Dragons Cry, Destined to Fly: Side Story — Moonlit Vigil, Wings Draw Near
雷雲と嵐を従える大陸最強の龍皇勇輝子が清掃員の格好で皇宮大浴場に現れた。
「掃除するから出てー」
「勇輝子様！ そのお姿は!？」
「ん？ 今日あたし風呂掃除当番なの」
「ならば俺も！」
龍乃国にやって来て数週間。誰も彼もに休め眠れと言われ続けている安道だったが、未だに何もせずただ日々を過ごすということに慣れることができない。
お役に立ちたいのに。
思い詰める安道に龍達が取った行動は？
The sun was bright over Tatsuno.
As usual.
“Relax!”
“I assure you, Mr. Azu, I am attempting to!”
A tremendous splash erupted from the bath.
Ando was losing.
Decisively.
Swimming had never been one of his strengths.
The rivers of Imresia were swift and bitterly cold. Though swimming formed part of a knight's training, Ando had never mastered the skill. Even brief exposure to cold water often left him bedridden for days afterward.
“I am sinking, sir!”
“No, you're not!”
“I most certainly am!”
“Dude, I've literally got you!”
Azu burst out laughing.
Among the adult Dracoserpens, he was the youngest. Ever since Ando's arrival several weeks ago, he had attached himself to the newcomer with relentless enthusiasm.
How to dive.
How to float.
How to swim underwater.
How to actually swim.
Every day seemed to bring another lesson.
“Alright! Again!”
“M-Mr. Azu, sir, if it please you, perhaps a brief rest—”
“Hey, sorry. Need you guys out for a bit.”
The familiar voice echoed through the bathhouse.
Ando turned.
Then froze.
A massive female Dracoserpens stood in the doorway.
A cloth was tied around her head. A bucket hung from one arm. A long scrubbing brush rested over her shoulder.
Yuki grinned.
“Hey. How's swimming going?”
“My Lady!?”
“Looks like Azu's still putting you through it.”
Azu shrugged.
“Yup.”
“Nice.”
“Why are you dressed in such a manner?”
“Oh.”
She glanced down at herself.
“Bath-cleaning duty.”
The answer was delivered with such casual certainty that Ando momentarily forgot how to speak.
Yuki tilted her head.
“Sorry. I've gotta clean the place. There are chairs out by the beach if you wanna wait there. Shouldn't take long.”
Then she held out a water flask.
“Here. Take it with you.”
The Empress of Tatsuno had already begun scrubbing the floor as though nothing whatsoever was unusual about the situation.
Ando stared.
“My Lady, please! Allow me to take over!”
“Huh?”
“I cannot simply stand by while you do the cleaning yourself!”
The words came out alarmingly close to a cry of distress.
Beside him, Azu snorted.
“This is not amusing!”
“It is, though.”
“Mr. Azu!”
“Relax, Ando. It's Yuki's turn today.”
“...Turn?”
“Turn.”
“The Empress has cleaning duties?”
“Yeah?”
Azu blinked.
He sounded genuinely confused.
“Why wouldn't she?”
Because she was the Empress.
Surely that alone should have explained everything.
Ando pressed a hand against his forehead.
Clearly, Tatsuno followed a logic all its own.
“Then, if it please My Lady, allow me to join the duty rotation as well!”
Yuki and Azu exchanged a look.
Then sighed in perfect unison.
Ando immediately became concerned.
“Have I said something wrong?”
Azu pointed directly at him.
“You seriously don't get it, do you?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“You're right in the middle of Dormancy.”
“Dormancy is not an illness!”
Azu stared at him.
“Yeah. That's because it isn't.”
“Yet everyone insists I spend my days resting.”
“That's literally what it's for.”
“But—”
“No buts!”
Azu shot back instantly.
Yuki rested the brush against her shoulder.
“Ando.”
“Yes, My Lady!”
“How many hours did you sleep last night?”
Ando suddenly found the floor fascinating.
“...Six.”
“Six?”
“I am ashamed to admit that I overslept.”
Both Yuki and Azu froze.
“...Overslept?”
“And the night before?”
“Roughly the same, I'm afraid.”
The silence somehow became even heavier.
Yuki pinched the bridge of her nose.
“Ando.”
“Yes, My Lady?”
“That is nowhere near enough sleep.”
Ando blinked.
“I beg your pardon?”
“Are you having trouble sleeping?”
“No, My Lady.”
“Then why aren't you sleeping?”
The question genuinely baffled him.
Six hours already felt excessive.
Lately he had been sleeping so much that he had begun feeling guilty about it.
Surely any more than that would border on laziness.
Yuki buried her face in one hand.
“Should we get Ko to prescribe something?”
“I’m afraid that will not be necessary, My Lady!”
Ando nearly leapt out of the water.
“Then sleep.”
The Empress's tone left absolutely no room for negotiation.
She turned toward Azu.
“Azu.”
“Yup.”
“I'll finish cleaning as fast as I can.”
A dangerous grin spread across her face.
“Wear him out.”
Azu's eyes lit up.
“Oh, I've been waiting to hear that.”
“Wait—”
“Leave it to me.”
Ando suddenly felt as though he had become the target of a carefully planned military campaign.
That afternoon, Ando found himself standing outside Ko's office.
“Could I perhaps be assigned some work, Master Ko?”
In Tatsuno, there simply were not many Dracoserpens.
Young or old.
Farmer or scholar.
Even the Empress herself.
Everyone carried their share of responsibilities.
After leaving the baths, Azu had gone straight to the Mews to help clean enclosures and feed the Steedraptors.
Yet ever since arriving in Tatsuno, Ando kept hearing the same thing from everyone around him.
Rest.
Sleep.
Take it easy.
Read a book if he wished.
Sit beneath a tree with tea and sweets.
Spend his days however he pleased.
That was what everyone said.
Ando simply couldn't understand it.
Rest... and then what?
Doing nothing while everyone else worked felt wrong.
Which was why he now stood before Ko with utmost seriousness.
“I wish to be of some use to everyone.”
The elderly Dracoserpens slowly raised his head.
“Mr Ando.”
“Yes, sir.”
“You already possess such a duty.”
Hope immediately returned to Ando's face.
“I do?”
“Indeed you do.”
Ko raised a finger.
“To rest whenever possible.”
Ando visibly deflated.
A second finger.
“To continue treatment for your feet.”
A third.
“And to complete your Maturation.”
Ando leaned forward.
“With respect, sir, those cannot reasonably be called work.”
“They most certainly can.”
The answer came without hesitation.
“Maturation is no trivial matter.”
Ko fixed him with a sharp look.
“Few things shall shape a Dracoserpens' life more profoundly.”
“But—”
“No buts, Mr Ando.”
His gaze sharpened further.
“Your body is changing even now.”
His tone softened slightly.
“To burden it further would be irresponsible in the extreme.”
Ando had no answer.
Yet he still could not accept it.
Remaining here, cared for by everyone while contributing nothing in return, felt fundamentally wrong.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
“Excuse me.”
The door opened.
Wani stepped inside.
“I spoke with Azu earlier,” he said, smiling.
“Ando. Would you like to help Azu and me in the Mews?”
Ando's head snapped up.
“I would be honored, Mr Wani!”
“Wani.”
Ko frowned.
The healer remained entirely unfazed.
“I've been thinking Ando should spend more time around the Steedraptors anyway.”
Ando looked at him questioningly.
Wani continued.
“Yuki has chosen Kito to become your wings.”
Then he gave a sheepish smile.
“Unfortunately, Kito is still a little frightened of you.”
Ando's shoulders sagged.
The memory of the incident during the ceremony in Imresia still made him wince.
“At this rate,” Wani said gently, “I don't think she'll permit you to ride her.”
The prospect was more disappointing than Ando cared to admit.
“So I'd like the two of you to spend more time together.”
Ando immediately bowed his head.
“You have my gratitude.”
When he looked up again, the disappointment had vanished from his face.
“I would be grateful for the opportunity.”
Wani smiled back.
“Glad to hear it.”
Then he raised a finger.
“However.”
Ando straightened instantly.
“I will not permit you to overexert yourself.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I've said this so many times I'm beginning to think I should have it carved into stone.”
Wani chuckled.
“Dormancy comes with unpredictable swings in energy.”
His expression became serious.
“You may feel perfectly fine one moment and be overcome by exhaustion the next.”
“You could quite literally fall asleep where you're standing.”
Ando frowned.
It was difficult to imagine.
But Wani clearly meant every word.
“If you begin to feel sleepy, will you tell me honestly?”
Ando nodded solemnly.
“You have my word, Mr Wani.”
“Good.”
Wani turned toward Ko.
“Would that be acceptable, Master Ko?”
Ko folded his arms and considered the matter for several moments.
At last, he exhaled through his nose.
“So be it.”
Then he fixed Ando with a pointed look.
“Mr Ando.”
“Yes, sir?”
“Absolutely no heroics.”
Ando straightened like a soldier receiving orders.
“I shall keep that firmly in mind, sir.”
From the very next morning, Ando began arriving at the Mews before anyone else.
He swept up droppings and loose feathers.
Refilled water troughs.
Cut meat for the Steedraptors' feed.
Patched torn netting.
Repaired enrichment toys.
Trimmed back branches that had overgrown the perches.
And throughout it all, Kito watched from the highest perch in the Mews.
She never came closer.
Never made a sound.
She simply observed him from afar.
Still, Ando dutifully looked up and called to her whenever he had the chance.
“Good morning, Kito. It's another beautiful day.”
No response.
Not that he expected one.
Wani had instructed him to keep talking to her, so he did.
While sweeping.
While hauling water.
While repairing fences.
Whenever he remembered.
“Kito.”
Silence.
“Kito.”
Still nothing.
“Kito.”
Wani watched for a while before chuckling softly.
“You're persistent, I'll give you that.”
Ando nodded seriously.
“Persistence is one of my strengths.”
That was when it happened.
His body swayed.
Just slightly.
“...Ando?”
“Pardon?”
The bucket slipped from his fingers.
He looked more surprised than anyone.
Wani caught both the bucket and the Ando before either could hit the ground.
“Let's take a break.”
“I assure you, I'm perfectly fin—”
A tremendous yawn interrupted him.
Ando froze.
Clearly horrified by his own betrayal.
“That was merely—”
“A break.”
“But—”
“Just ten minutes.”
Wani smiled.
“Besides, I'm a little tired myself.”
It was a transparent excuse.
But it worked.
Given a time limit—and a reason that wasn't solely about him—Ando finally relented.
He sat down on a bench beneath a nearby tree and accepted the cup of fruit juice Wani handed him.
Thirty seconds later, Ando was asleep enough that Wani managed to ease him into a lying position without waking him.
“Oh.”
Azu appeared carrying a bundle of cleaning supplies.
“No way. He actually fell asleep.”
There was unmistakable satisfaction in his voice.
Movement overhead caught their attention.
Both Dracoserpens looked up.
Kito had descended.
Not all the way.
But far lower than usual.
The blue Steedraptor stood quietly on a nearby perch, golden eyes fixed on the sleeping Dracling.
Neither of them moved.
Neither of them spoke.
Kito watched Ando for several long moments.
Then, slowly, she stretched out her neck.
Closer.
Closer.
Until the tip of her beak touched Ando's hair.
Just once.
A gentle nudge.
Azu's eyes widened.
“Well, that's better than I expected.”
“Indeed.”
Wani smiled.
Kito lingered for a moment longer before returning to her perch.
This time, she chose a perch much closer to the ground.
Azu broke into a broad grin.
Wani found himself smiling as well.
“Yes,” he said quietly.
“I'd say we're making progress.”
“He's asleep, then. Well done, Wani.”
Kiba arrived a short while later and let out a breath of relief.
Seeing Ando finally asleep eased some of the tension from his shoulders.
Kneeling beside the bench, Kiba reached down to lift him.
He intended to carry him back to his room.
Then Wani raised a hand.
“Would it be alright if we let him sleep here today?”
Kiba paused.
“That is unlike you.”
“Kito came down.”
Wani glanced toward the perches overhead.
“She was much closer than usual.”
Kiba's eyebrows rose slightly.
Then he followed Wani's gaze.
The blue Raptor sat some distance away, watching the sleeping Dracling.
“I see.”
After a moment, he nodded.
“I'll go fetch some bedding.”
Wani started to stand.
Kiba shook his head.
“I'll bring it.”
Then, after a brief pause, he added, “Keep an eye on Ando.”
Wani smiled.
“Of course.”
A short while later, Kiba returned carrying an armful of bedding.
This time, however, he wasn't alone.
Behind him came Yuki.
And Tien.
“...What exactly are all of you doing?”
Tien stared at the scene with open disbelief.
The question was directed at Azu, who was currently spreading blankets across the ground as though this were the most natural thing in the world.
“Camping.”
Tien blinked.
“Camping?”
Azu nodded.
“Camping.”
“Ando said he had fun camping.”
That explanation somehow raised more questions than it answered.
Yuki's eyes lit up.
“Oh! Then I'm sleeping here too!”
Tien stared at her.
“Why?”
“Why not?”
“That's not an answer.”
“It is to me.”
Azu finished spreading out his bedding.
Kiba set his own down beside Ando's bench.
Before long, a simple canopy had been erected over the area.
Not a proper tent.
Just enough cover to keep an unfortunate Raptor dropping from landing on anyone during the night.
High above, the Raptors watched the proceedings in growing confusion.
Their caretakers appeared to have lost their minds.
The sleeping Dracling remained where he was.
And now four Dracoserpens had chosen to build a nest around him.
The Raptors had no explanation for this behavior.
Neither, for that matter, did Tien.
Ando awoke sometime during the night.
The Mews lay quiet around him.
Moonlight spilled across the ground, turning the rows of perches silver.
For a moment, he simply stared upward.
An unfamiliar canopy hung overhead.
The scent of feathers lingered in the air.
“—―!”
He started to sit up.
A large hand settled gently atop his head.
Kiba.
The older Dracoserpens smiled and pressed a finger to his lips.
Ando froze.
Then looked around.
Under the neighboring canopy, Azu and Tien were both asleep.
Yuki had somehow rolled halfway out from beneath hers.
A Raptor dropping clung stubbornly to the end of her tail.
“...My Lord.”
Ando lowered his voice.
“What exactly is happening here?”
Kiba glanced around.
Then chuckled.
“I couldn't tell you.”
“...”
“But don't worry about it.”
He tilted his head toward the sky.
“It's still the middle of the night.”
Ando lowered his eyes.
The familiar guilt returned immediately.
He had worried everyone again.
Kiba noticed at once.
“How are you feeling?”
“My Lord, I fear I have once again caused everyone concern—”
“Any headache?”
“No, sir.”
“Nausea?”
“No.”
“Good.”
Kiba smiled.
“Then stop apologizing.”
Ando fell silent.
Kiba gestured behind him.
“Look.”
Ando turned.
Kito was there.
The blue Raptor sat on the ground with her wings folded neatly against her sides.
Close enough to touch.
Fast asleep.
Ando stared.
“She came down?”
Kiba smiled.
“She did.”
His gaze drifted toward the sleeping Raptor.
“Looks like all that hard work is finally paying off.”
Ando stared at Kito.
For a moment, he seemed almost afraid to hope.
“Do you truly believe so, My Lord?”
“I do.”
Kiba nodded.
“Keep learning from Wani.”
A hint of amusement touched his voice.
“At this rate, I suspect she'll allow you to ride her before long.”
The guilt remained.
“I've caused everyone a great deal of trouble.”
“Have you?”
Kiba raised his brows.
It was the sort of question that already contained its own answer.
Ando blinked.
Kiba glanced around the campsite.
At Azu.
At Tien.
At Yuki, sprawled halfway out of her bedding.
Then back at Ando.
“Do you truly believe any of us would be here if we found you troublesome?”
“My Lord, I...”
“I know.”
The answer came immediately.
Kiba smiled.
“I know you want to repay us.”
The words caught Ando off guard.
“But if you wish to help us, then grant us a favor.”
Ando straightened instinctively.
“Of course!”
Then, remembering where he was, he lowered his voice.
“Of course, My Lord.”
Kiba chuckled.
“Grow well.”
Ando froze.
Kiba leaned forward and gently touched his horn against Ando's forehead.
“Become a fine Dracotyrannus.”
The words were little more than a murmur.
Silence settled between them.
Then Kiba smiled.
“Humans become adults at eighteen, or so I've heard.”
“Indeed, My Lord.”
“We are different.”
His gaze drifted toward the sleeping Dracoserpens nearby.
“From our perspective, you're still growing.”
Ando opened his mouth.
Then thought better of it.
Kiba continued before he could object.
“Even Wani and Azu are.”
Ando blinked.
“But they've already completed Dormancy.”
Kiba nodded.
“And they're still young.”
Moonlight gleamed across his scales.
“Dracoserpens take a very long time to grow.”
His eyes lifted toward the stars.
“Dracotyrannus are much the same.”
Moonlight shimmered in Kiba's eyes.
“There are many here who would be happy simply to see you grow strong and stay healthy.”
Ando's throat tightened.
No words came.
He could only stare.
Kiba seemed to understand.
He always seemed to understand.
His hand combed gently through Ando's hair once more.
“That is what we want.”
Something loosened inside Ando's chest.
A knot he had not realized he was carrying.
For the first time in a long while, breathing felt easy.
His eyelids grew heavy.
Far too heavy to resist.
“There we are.”
Kiba's smile widened.
“Good night, Ando.”
“Good ni... My Lor...”
Whether the words were spoken aloud or not, Ando could not have said.
The hand resting atop his head should not have felt warm.
Yet somehow, to Ando, it did.
And holding on to that impossible warmth, he drifted back to sleep.
