The stars had shifted.
Most of the other creatures were asleep, some still growling in their dreams. Pisco sat beside the dragon, leaning back against its warm side. Its breathing was slow and steady, like waves.
He wasn’t sure if it was asleep or just resting with its eyes closed.
The silence made him speak.
“You scare me,” he said softly. “Still.”
The dragon’s ear flicked.
“I know what you could do. I’ve seen you burn things to ash just by breathing too hard. And you… you looked at me like I was meat, the first time.”
The dragon opened one eye. A golden slit shimmered in the firelight.
“But then you didn’t bite me. You didn’t run either. You just… watched.”
He paused.
“I guess we’re both a little broken.”
The dragon shifted, exhaling smoke. Its wing twitched, then slowly stret
