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“You chose me,” Tommy repeated for the fifth time in two minutes. “You chose me .”
Yes, I did , the voice in his head rumbled. Tommy still wasn’t used to the bond, and his head echoed with the dragon’s voice. Don’t make me regret it.
“The people swarming me kind of want you to,” Tommy hissed under his breath. Sure enough, the cluster of officials and other riders around him were all chattering the same question—why him? Why him?
Tommy was wondering the same thing. Why had the literal king of the dragons, Technoblade, chosen someone like Tommy as his rider? Tommy had seen the competition. There were warriors older, wiser, stronger than he was, and yet Tommy, the scrappy South Side rookie with a temper and a bad attitude, had been picked. It was insane.
Tell them all to go away , Technoblade murmured in his head. They’re making you anxious .
“How can you—“ Tommy cut off. “Whatever. They’re not going to listen to me.”
Fair . A faint feeling in the back of his mind that was not his own—curiosity. I haven’t looked through a human’s eyes in a long time. You really can’t see very well.
“I’m so sorry,” Tommy grumbled, and the official who had taken it upon themselves to ‘watch over him’ gave him a look. “Forgive me for not having perfect amazing dragon sight.”
I suppose you’re forgiven.
“Bitch.” At this point, Tommy really didn’t care that he was snapping at the most powerful dragon in the world. He just wanted to leave this crowded, stuffy meeting room, and go back to his dorm, or maybe the kitchens.
A stuffy-looking woman crouched down in front of him, like he was a goddamn child. “Don’t worry,” she said sweetly. “We’ll get the dragon out of your head in no time.”
Tommy bristled, and he felt a sharp tinge of anger from Technoblade. “What?”
“The Generals will explain,” she said, smiling widely. Her teeth were perfectly straight and perfectly white.
Tommy was given no choice but to stand up from his chair in the corner and be led to the front of the room. He faced an entire table of high-ranking military officials, and the first bit of anxiety thrummed in his heart.
It’s okay , Technoblade said quietly. Relax .
A bit hard to relax when the entire base is staring me down, Tommy hissed mentally, but he was interrupted by one of the men at the edge of the table speaking.
“Thomas Innes,” the General said flatly. He was reading off of a piece of paper in front of him. “You have bonded with the Dragon Brute, Technoblade. Please confirm this is the case.”
Tommy swallowed. “Yes. Sir.”
Another official spoke up. “Confirm that you are able to communicate with the dragon telepathically.”
“Yes.”
“How do we know?” a Captain interrupted. “How do we know he isn’t lying for attention? We all understand how unlikely it is that the Brute chose this boy.”
Oh, no , Technoblade hissed. I swear to Mercy .
“Tell us something only a dragon would know,” the General demanded. “Something a brand-new rider wouldn’t ever know.”
Tommy wet his lips. Technoblade ?
A noise, like a deep sigh. The only dragon-accommodating outpost is also a secret one. It’s a few miles away from the edge of East Side.
Tommy repeated the information obediently, and a few of the officials frowned, taken aback.
“Very well.” The Captain glanced down at his notes. “You must understand the difficult situation you have caused, Thomas. Clearly, you were in close enough range to one of our… hardier candidates that the Brute mistook you for one of them.”
Tommy’s heart skipped a beat. He didn’t believe it, of course, Technoblade had chosen him, but he did not like where the conversation was going. Neither was Technoblade, based on the slowly rising simmer of annoyance bubbling in the back of his throat. “I disagree, sir.”
The Captain blinked. “Excuse me?”
Tommy hesitated. “I mean, I feel like a dragon older than all of you lot combined knows better than to make that stupid of a mistake.”
Obviously , Technoblade muttered, and Tommy stifled a smile.
“You think you know more about dragons than we do?” the lady from before said, voice sickeningly sweet.
“Uh, yeah,” Tommy said, shrugging, “seeing as I’ve got one in my head.”
The General scowled. “For the love of—“
“I still don’t believe any of this,” another official, a Private, spoke up. “He could be bluffing. I say we make him call the Brute here!”
There were a few voices of disagreement, but a majority of the table nodded, looking at Tommy with sharp, greedy eyes, like a predator looking for prey.
“Call the dragon,” the Captain said. It wasn’t a question. Tommy exhaled shakily.
Technoblade ?
I’m already on my way , Technoblade snarled, but the anger wasn’t directed at Tommy. Mercy, kid, I’m going to get you out of that shithole. Just get out of the way once I get there.
Okay , Tommy replied quietly. Then he looked up at the table of expectant eyes. “Um. He’s, uh, he’s coming.”
“We’ll see,” the Private said smugly, and Tommy was left to fidget at the front of the room.
For the next five minutes, there was no sound except the faint buzzing of the lights. The tension in the room was thick enough to cut in half.
Then, a voice in his head— I’m here .
That was the only warning Tommy got before an earth-shattering roar echoed from the sky. The room erupted into chaos, and Tommy took advantage of it to slip out of the conference room and sprint to the nearest landing point. I’m headed to the South Landing , Tommy told Technoblade.
Good , the dragon said. Stay there. I’ll be over soon.
Tommy swallowed. He could hear distant screaming and crashing, and he was tempted to run back inside, but he had to listen to Technoblade. Technoblade would keep him safe. He ran to the edge of the landing, staring out into the vast mountains beyond the valley. He wondered if Technoblade lived somewhere up there.
You’ll find that out soon , a voice in his head rumbled. Right on cue, an absolutely gargantuan shape filled the sky, and a dragon landed on the ground. Tommy scrambled to his feet and looked up at Technoblade.
He was huge—his wingspan stretched the width of the entire base, and his wings themselves were blood red and marked with hundreds of worn scars. His body glittered with ruby scales, his claws were longer than Tommy’s entire hand, and his eyes were so dark red they were crimson. His ears were decorated with gold chains and loops.
Hello, tiny one , Technoblade rumbled, and this time, Tommy felt the vibrations to his very bone. Got any belongings in there?
Tommy glanced at the bleak grey base. There was absolutely nothing in there he wanted anymore. Nobody inside had been anything more than cruel to him. “No.”
Good . Technoblade’s jaw opened, revealing great, sharp, fangs, and a ball of flame erupted from his throat and set the entire compound on fire.
“Holy shit,” Tommy said, eyes wide. He waited for the stab of guilt at the fact that hundreds of soldiers were burning alive inside, but he couldn’t find it within him to care.
There’s the dragon in your heart, Technoblade said, pleased, and Tommyinnit glanced over. Good to see you’re not just a twig .
“Hey!” Tommy protested. “I’ll have you know I’m a very respectable height—“
Sure . Before Tommy could come up with any more brilliant comebacks, giant claws reached for him and he was lifted up into the air. He shrieked, not out of fear, but pure surprise. He must have been dozens of feet from the ground, maybe more.
Do you wanna sit on my head or my back? Technoblade grunted. His huge face was only inches from Tommy, and it was larger than Tommy’s entire body.
“Uhhhh.” Tommy kicked his feet absently. “Back. Don’t want you dropping me.”
I would never , Technoblade retorted, sounding scandalized. He proceeded to immediately dump Tommy unceremoniously onto his back. Tommy winced, but was soon distracted by the glittering red scales. They were so shiny . He ran a hand over the ones fading into Techno’s wings, and was surprised at the rumble he felt from the warmth under him. Was Technoblade—was Technoblade fucking purring?
“Oh my god.”
Don’t , the dragon warned, but Tommy wasn’t going to let this go.
“You’re like a fucking cat,” he said gleefully, and Technoblade scoffed, a puff of smoke coming out of his nostrils.
We’re going now. Say goodbye to the base .
Tommy looked back at the burning, crumbling building. “Goodbye, bitches!” he yelled as Technoblade bowed and launched himself into the sky. Tommy whooped. The air whipped around his hair and his uniform, and the feeling of flying was absolutely indescribable. It was electric, it was golden, it was easier than breathing.
Phil is going to be inconsolable when he sees you, Technoblade told him. So is Niki. Be prepared.
“I’ll bedazzle your dragon friends,” Tommy declared. He tilted his head back into the great open sky. “I’ll be the best human they’ve ever met.”
I’m sure you will, Technoblade grumbled, but Tommy could feel the warmth of fondness the dragon held in his heart. I’m sure you will .
They flew higher and higher into the sky, and Tommy believed then that he could take on the universe, with Technoblade by his side.
~~~~~
fin.