Work Text:
Mystic Love
by Aiden
Horatio strolled down the path next to the lake with his nephew, Caleb. "As long as my race can remember, the Centaur has been our mortal enemy," he explained to the boy.
"And now?" Caleb loved spending time with his uncle, who taught him all about the history of the Dragons.
"Centaurs aren't around anymore," Horatio told him.
"You killed them?" Caleb asked him.
Horatio smiled at him. "No. They simply disappeared."
"And no one knows where they are now?" Caleb asked excitedly. "What happened?"
"We don't know exactly." Horatio said, looking out over the lake. "One day they were just gone."
"Do you think they're dead?" Caleb looked up at his uncle.
Horatio shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Maybe they moved away, no one knows."
A shriek from one of the Gryphons circling above their heads warned them of danger.
"What is wrong, Vuor?" Horatio asked the creature when it landed beside him.
"I'm not sure, there is something on the other side." The Gryphon's voice was raspy and deep.
"Caleb, stay here," Horatio told the boy. In seconds, Horatio had transformed into a magnificent red Dragon.
"But I want to see," Caleb protested loudly.
"Stay with him," Horatio ordered the Gryphon in a booming Dragon voice, then took flight.
A short time later, Horatio landed at a safe distance, the stench of blood hitting making him recoil in distaste. He transformed back to his human form, and carefully approached the bushes, where he had seen something move.
Suddenly, he stopped dead in his tracks, surprise and shock rippling through him. "This can't be."
The Gryphon had felt the change in the Dragon. 'Horatio are you okay?'
Horatio growled when he heard Vuor's voice inside his head but he chose to ignore it. He inched towards the creature, his senses on full alert, ready to attack if necessary. The Dragon couldn't believe his eyes. "How?" he questioned.
In front of him, lying on the ground, was a Centaur, which hadn't been seen in three hundred years. He crouched down slowly in front of the Centaur, ready to jump back at the slightest danger.
"Horatio?" The Gryphon landed a few feet from them.
"I told you to stay with Caleb," he said angrily.
Vuor snorted. "Don't worry, he is protected," he stated, referring to one of the other Gryphons who would protect the young Dragon with their lives. He moved closer to Horatio, shocked when he spotted the Centaur. "Horatio, get away from him. Now."
Horatio looked at the Centaur and moved his hand over the hind leg of the beast.
"What are you doing?" the Gryphon looked really scared.
"Trying to find a pulse," Horatio rolled his eyes as if his actions should be obvious.
"Don't touch him, he is dangerous." Vuor took a few steps back. The only thing Gryphons really feared were Centaurs.
Horatio jumped slightly when the Centaur began to move. "He's alive."
"Get away from him!" Vuor yelled.
Horatio turned to face Vuor. "Go fetch Alexx!" he ordered the Gryphon.
"I'm not going to leave…," Vuor started.
"Now!" the Dragon hollered.
"Yes, of course, immediately." Vuor bowed his head and took flight.
"Shira?" Horatio turned around to see that the Centaur had opened his eyes and was trying to focus on his surroundings. He lifted his head and looked around. "Shira," he said again.
"There was someone with you?" Horatio asked.
The young Centaur looked at Horatio and tried to sit up wincing in pain. "Who are you?"
"Don't worry about that now. Who was with you?"
"My sister," the young man explained.
Horatio nodded, "Stay here, and don't try to move. I'll find her." He stood and looked around. He discretely sniffed the air and was once again hit by the smell of blood. He knew that what he was about to find was not good.
A few moments later, he found Shira but he had to turn away from the scene. They had skinned her.
"Oh, my God," he whispered. He had a hard time not throwing up. He knew that in the old days, humans would hunt down Centaurs, kill them and sell the hide for a high price. "They still do that?" he was disgusted.
'Horatio?' Vuor called him.
He turned around and walked back. When he arrived he saw that Alexx was already tending to the young Centaur's wounds.
"You found her?" he asked.
Horatio lowered his head. "I'm sorry."
"Nooooo," the Centaur wailed, tears falling down his cheeks.
"You have to keep still, sweetie," Alexx softly said. She gently let her fingers roam over his chest. The young man winced and she nodded. "Probably a few broken ribs."
"Who are you?" the Centaur asked them.
"I'm Alexx and that is Horatio. The big ugly bird over there is Vuor," she pointed at the Gryphon.
As soon as the young man spotted him, he tried to get up, "You're Dragons. Get away from me." He managed to get to his feet and backed off.
"What? A Centaur afraid of Dragons? That's a first," the Gryphon stated sarcastically.
The young Centaur lifted his chin. "I'm not afraid of any Dragon." He took a deep breath and changed into his human form. "But the last time we fought a Dragon was about three hundred years ago."
Horatio was surprised by the Centaur's human form, a young blond male with blue eyes.
The younger man looked at Horatio, and the dragon thought he'd drown in those big bleu eyes.
"What is your name?" Alexx asked him.
"Daniel," he answered. All of the sudden his legs started to buckle and Horatio caught him right before he lost continuous.
"We'll take him home," Horatio said softly.
Vuor looked at him in shock. "Are you crazy? He is a Centaur, our mortal enemy. And you're going to take him home?"
"Yes, I am," Horatio glared at him.
"Do you have a death wish or something?" the Gryphon looked at Horatio like the Dragon had lost his mind.
Horatio looked down at the young man in his arms. "No, I think it's time we forget the past."
end part 1