours?"

No human had ever asked him his name. No that wasn't right, there had been a human boy, but back then Crowley hadn't been able to answer him.

Taken aback the black dragon needed a moment, before he decided to give this unsual man his name. He had given his in return so where was the problem.

"You can call me Crowley."

What use was to have his name? The one who knew it and gave it to him had been dead for a very long time.

The blonde man opened his mouth and a hoarse, raspy voice croaked out: "Crowley."

The black dragon winked once silently. The voice sounded like gravel stuck in the mortal's throat. It sounded very weird.

Crowley still didn't believe the whole "a friend sent me to collect a dargon's gold" story.

Maybe some dragons collected a few coins because they looked pretty but in his whole cave there was not a single coin. Alright, maybe in the pockets of the humans that had died coming here and fighting Crowley in his own home. The blonde could have those if he wanted to.

"So once more, what's the real reason you have come here? You can look through the whole cave and you will find a coin or two in the satchels and bags lying around left by the ones before you. Don't try to lie to me, I can read your thoughts."

Talking through a telepathic bond with a being that wasn't a dragon felt unnatural.

"But it's the truth! A friend sent me here. Okay, I agreed to come here, because I didn't believe to see a real dragon in the flesh. I might have declined if I had known..."

"Do you believe dragons exist now?", asked Crowley and slowly unfolded his leathery wings.

"Yes", was Adam's earnest answer, while his eyes followed the movement of the dragon wings.

"So what will you do now? Will you eat me", was the follow up question and the blonde man took an uneasy step backwards.

"No, don't worry. One human isn't even enough to settle my appetite. And it's a rumor that we eat human flesh. At least not if we don't have to", explained the black dragon and crossed his claws over the sandy ground.

"Then tell me, mortal-"

"My name is Adam." Being interrupted like this was a new situation, but for now Crowley corrected himself.

"Then tell me, Adam, what do you need the gold of a dragon for? It has to be important if you go the length to find a real dragon."

His cave was almost at the top of the mountain. For a human to end up there "by coincidence" was almost impossible.

"I need the gold to pay off a debt", was the soft answer and the blonde man made sure to avoid looking at the dragon as he answered obediently.

This wasn't the answer Crowley expected.

"Then you better get to work and earn your coin like humans have done for millenia", said Crowley, before he slowly rose from his position.

"No! It has to be the gold of a dragon!"

The human's outburst made the dragon stop. It had to be the gold of a dragon specifically? That sounded like a dare or worse.

"Don't tell me you were dared to find that or made a promise. I have to disappoint you then-" Suddenly there was silence.

Mid-sentence the humans mind had cut their bond and Crowley found himself not able to read into the other's mind again.

This time his dragon instincts kicked in. No normal mortal should be able to cut a connection like this. Maybe he had underestimated the man in front of him. This was no common mortal.

There was still no scent of magic, but what could this man be?

Dragons were able to cut off their telepathic bond, but Crowley would have to loose every single one of his senses to not recognize one of his kin. This man was no dragon.

"What are you?"

For the last time the black dragon tried to build another telepathic bond, but there was no respond, like he was speaking into a well.

Angered and a little uneasy the black dragon rose to his full height and showed his sharp teeth. A low growl eachoed from the walls as he made himself ready to fight whatever he had allowed to enter his cave.

ADAM

Just like this he was back at using his hands. The sudden change in their mood made his skin tingle. Even if he couldn't hear the dragon's growl, seeing the rows and rows of white teeth were enough to freeze him up.

His whole body tensed up and screamed to just run.

At first the voice in his mind surprised him. It was unusal to have a second voice in your head, especially the voice of a dragon. Adam didn't know what he did to stop the second voice in his head.

As much as he had been spooked at first, it was helpful to not have to use his hands for talking all the time.

The dragon had seemed less intimidating with a human voice. It was a soft and melodic sound. For a long time Adam didn't hear voices besides his own in his head. He remembered how his uncle and his best friend had sounded in the past.

Having a humanoid voice took the edge off the dragon, but now looking into those unnatural eyes Adam got reminded that he was facing a monster right now.

Adam thought about Dominique.

She had looked so very thankful after he had agreed to help her. He didn't want to disappoint her. And he still wanted something from him so she would not let him run into his death with her request, right?

Adam's knees buckled as he fell to the ground, never looking away from the golden light the dragon's eyes glowed with. His thin shoes kicked up sand as he tried to move even further away from the monster in front of him.

Without their connection, could they even communicate enough to succeed?

His eyes left the dragon for a quick second to study his surroundings. It was a stony cave with no remarkable features. The light from the entrance illuminated the big creature, but left most of the cave in darkness. Adam imagined the cave being a labyrinth of different tunnels and dead-ends.

His whole attention snapped back to the black figure the moment Crowley started to turn around. The huge creature climbed up a stonewall and dared to vanish deeper into his cave.

No!

Did he fuck up?

He quickly got back up on his feet and hurried after the dragon.

"Come bak!" His own voice cracked as he shouted. He hadn't spoken in a while, so his voice must have sounded raw and unused.

Panicked Adam hurried after Crowley, but as he crawled deeper into the darkness his eyes couldn't keep up anymore. In the end the human didn't see anything.

He put a flat hand against the cave wall. The stone was cold, but it grounded him somehow. Now he was down two of his senses.

One of his hands reached up to his chest and grabbed the pendant around his neck. If he could just get a spark going that would be enough, but the necklace hadn't lit up in the past ten years, not even once.

A single movement in the darkness was enough to get all his attention. He wasn't sure what exactly it had been, but for now what else could lurk in the dark than the dragon?

No other scent was in the air, but the silhouette he was approaching didn't fit the dragon. It was so much smaller. What was going on?

Adam rolled his head to the side and moved a little closer. The figure seemed to be humanoid, maybe there was another human in this cave?

For a second it seemed like the shadowy figure wanted to turn around and run away. Adam rose his free hand and reached for it. No matter what it was, his curiousity won out. Nothing could be more dangerous than a dragon and the one he met hadn't killed him yet.

Slowly the blonde man raised his hand, almost like he tried to calm a spooked animal.

"Stay. Please."

Maybe the figure had understood him. It was no use forming any words with his hands in this darkness.

Even if the silhouette in the dark cave didn't seem big enough to be of a dragon, what else could it really be?

Could dragons change their appearance?