A Bronze Rising: Spirited Away
#6 of A Bronze Rising
The human has shown interest in the offer, so the Bronze doesn't have to kill him and fetch another. Soon the interrogation begins.
"M-me? Powerful?" said the boy in a soft, frail voice. His knees were shaking with the cold. "I... I'm not sure what that would even mean."
A tiny grin tickled the corner of my mouth. Perhaps the boy was not a stupid as I'd previously guessed. Seeing his discomfort made me decide to move the location of our "discussion." It would be unfortunate if this human died of cold and I was forced to abduct another only to start this non-sense all over again. I began to stand and once again, the boy cowered against the cold stone of the ledge back. "Stop that foolishness," I said, shaking my wings out and warming them with a couple slow flaps. When the boy lifted his head again, I spoke. "You look very uncomfortable in this cold. Let me take you somewhere warmer." I was already reaching out my clawed hand, but stopped when the boy flinched. I sighed and put my paw back on the ground, mantling my wings behind me. "There's only one way off this ledge." I said, patiently.
The boy grimaced and I thought he would burst into tears again, but he remained at least partially composed. "Yes..." he admitted after a few moments, "But must you carry me like last time. Your scales cut me..."
My nostrils widened as the boy lowered a portion of his raggedy outfit and I saw a couple linear slashes across the young man's thigh, fresh blood leaking from them and unintentionally making my mouth water. I forced myself to focus. "I... am sorry if you were injured. It is... difficult to be gentle with one so small as you." I said and the words were more difficult than I imagined. I was lucidly filled with the absurdity of talking so easily with something so lowly as this tiny biped.
The boy stood up finally and looked me up and down. His eyes were still unsure, but seemingly willing to accept the circumstances for the time being. "I... I can imagine that. But... could you remember that to me, you are very, very big?"
The discussion of the relativity of size was quaint, but I'd already bored of it. I stretched out my paw again, slowly this time. "May I hold you?" I asked, "Before you die of cold?" The young man stepped forward and we were soon on our way further up the valley and further away from the human's kinfolk. If the boy said anything during the flight I could not hear it for the rushing of the wind.