Noir stood still, not moving a single muscle, afraid of angering the being standing before him.
Compared to the golden giant, he was a speck of dust.
The golden sphere spun innocently on its axis.
Noir stared at it for several seconds.
Then he looked back at the gigantic golden creature.
Then he looked back at the sphere.
And finally, he looked back at the creature.
"..."
The conclusion was simple.
He had been tricked.
The little dragon was convinced that the glowing orb had planned it all from the very beginning.
For days, it had led him through endless tunnels, had taken him straight into the path of a monster that nearly killed him, and now it had left him face to face with a creature capable of crushing him with a single claw.
The golden sphere descended slowly and hovered above his head, as if proud of its work.
Noir clenched his teeth in frustration; he had been in the palm of a creature’s hand that hadn’t spoken a single word to him.
’I’m going to devour you someday.’
The sphere glowed cheerfully; it clearly wasn’t worried; it seemed confident in its ability to dodge him.
Noir let out a long sigh. Then he remembered something important... the creature had just spoken. His vertical pupils contracted.
Speaking meant intelligence. And intelligence meant conversation.
Which was excellent news.
Intelligent creatures didn’t usually eat other beings right away. Well... Most of the time.
Cautiously, Noir raised his head again.
The enormous golden giant continued to watch him.
Now that he was looking at it more closely, he could make out certain details more clearly. The golden scales covering its body looked like solidified molten metal, giving it a majestic air that was impossible to ignore. Each one was bigger than he was.
The enormous blue eyes remained fixed on his small body.
Noir had the strange feeling that he was being scrutinized like a rare insect... Or a particularly odd puppy.
He didn’t much care for the comparison.
’Stop looking at me like I’m adorable.’ Of course, he didn’t say that out loud; he still valued his life.
The dragoness remained silent for a few more seconds.
Then her gaze slowly shifted toward the golden orb.
For the first time since she had arrived, an emotion flashed across those ancient blue eyes.
Surprise.
Noir blinked. And before he could figure out what was happening, the dragoness’s voice echoed through the cavern once more.
[Little one...]
The golden orb shone brightly.
[...Was it you who brought him here?]
Noir slowly turned his head.
Then he looked at the orb.
Then he looked back at the dragon.
And a suspicion began to form in his mind.
’Hang on a minute...’
’Do you two know each other?’
***
The golden dragon stared at the little black dragon in front of her without looking away.
Chrysola’s expression took on a strangely dazed look.
That didn’t make any sense.
For countless years, she had witnessed the birth of countless dragons. Some were more talented than others; some learned faster, and others possessed exceptional bloodlines.
However, they all had one thing in common.
They were young.
Instinctive, curious, and, at times, troublesome.
But the little dragon standing before her was different.
Far too different.
His eyes weren’t those of a newborn. There was understanding in them. Observance. Even a certain wariness.
It was as if he were analyzing everything around him.
Even when she appeared before him, the little one hadn’t frozen in fear or reacted like a normal baby. He had assessed the situation.
And that was precisely what puzzled her.
Chrysola’s blue eyes drifted down to the small golden orb fluttering around the black dragon.
A faint glimmer of understanding flashed in her eyes.
’So that’s why you decided to bring him all the way here.’
The sphere spun proudly on its axis, as if pleased with its decision.
Chrysola almost laughed.
Then she looked back at the little dragon.
Noir was still staring straight at her, showing no intention of looking away.
For a moment, it seemed as though they were both participating in some strange endurance contest.
’Pff.’
The golden dragon suppressed a smile.
The way he looked at her with those bright red eyes was unexpectedly endearing.
Full of curiosity.
Full of caution.
And completely oblivious to how ridiculously small he was compared to her.
Then Chrysola’s enormous head slowly descended, accompanied by a soft hiss that echoed throughout the cavern.
***
Noir nearly flew backward when the golden dragon exhaled.
The invisible pressure that accompanied that simple movement bore down on him like a mountain.
His legs trembled; his breathing became ragged. And before he knew it, big tears began to well up in his eyes.
At that moment, the golden dragon hesitated; she looked at him and then turned her head away.
[Little one... why are you crying?]
The voice was now dignified yet very soft and warm.
But Noir was clearly outraged. What kind of question was that? Why are you crying? It’s obviously his fault!
His little outburst only amused the dragoness even more.
[I’m sorry. I can’t control him.]
A warm golden light spread across the golden dragon’s body like blooming flowers.
Whoosh!
The golden dragon, now shrouded in light, gradually shrank until it was the size of a grizzly bear.
When the light faded, its size had shrunk considerably, and its elegant, noble body no longer filled the entire cave.
The pressure had eased considerably.
Still, Noir felt a bit disappointed. He had expected it to transform into an elegant humanoid form, just like in many of the novels he had read.
But it seemed reality had other plans.
[Now that you’re this size, you won’t cry.]
"..."
Noir turned his head away in indignation. Then he growled, baring all his teeth. Of course, it was... childish.
[Little one, you sure have some spunk.]
The golden dragoness smiled affectionately.
[My name is Chrysola. You seem to have a lot on your mind, don’t you?]
Noir stood motionless for several seconds.
With many doubts too many.
His tail swayed slowly behind him.
For the first time since he had opened his eyes inside that egg, he was facing someone capable of answering questions.
An intelligent creature.
A creature that seemed to know that world.
And, most importantly... a creature that didn’t seem to have any intention of eating him.
The golden sphere fluttered around Chrysola as if it were proud of itself.
Noir immediately pointed at it with a claw.
"Gruu!"
The accusation was clear.
The culprit was right there.
The little sphere spun around and pretended not to understand.
Chrysola watched the scene for a few seconds before letting out a soft laugh.
The sound echoed throughout the cavern.
[Little one, what did you do to make him look at you like that?]
The sphere glowed innocently.
Noir nearly choked on his indignation. That thing had no shame whatsoever.
Chrysola turned her attention back to him. Her enormous blue eyes seemed much warmer than before.
[Don’t worry, little one.]
The dragoness smiled faintly.
[You have time. You can ask me anything you want.]
Noir stood motionless.
And for the first time since he had arrived in that unknown world... he felt that he was no longer completely alone.