[Olivia Favager]

It had been one entire week since Olivia had arrived at UAU– one whole week, and the full realization of how free she was had begun to dawn-on her. With her parents, each day was carefully regimented into schooling, lessons, and social gatherings of various persuasions. Meet this dignitary, attend this function here, study, sleep. Every day was sectioned into neat, color-coded sections, every moment planned. Olivia often snuck books in at every opportunity, desperate for escape, but now? Now, she could go wherever she wanted, spend as much time as she wanted there. Did she want ice cream for breakfast? She could eat ice cream for breakfast!

It was thus that Olivia Favager began her search for a day-trip in the unlikeliest of places– message boards dedicated to the discussion of urban legends. She wanted to solve all the mysteries that Tokyo had to offer, and seek supernatural friend or foe alike! It was essential to her journey as a Mythic Hero!

A thread boasting numerous accounts of a dragon in the mountains beyond Tokyo gave Olivia her objective– find the dragon, and confront it! On Friday night, she packed a backpack full of supplies for her journey. This included a few books, more lunch than any girl of her stature could eat, and lots of water– as an afterthought, she added a sweater to the mix.

Eary Saturday morning, Olivia rose to her alarm, dressed with eagerness, and scarfed down a breakfast bar before running to the nearest bus stop. She was on the bus, thundering down the Tomei Expressway, before the sun had even struggled above the horizon.

Four busses and two hours later, the girl was at the mountain, gravel crunching beneath her boot soles. Her parents– at least the ones that used to like Olivia– would be mortified that their daughter was about to go hiking. People like them didn’t have the idle time to just traipse around the woods aimlessly.

Of course, had anyone taken a more vested interest in Olivia’s wellbeing, they may have advised against venturing into the woods, and moreover doing so alone, without telling anyone, simply because you wanted to look for dragons. But no one had cared enough, or even known… so Olivia was free to do whatever she wanted to!

She began the hike with vigor, admiring the morning light that filtered through the pines, the ferns, the smell of the fresh earth. Birdsong lilted through the air, and the sound of the road behind her was quickly swallowed-up by the trees that closed around her. This wasn’t the main hiking area, just a random bus stop in the woods before the miniscule mountain-town, but the boards had said this was the best spot to get off if you wanted to find the dragon.

Olivia wasn’t afraid! There were nice, clear trails that cut down the side of the mountain, winding down towards the water of a rippling creek, before cutting back up the hill again. Clearly, people were meant to be here! The gusto persisted for a good hour, before her own lack of experience began to catch-up with her. She was trim, but not fit, and carrying a heavy backpack was hard. The bag was cast aside with a heavy whoomph, a dust cloud rising around where it had been dropped. Which… way… had she come from, again?

The blonde sat on a felled log, looking this way and that. To be honest… she couldn’t quite remember which way she had come from! Everything looked rather similar, no matter which way she looked. No worries, though! She knew that there was a town nearby. And a bus that came through numerous times per day! Someone was bound to venture by to help her!

Still unconcerned, Olivia freed her water bottle from the backpack, popping the mouthpiece open before taking a sip. This was the nature of an adventure! The unknowing! The intrigue! And she… she was powerful and capable! There was nothing she couldn’t handle.

[king]

The curious and inquisitive human was not on king’s radar what so ever; there had been so many humans that had delved into his territory that the massive beastial quirker had wondered if there were many that would come to his home to visit him at this rate. He had wanted to be left alone at first but with so many he had felt his heart warm a little bit to them. Even if it was unintentional to him and their intents had been something a little more fearful at least at first….

He found himself deep in thought as he wandered; originally he had thought himself to forever be alone in this world. Not a single being wanting anything to do with him and heroes or villains or civilians… hell even vigilantes often wanted nothing to do with him. But now? He had met one after another; each with different ideals and different thoughts on the world. Didn’t he also meet a few students at this new fangled university for heroes? The latter only becoming known to him through a newspaper a hiker had left on the trail.

He sat there watching the clouds for a moment; his thoughts mesmerized at the thought of returning to the city peacefully. But there would be no way that’d work. No way society would let a monster like him back in. Gritting his teeth the beast wandered throughout his turf.

Until a scent found him; a peaceful innocent scent. It caught him and held his attention for a few moments before leaving him. He stood there thinking to himself about the people that had come here before and feeling as though he should at least go check out who… Well the beast lumbered towards the scent. Somewhat off the beaten path the rumbling of his footsteps and heavy breaths followed his every waking moment. Eventually he found the felled log that the blond sat on. His eyes inspected her and he would approach from behind.

He didn’t consider this one a prey thing; she was too peaceful. There wasn’t enough of a reason to consider any human now days a preything. Maybe an interloper if they were mean but… The beast breathed out and a small rumble came from his chest. He wasn’t hostile, not outright. It felt wrong somehow with how many people had extended him a branch of peace.

”Human.”

[Olivia Favager]

Olivia closed her eyes as the light that filtered through the pines danced across her face. It was so peaceful here. You wouldn’t even know that there was a road just a few kilometers away in… some uncertain direction! And the novelty of there being no audible internal voices to interrupt Olivia’s reverie, for once! This would be the most perfect place ever to read or relax or… whatever! Realizing this, the blonde hastily shed her backpack, bringing it to her lap so she could dig-out one of her books.

As she unzipped her pack, another consciousness tugged at her mind, reluctant at first. The voice rumbled like tumbling boulders, low and powerful. Perhaps a little dangerous. Olivia paused to listen, her book half-withdrawn from her bag. Whoa.

Someone else was wandering these woods, contemplating such existential quandaries as their place in the world and those that almost convinced them to give society a chance again. But…that was impossible. Olivia gave a small frown, her brow stitching. What a sad train of thought! Anyone who believed that had to be quite lonely! … and, perhaps, a little ugly?

It wasn’t something that Olivia thought with any maliciousness, but the trope was one that routinely made its way through fiction. “Notre-Dame de Paris” by Victor Hugo and “Le Fantôme de l'Opéra” by Gaston Leroux were the first to come to mind. Men who’d been cast-out by society for their terrifying appearances, fell in love with beautiful young women, and met tragic ends. There were more works of fiction that recycled that same trope, of course, but… gracious, now Olivia was rather curious who she was sharing these woods with! She had to reassure them that… that there was more to them than what meets the eye! She didn’t even know them, but Olivia was sure they were a very good person! They just had to be!

She finished fishing her book out of her backpack, and she zippered her backpack again. The water bottle was replaced in its sleeve, and Olivia got to her feet, unaware of the massive footsteps that now made her approach. Had she been the creature’s prey, she would have been quite the easy catch, for the girl was completely unaware that she was being watched. She was lost in her own mind, wondering where the lonesome thoughts had faded to. The stitch in her brow deepened. Often, when people were closer, there was some directionality to their thoughts, but this one had been so far-off that she had no such hints. Olivia had risen to her feet and started to brush herself off all under the careful watch of the very creature she sought.

When the creature sighed, her eyes went skyward– nope, still sunny, not a single thunder-cloud in sight– but when the creature spoke, her attention was finally tugged in the appropriate direction.

”Human.”

Olivia turned her body, first, then her head followed, green eyes skimming the trees directly behind her for the speaker that the disembodied voice belonged to. It wasn’t difficult to find him. He stood as tall as a two-story house, and four times as long. From head-to-toe he was blue-scaled and powerful, with a deep, purple mane. It took Olivia’s brain a few moments to catch-up with what her eyes beheld– and a few moments more for her brain to connect with her mouth–

“Oh. My. Gosh!” the blonde gasped, opening her arms wide to the dragon before her. It was him that she had heard, it just had to be! “Look at you! You are stunning!!”

When God had built Olivia, he’d clearly forgotten to put a single iota of fear in her. Any reasonable person would recognize an apex predator when they saw one, and promptly try to save themselves– but no, not Olivia! And perhaps it was the fact that the dragon before her had clearly human thoughts running through their mind, which meant that they were probably a quirker just like her and that meant… an instant candidate for friendship.

“Your…” crud, she didn’t know the word for scales, so she just patted the back of her own arm, “...skin makes me think of jewels! Or perhaps those really shiny beetles! Les iridescents! So beautiful!”

It wasn’t the most polite to just comment upon people’s appearances, though, particularly things that a person had no control over. Time and time again, her parents had reminded her of this, and Olivia never learned. Olivia let her arms fall.

“I’m sorry, that was rude of me. Maman always chastises me for being so forward,” she said with a faint bow, “I’m Olivia.”

[king]

The reaction that he was given by the human in front of him was not what he expected. The excitement in their eyes took him aback and the general lack of fear was evident. His confusion was evident and he’d adjust slightly, tilting his head to one side ever so mildly. Stunning? He had never heard anyone call him that. A soft earflick and his innerthoughts turned towards confusion. She seemed to be honest about it and her scent didn’t seem to reek of the city as badly as the others before.

It was enough to really cause him some earnest moments of thought. Hearing her explain that his skin made her think of jewels or shiny beetles made him blink slowly. The baleful green eyes staggered out into more confused hues.

”Scales. Not Skin.”

He would rumble out softly; there was a cautious tone to his voice. All the compliments were… strange to him. It confused him greatly; no one acted like this. Always defensive or aggressive towards him. She was the first that responded like that. Flicking his ear at her introduction and reasoning for her behavior well…

”King.”

He’d sniff at the air, leaning forward to take in her scent properly. His head leveling with her body so he could inspect this strange human. He was very animalistic in his mannerisms. But he was certainly used to being the predator with the way his body moved. Slight angles, adjustments, his long tail helping him as he started to move to one side. Fully coming into view for the strange human.

”...What is… Olivia here for?”

[Olivia Favager]

Olivia’s smile did not falter as she smacked her forehead with the heel of her hand at her faux pas.

“Scales!” she repeated, “So that is what they are called. Apologies, good sir! I speak a good many languages and this is not my strongest. Some words are bound to escape me!”

A reluctant and apologetic laugh escaped her, too, as she rose from her bow.

”King.”

That was the most unusual name! Or perhaps that was his title? A forest was a befitting realm for a dragon to rule over, no doubt.

“Oh, I beg your pardon! My liege!”

She’d been awfully familiar with the dragon, if he was a king. Another bow, deeper than the first, followed. A bow befitting a king! And when she rose, she was able to see King in his entirety, and her look of awe was unflinching.

”...What is… Olivia here for?”

Even Olivia had enough social graces to know that saying she was here for “him” was far too forward for first introductions. It would be a really creepy way to lead– “Oh, I heard about you on a message board, and wanted to see you for myself–” no, no, no. With this being her first ever successful investigation, she didn’t want to squander the opportunity with overzealousness!

“Well!” Olivia said, “To hike, of course! I am new to this land, and aim to traverse a great deal of it! So I brought a picnic lunch and a book for today’s travels… and it should be quite fun!”

She conveniently omitted the part about not remembering her path to that place in the woods, for fear it might bring her adventure to an early conclusion.

“-with your permission, of course, my liege,” Olivia added as an afterthought. History was fraught with conflicts over the invasions of kingdoms and the maintenance of pre-established borders. Olivia had no idea what this King’s view of outsiders was, so it behooved her to be respectful.

[king]

King blinked slowly at the other, they spoke multiple languages? They were polite and they seemed to be well traveled if not a little chatty. King’s brows furrowed and he’d bring one of his front legs up to scratch at his head slowly. He disliked long conversations, long words. It sometimes hurt to think too much. But he didn’t feel like this person meant him any ill will. There was a semblence of wonder and he’d rumble softly.

”It’s. All right.”

King cocked his head to one side as she referred to him as ‘her liege’. Something clicked and he let out a bemused chuckle; he wasn’t the king so much here as his old name that his mother gave him ages ago had meant king. But some might take it as that was his title. He’d shake his head slowly.

”Name. Is. King. Not…. Title.”

There was no malice in his words, just a simple correction. Once she rose from her bow she’d be able to see that king was somewhat curious about her still. She wanted to travel? She brought food and a book when she took a break. Something that he understood. He generally kept away from students and the like because of what they decided to do in his area. A lot of students lately and he’d ease out a soft breath.

”There’s… a few… paths. That are… safe.”

He’d rumble out and flicked his ears; she was asking for permission? He’d slowly blink as he considered this. Polite. Honest. Forward. Normally he’d be a little more rash and brash about this sort of thing. But he felt no ill will from Olivia. He’d rumble in thought and eventually nod his head.

”...You may. Have.. my… per… miss…ion.”

He had to break up the longer words, some of them hurt to say. Some of them didn’t roll off the tongue. In this case it had probably been decades since he used such a long word honestly. He’d exhale softly and turn his head. Her scent was more like this forest the longer she’d stick around so… it’d be harder to track her which was fine he figured.

”Plenty… of places to go.”

[Olivia Favager]

King corrected the girl patiently, insisting that her linguistic faux pas, and her impression of him being the king rather than simply being named "King" were non-issues. The rumbling laugh assured her of such.

"A-ha," she sighed, touching the heel of her hand to her forehead when she realized her mistake. King remarked that there were a few safe paths and ample destinations, and he gave the young woman his blessing for venturing down them.

The information was imparted in a slow, steady revelation. Olivia, raised to be ever proper, waited patiently as the dragon uttered each phrase.

"Thank you," she said sincerely. That seemed like as good of a time as any to set-out for a new, better spot-- Olivia's gaze swept the forest, for any familiar path she'd taken, and saw nothing indicative of the way she'd come.

"Might I trouble you to show me the way to one of those paths or places?" she said sheepishly, "I confess... I don't remember how I got here. I was a bit lost in my thoughts."

Or rather, lost in his thoughts. His mind had turned from the lonely musings that had preoccupied it before, to their conversation. Confusion. Curiosity. Understanding. His mind was quieter than most. Whereas most people had literal streams of consciousness with unending flows of words, Kings' thoughts were more... like impressions, so far. It was rather peaceful.

And besides, she was curious about him, too. How he'd come to be here, or if he'd always been there, and what life was like in the forest. Were there other dragons, or just him?

With all these questions, it would be a shame to part ways so soon!