Work Text:
You weren't sure why the one who went to receive help from a dragon had to have been you. The village had practically forced you, shoving you out and telling you to convince 'The Great Beast' to aid them. It was pathetic. There were strong ninjas perfect for the job, yet they shove a regular civilian out in the desert and tell them to look for a dragon. A dragon they'd feared and tried to kill for generations, mind you. Who was to say the dragon wouldn't just eat you for dinner?
It would be like, 'Oh? You're from the Sand Village? After all these years of trying to kill me, you come to me for help? I don't think so. *Nom*'
Then you'd be dead and the village would be doomed. Even if the dragon didn't eat you, you doubted it would extend a helping claw. This was dumb. You should just take these supplies you were given and travel to some other place. Then you'd be safe and your village would be doomed.
You would have been totally fine with that plan had it not been for the fact your family and friends were still back there and they were counting on you. That was the only thing keeping you going on this stupid quest. The higher up dummies back at the Sand Village had picked a fight with another village who they'd greatly underestimated.
There wasn't enough time to pack up and transport all the villagers somewhere else before the army attacked, so you were supposed to go find the Sand Dragon and ask for their aid. You should just let them all die, you should just walk your ass to another village and live the rest of your life there. You should have snuck your family and friends out of the village and let all the others suffer.
It was their own damn fault anyway. And they had the gall to send you, someone who wasn't really interested in killing the dragon anyway, to ask for help after they tried countless times to slaughter the poor thing. Needless to say, no survivors ever came back. There were many different theories as to what happened to them, but no one really knew.
Most involved the dragon slaughtering or eating them, but you'd also heard that they simply got lost in the desert and died of hunger or thirst before ever finding the creature. And if the last one was the case, the village was as good as dead regardless. There was endless desert, or at least it seemed that way. You could be on some wild goose chase. Who's to say the dragon hadn't moved elsewhere?
It could have said, 'Fuck you and your murderous intents,' to the village and up and left.
You could be going in the completely wrong direction. The desert was vast and who was to say the path you'd taken was the right one? You didn't have some dragon tracking device! The creature could be anywhere! You sighed heavily. Oh, how you hated this. They should have picked someone else for this. Hours upon hours of walking seemed to have just gotten you nowhere.
The village had disappeared from sight and all you could see for miles was sand. For a moment, you began to panic. Which way was the village? Which way until you got back home? You turned around in a circle, looking for the tall structures you'd left behind on a dragon hunt. When you couldn't see anything more but sand, you brought a hand up to your mouth.
You were half tempted to chew your nails, but you decided against it. They always managed to get sand underneath them even if you didn't actually touch any sand. You didn't really want your mouth to taste like dirt. So, instead, you settled for chewing your bottom lip. The sand blowing by had already covered your tracks and you were now completely lost. There was no backtracking. You were totally and absolutely fucked.
You were sent on a wild goose chase and now you were stuck smack dab in the center of the desert with no fucking clue where you were. Today was turning out great, wasn't it? The fact that there were indeed snakes out here scared you even more. You had no antivenin. They hadn't provided you with it. All you had was some food and water. So, if you got bit by the venomous sidewinder, you were as good as dead out here.
You were already as good as dead. You were lost, and there was also a high chance you'd die once nightfall came. The desert was boiling by day and freezing by night. The more you thought about your situation, the more you began to reconsider your opinion of chewing on your nails. Sand or no sand under your nails, you were becoming very nervous.
You walked forward a bit, hoping that climbing the sand dune ahead of you would give you more of a vantage point. As you made it to the top, you moved around in a circle, looking for your village or at least some other one... If there was another out here. Sand, sand, and more sand was the only thing in sight. You gave a frustrated growl, kicking at some of the sand at your feet.
"Are you kidding me?! Am I going to die out here in the middle of nowhere?! This is ridiculous!" You might have said more, you couldn't say what or how much because what happened next knocked you off your feet.
Literally. The sand beneath you began to shake, as though some earthquake had struck and knocked you off balance. You gave a shout, quickly covering your face as you tumbled and rolled back down the dune you'd been standing atop moments prior. You came to a stop at the bottom and gaped at what you were seeing. From the sand was rising something, something that had you very afraid.
A red shape began to emerge, sand rolling off of it as though it were water instead. Wings were the first thing that came into view, large ones at that; they fanned out slowly as the sand fell away from their large form. You breathed in deeply as fear overtook your being, freezing you in place.
A serpentine head came into view, eyes opening and staring you down as it fully emerged from the sand you'd just been standing on. Before you now stood what you assumed you'd been searching for. The neck of the beast was long and curved down into a somewhat muscular yet slim build. Sharp claws rested not far from you, the dragon's nostrils flaring as it leaned down a bit.
From the look it was giving you and the flick of its small, slightly pointed ears, you assumed it was annoyed with you. It was mostly dark red with a sand colored underside. Black surrounded its eyes and a lighter red marking seemed to be carved above the left eye. It had no horns, only sandy colored pointed fins that started below the ears and stopped at the curve of its jaw.
A similar but larger fin started at the top of its head and dropped down to the base of its long, curved neck and perhaps even beyond. The inside of the wings were the same color as its belly and fins. However, it had the most beautiful eyes. The black accentuated the bright turquiose perfectly. You were in awe. You were half expecting it to eat you or kill you on the spot.
What you didn't expect was for it to open its mouth and speak.
"Why have you come here?" It- He, you assumed- had a deep voice, low and gravelly.
As he spoke, sharp teeth came into view. Beautiful as the dragon may be, he was still a dragon. You shook with fear. If he wanted, he could swallow you whole.
"I- I, uh- Um-"
No matter how hard you tried, you couldn't put your thoughts into words. Especially since your brain was screaming and could no longer think properly at all. The dragon blew air at you through his nostrils, seeming none too pleased with the fact you couldn't properly speak. You let out a silent scream.
Not the very loud, very fearful scream that's shouted as though your very life depends on it,- which it kinda did- but the one where your throat tightens and it's as though you're saying, 'Aaaaaaaa,' in a squeaky voice.
"Ohmigod, there's a dragon right in my face," Was all you could say when you did speak.
"Hmph," Was the noise the dragon made as he leaned up to his full height.
He shifted and it came to your attention that most his front legs were black. The sharp white claws stood out greatly against the dark coloring of its feet and you gulped. He wouldn't even have to eat you, merely stepping on you would do you in.
"I- I, uh, came from... The Sand Village."
Apparently, that wasn't the proper response- no matter how true it was- for a growl rose in his throat, teeth becoming visible in the form of a snarl. He shifted again, form tense as he stood and fanned his wings, flapping them twice and causing sand to be blown your way. You leaned down close to the ground, covering your face and cowering from his wrath.
"I mean no harm!" You shouted as loud as your voice box would let you.
"Then why have you come, oh dweller of the Sand Village?"
There was a bite in his tone and you wasted no time in responding, knowing he wasn't at all pleased at the moment.
"I have been sent-" You paused for a moment, gathering your bearings and preparing to possibly, maybe die. "To ask for your aid."
For a moment, nothing was said and you thought perhaps you were already dead. However, there was a noise. It started small, but grew louder after a moment. Your eyes snapped open and looked up with the realization that the dragon was laughing. It didn't sound very amused but rather cruel and dark. It took him a moment to settle down but when he did and he looked down at you, his gaze was hard and cold.
Suddenly, the sand around you began to shift again. You startled as it wrapped itself around your upper arms and ankles. It was as though it were a living being or something! You'd never heard of anything like this happening before! Was the dragon the one doing this?!
"Why should I help a village that's caused me such pain and sorrow? Maybe I should just kill you now and be done with it."
You closed your eyes and turned your head to the side as more sand began to wind itself around your body and squeeze. Is this what it was like to step into quick sand?! You didn't know sand was capable of such a thing! The force was almost bruising and you cried out in pain.
"Please,... I don't much care for the village, but... If there's anything I can do or give you to get you to help me at least save the ones I care for, then I'll do it! If nothing else, I ask- beg that you at least help me save my friends and family."
"What do you possibly have to offer me? Why should I spare you?"
"I... I don't know. But,... If you help me, I promise I'll do anything you ask! I promise, please,..."
You felt the tears burn your eyes. If you died, who would help them? Who would save them from the war to come?
"Anything? No matter what I ask of you?"
"Yes."
"...You better not be lying."
"I'm not."
"How do I know that for certain?"
You felt sand close around your throat at that and winced as much as you could on the ground like this.
"You won't unless you trust me."
There was a pause, and you were almost certain that you would die here. Your eyes were clenched shut, fearing the death you felt was almost inevitable. After what felt like an eternity, the sand moved back below you. Your eyes snapped open and you sat up hurriedly with a gasp. Immediately, you felt your throat then your wrists and looked down at your ankles to find your whole body free of sand.
You looked up at the dragon with wide eyes and he stared down at you almost scrutinizingly for a moment before turning his head to the side, though his eyes still stayed locked with yours for a moment longer. Breaking the contact, he looked up at the sky.
"It will be dark soon," He paused to look back at you, "I will guide you in the direction of the village, but we will not go save your family until darkness fully settles. We will stay a safe distance away so they do not spot us. I can only get you in and out, gathering the people and whatever you intend to take along with you will be your job."
"Fair enough. Could I also ask you to bring us safely, or relatively so, to the nearest village as well?"
He stared at you a moment, tilting his head at you as though in thought.
"... I might have to up my price, especially if you desire a swift passage."
"Alright then," You held out your hand, "let's shake on it and make it official."
His ears flickered, but you didn't think it was in irritation this time. He seemed almost taken aback, but you couldn't be sure. Suddenly, he raised a large clawed paw and grabbed not just your hand, but most of your forearm.
"Remember, you are bound to your promise and that I am to ask of whatever I desire."
The last part felt like... A warning of some kind? Was he trying to make you regret the deal you'd made? Make you think that you'd somehow sealed your fate by allowing him whatever he asked of you? It didn't matter. You were honor bound and you had family and friends waiting for you. A nervousness settled in your gut, but this was your only chance. There was no way you could possibly get him to aid a village that hated and cursed him for so long.
This was the best you could hope for, and you were taking whatever you could get.
-
"We will wait here for the sun to finish setting." He spoke, laying himself down on the sand to wait.
You looked up. The sky was nearing twilight, and the dragon wished to wait until full darkness to make your move. It was the best bet, you supposed. A dragon his size would be hard to sneak in. You turned to watch the dragon shift and settle, his wings folding up against his sides and his long tail curving to rest beneath one of his wings. His pose almost made you think of a dog.
While walking earlier, you'd noticed the fin that went down his neck also went all the way down to nearly the tip of his tail. He also had a line of four small circular markings coming down his neck a bit below that long fin. They were the same color as his underbelly. The black on his back legs only came up to the hock joint.
You knew it would take a while longer for the sun to fully set, so you took a seat on the ground as well. Things were silent for a moment.
"Can I ask a question?"
His gaze turned to you and he tilted his head somewhat in your direction. You took that as a sign to continue.
"What's your name? I've only ever heard people refer to you as The Great Beast or The Sand Dragon."
He turned both his head and his gaze back straight ahead and for a moment, you didn't think he was going to respond.
"I've gathered many names and titles over the years," He almost seemed to spit the words, "but my real name is Gaara."
"Gaara." You spoke, testing the name before sharing your own with him.
He hummed in response to the new information, but he did not look at you again. Instead, he continued to keep his gaze on the horizon.
"Can I ask another question?"
"Speak."
"How'd you do the sand thing?"
This time he did turn to you, and his gaze seemed a little softer.
"This?" After he asked that, a tendril of sand rose from the ground to swirl about.
"Yeah! I've never seen anything like it."
"I've been able to do this for as long as I can remember." The tendril of sand curved back and more sand rose to join it.
Suddenly, you were looking at an intricate sand castle.
"Woah!" You couldn't help but walk closer to get a better look. "That's really cool!"
You walked around the castle, looking it over. Both of you were quiet as you continued to examine his work. The sky was growing darker now, gradually turning from orange to pink as the sun began to sink beyond the horizon.
"You must be careful not to alert too many to my presence. There will be consequences if I am found."
You turned to him, expression serious.
"I know. I only really intended to bring along those I knew didn't think wrongly of you. This is one of those, 'vanish into the night, never to be seen again,' kinds of things and I understand that. Besides, I don't want you to end up getting hurt. I never understood why our village was always trying to kill you."
He stared at you, and you didn't quite understand why he looked so confused. After a moment, he stood and walked forward a few paces.
"It's almost time. Prepare yourself. You'll be going in alone."
"Huh?! But I thought-"
"No. I'll make a passage for you underground and send you through in a sphere made of sand. I will wait here for you, and I would prefer if you took no longer than an hour. If we want to make good time, it'd be best to leave as soon as possible. I'll make a sphere of sand for you to carry. When you're ready to depart, you must gather everyone you plan to bring together and be touching in some way. I don't care if you hold hands or merely touch shoulders, just be certain it's done so I don't accidentally leave someone behind or take someone who does not wish to leave. After everyone is gathered, merely press the sphere back into the sand and I will raise the sphere to return you to me."
You were a bit taken aback. This had to have been the most he's said to you since you've met! You blinked owlishly at him
"Okay. Thank you."
"Are you ready?"
"...Yes." You spoke, expression growing determined.
"Don't forget our deal."
And with that, you were suddenly surrounded by sand. There was a brief moment of panic, but there was plenty enough room for air. How this worked, you weren't quite sure. It felt like not much time at all had passed before the sand was dropping from around you and you were in the darkened village lit up only by torches.
You took a moment to reorient yourself because it felt like you hadn't moved at all! You were brought back to reality when you felt sand begin to pull together in your palm. It wrapped into a neat little orb and you stared at it in wonder for a few seconds before clenching your fist around it and pocketing it for safe keeping. It was time to gather your friends and family!
Sneaking around the village wasn't the hard part, the hard part was gathering specific people without letting everyone else know. You were so afraid of getting caught or letting someone know who wasn't so fond of the dragon saving your butts. You gathered clothes, food, water, antivenin, medical supplies, and whatever else needed to be taken as quietly as possible and told others to do the same.
You advised they only bring what they could fit in a single bag so that not too much was taken. You weren't exactly keen on Gaara raising his price further because your family and/or friends wanted him to play the part of a pack mule. Besides, what if he took offense to that? Finally, you and your little group of fifteen people were gathered.
"Alright, now everyone grab each other's shoulders or hands and make sure you grab onto me! Don't panic, okay? No screaming. There will be a sphere of sand that will rise to bring us to safety, alright?"
Not a moment later, everyone was touching and you grabbed the sphere of sand and pressed it against the ground. No sooner had it melded completely with the ground did sand rise around you and the group. There were a few gasps and mutters, but thankfully no one screamed.
"Is everyone here?" You asked, unable to see in the darkness of the sphere.
Not a moment after making sure everyone was present, the casing of the sphere broke and you were before Gaara. The night was bright, lit by the moon and stars. Everyone began to speak and mutter, looking around. They gasped at Gaara's presence, but no one screamed. You gave him a smile.
"Thank you, Gaara."
He leaned his head down a bit, wings spreading out to rest away from his form.
"Do not thank me yet. We're not safe here." He spoke, turning in the direction of the village. "Come," He spoke after a moment, "We must leave."
And so you did. You and your group walked, and walked, and walked. All of you walked until you simply had to rest. There were two children in the group, one only five and the other seven. There was a single newborn in the group and two elderly. The children were amazed by Gaara and took to asking him questions. If he minded being asked what his favorite color was and how it felt to be an, 'awesome dragon,' he did not say.
The group did not sleep. Morning met everyone to find them tired and weary. Gaara would not stop for longer than a few minutes. He was convinced that no matter how far you've come, that it was still not safe enough. You trusted his judgement no matter how hard it was to keep your eyes open. He'd promised you safe passage and he'd kept his word thus far. The group had eaten at one of the stops, but Gaara had not.
He'd searched the perimeter instead. Even after looking over the area twice, he was still not satisfied and lay close to the group, never taking his eyes off his surroundings.
"It's time to move on." He'd spoken finally, standing once more but continued still to keep a close eye on the distance.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, sunrise came.
"It will be getting hot soon. We will rest when the hottest part of the day is near and start up again at nightfall."
And so you did. Gaara made a sand dune into a safe haven, hollowing out the inside with whatever strange powers he possessed. He fixed it to close over himself and your group without suffocating anyone but also keeping everyone safe from passerby- however unlikely they were to be out here. Exhausted, sleep came easily to everyone. You awoke bleary eyed and thirsty, so you reached to take a sip of water.
As you became more aware of your surroundings and your vision adjusted to the darkness, you found everyone else to be asleep. Well, everyone except Gaara. His eyes shown brilliantly in the darkness. You were a bit startled at first, but came a little closer. He was tense and his head was lowered.
"We're being followed."
You said nothing to that, fear consuming your being. You came closer to him, so close you could reach out and touch him if you desired. He leaned down closer, his wing raising silently.
"There are at least five of them." He whispered, quieter than before.
"Do they know where we are?" You asked as quiet as possible.
"No, but they might soon. I've closed the air bubble to keep us concealed, but if I do so for too long..." He didn't finish that train of thought, but the idea that everyone could suffocate in here had your heart beating wildly in your chest. "Do not panic. I intend to keep my end of the deal. I will escort you safely to the nearest village, or I will lower my price."
You couldn't stop yourself from placing a hand on his forearm. His scales were hard and made you think of touching a brick, but he was warm and the texture was different. You paid little mind to the details, however, finding yourself staring fearfully up into the darkness of the small cavern.
When you finally found your voice, it was to ask, "Are they up there?"
"They do not know we're here, but they know we are nearby."
"How much longer until they leave, you think?"
"It would not be wise to travel tonight, I would think. We will have to rest here and you must have everyone stay quiet. I know it would be too much to ask everyone not to speak at all, but I would prefer if you kept your voices down lest we be found."
"Are you certain they're Sand Village ninja?"
"Yes. They wear the symbol upon their headbands."
"Shit..."
You couldn't help but wonder how they'd possibly tracked you.
-
In the end, Gaara decided it best to rest two days. After those two days, the march forward began again.
It took four more full days for Gaara to stop and say, "I will raise the sand to make a path, but this is as far as I go." As he spoke, the sand shifted to make a small hill that extended farther and farther into the distance. "Follow along it, and you will find a place to stay. It should not take more than an hour at best to find yourself there."
During the time that had passed, everyone had learned that Gaara was no threat to them and they even made conversation sometimes. Well, when Gaara deigned to answer them, that is. You would not label him as haughty, but rather not the type for conversation. Most of his responses, unless explaining something, were simple and to the point. Everyone was sure to thank Gaara for the safe passage.
He'd done exactly as he said he would: keep everyone safe. You'd been a little anxious about what his price might be and if you could pay it or not, but now it was a more pressing issue and you found yourself fidgeting with your sleeve. You sent everyone on ahead while you stayed behind to converse with Gaara.
"Um,..." Was all you could say.
"I have decided on my price." His tone gave no indication of what he might want from you.
"What is it?" You forced yourself to say.
"You."
You were so shocked, you could do nothing but blink and wonder if you'd heard him right.
"Huh?"
"For holding up my end of the bargain, I have decided that you will accompany me wherever I wish to go for as long as I desire."
You felt your heart sink into your stomach. This... This was why... You bit your lip and looked at everyone you'd brought with you this far. You had no choice. You were honor bound, a promise is a promise and you had been warned.
"Then,... Can I at least say goodbye?"
"You may."
And just like that, you'd be leaving the people you cared about once more, but for good this time. They should be safe from here on out, you tried to console yourself. This was your end of the deal, you had to uphold it. Even if it hurt, even if it made you sad, at least those you cared for would not be destroyed in a war they had not asked for. You had to be strong. You did not find and make a deal with a dragon just to break it.
You made a promise. It still did not stop the tears that came when your mother embraced you, crying at the idea you might never come back. When all the goodbyes were said and all the hugs were had, you wiped your eyes and turned back to Gaara. He sat patiently, turquoise eyes following you as you approached and looked up at him. He stood when you got close and the two of you left, not looking back. You couldn't look back.
If you did, you would be lost. No matter how hard it was, you bit your lip and continued to walk. This was your part of the deal. You couldn't regret this decision because you were lucky to have even found Gaara, much less lived long enough to ask for his aid. Was it so hard to do as he asked in return?
"Where are we going?" You asked finally.
"Somewhere safe. I do not wish to dwell here any longer." And so, with the sun still high in the sky, you and Gaara continued to walk.
You couldn't imagine how hard it was for him to walk slow enough to make sure everyone didn't get too far from him when he was so big. You could probably lay across his shoulders and they'd be wider than you were tall. You couldn't see yourself being able to stretch your legs far enough around his neck if you were to sit on his back. He was just... Large.
How he'd hidden so well out here was obviously due to his sand shifting abilities. If not for that, he might not be so hard to find. The desert was vast, sure, but he was just too tall to be able to hide well otherwise. He'd be able to scale the Sand Village's walls no problem even though he really didn't have to if he truly wanted in. He could fly, not to mention he could even burrow under and inside, or simply knock down the walls.
Man, no wonder the Sand Village was so afraid of him. He was a powerhouse! It surprised you, truly, that he hadn't already killed everyone. He was certainly powerful enough to. After walking for at least an hour or two, he fanned out his wings and flapped them twice. The wind nearly knocked you off your feet. He turned his gaze down to you.
"Ready?"
"...For what?" He lowered down to the ground in response.
"Get on." With those two simple words, your heart jumped into your throat.
Oh boy... You gulped.
"Or would you prefer I carry you?"
Flying was just as terrifying as you thought it would be. One look down and your panic rose, causing you to hold on for dear life and clench your eyes shut. The wind roared in your ears, the flapping of his wings loud airborne and so close. It was hot up here despite the wind and his scales being so warm didn't help you any. Still the texture helped to keep you somewhat grounded.
There was no real pattern to the shape of his scales. They all seemed to be a little different. Breathe, you had to remind yourself. It felt like forever before he shifted and began to land. You held on tighter, frightened by the sudden movement. You let out a heavy breath as you slid down from his back, knees giving out.
"An oasis?" You asked finally, looking out over the greenery and glimpsing water between the trees, tall plants, and grass.
"The water here should be safe to drink and I know your food supply must be getting low. I will hunt tonight."
You blinked at that and looked up at him. Hunt? Hunt what?
"You need to eat?"
The question was stupid, and that became apparent the moment it slipped between your lips.
"No, my body is self-sustaining."
You couldn't hide the snort and chuckle from hearing him use sarcasm.
"Sorry, I just... Never seen you eat before. You didn't hunt while we were traveling."
His eyes fell upon you, an emotion glittering beyond and you swore he was smirking at you.
"That you know of." That response as he walked closer to the water source had you convinced.
That was a smirk!