He did try. Over the next week Fiora came to visit him, and he did his best to appear receptive to her presence. He tried not to scowl, tried to respond to her questions meaningfully, and tried to be an engaging conversation partner. It was difficult. He had not talked to someone in such a way for years, and he stumbled over his own words more often than not.

  Daegal was certain that Fiora had noticed as much, but she did not push or rush him to complete a thought. He appreciated that, and whenever he lost his ability to articulate his thoughts, she did her best to pick up the conversation from there to keep things moving. She was very good at talking, and that was primarily due to her natural curiosity. Everything about Daegal fascinated her, and she wished to test many of his limits or abilities, sometimes in quite ridiculous ways. He didn’t really understand why he would need to hang from his tail for an extended period, but she wanted to know how long he could.

  It was going well; at least as much as it could have considering his awkward social skills. There came a problem, though, as one day Fiora didn’t show up like he had expected her to. A single day wasn’t that unusual, but when she was absent for the next day, and the day after that, Daegal was starting to get worried. His first thought was that he had done something wrong. He wasn’t the best conversationalist, his replies might have been lacking, he may have come off as too distant, and many other criticisms of his behavior. It was only after four days that he finally got answers as to why she had disappeared.

  Fiora returned, moving with a little more urgency than she previously had. The relief Daegal felt when he saw her again was surprising for him. He didn’t have time to pick that feeling apart as he moved to greet Fiora who also looked relieved to see him.

  “Daegal! I’m glad to see you again. I was worried you might have taken offense at me not showing up. I apologize for disappearing on you like that.”

  “What happened?” Daegal asked.

  She sighed. “My dad happened. He was asking a lot of questions about why I was cooking so much meat, and he had concerns about the cost of it all. I had to hold off on coming by to prevent him from getting too suspicious. I managed to sneak a little away today, though. Here you go!”

  She handed over the basket of food, and Daegal looked at it with conflicting emotions. He knew about the human concept of money and how they used it to acquire things they couldn’t get or make themselves. It was strange to him, but he understood that humans needed it to survive together in their towns and villages. Fiora was using her family’s resources to appease him and the deal he made with her, and it was starting to have an effect.

  Daegal began to feel guilt over demanding what was essentially tribute just to speak with him. He didn’t even feel like eating the food she brought, but he would probably have to so it wouldn’t go to waste.

  “Fiora, I... You don’t... have to bring food everyday anymore.”

  She blinked, clearly taken by surprise. “What? But what about our deal? There’s still a lot more that I want to learn about you!” She thought that he was retracting his agreement with the intent of cutting contact completely. Daegal was quick to fix that misunderstanding.

  “What I mean is, you can come see me without bringing food.”

  “Wait, you... you really mean that?” She had not expected this, but it was a pleasant surprise that showed just how much progress she was making with befriending him. “Thank you, Daegal. That means a lot to me.” The smile she gave him made him feel warm, a feeling that he had been without for a long time.

  Memories that he thought were long since faded returned to him. They were bright and happy, a relic of a time before he knew the real depths of the darkness that the world contained. This time that he was spending with Fiora called back to those happy days. It wasn’t exactly the same. His heart had become jaded and still held back a little, a part of him remaining afraid of losing what connections he might make. Even so, Fiora was slowly pulling at the strings inside him, coaxing him out into the light again.

  They talked for a while, Fiora asking him questions about what herbs he was familiar with out in the forest. He was, unfortunately, familiar with several different herbs as he once tried to recreate human cooking on his own, with various degrees of failure. On more than one occasion he had given himself an upset stomach and irritable bowels before he simply gave up on the idea.

  After an hour of conversation, Fiora suddenly became hesitant, nervously fiddling with her hands. Daegal noticed her behavior and tilted his head questioningly. After she took a second to gather her nerve, she spoke her mind.

  “Daegal, could I... touch you?”

  He was taken aback by that, blinking with surprise. “W-What?”

  “I-I’m sorry, that was a weird thing to ask out of nowhere, forget it.”

  “No, it’s... fine. I just want to know why.”

  Her face was flushed slightly with embarrassment. “I guess my reason could be simplified as curiosity, really. I’ve never seen anything quite like you, and I have no idea what you feel like. Y-You don’t have to, if you’re not comfortable with that.”

  Daegal sat there for a minute, considering her request and how he felt about it. In the end, he decided that there was no harm in it, even though his nerves said otherwise. Without a word, he extended a hand toward her, presenting the back of his large appendage for her inspection. She looked surprised that he held his hand out to her, and she looked up at his face. He held her gaze silently, not needing to say anything as the invitation was clear. Despite the simple nature of the situation, his heart had picked up the pace, beating slightly faster in his chest as she shifted focus to the offered limb.

  She reached out to him, pointer finger leading the way as she gently met with his matching finger, slowly trailing down the length of his pointer until she reached his claw. Fiora was enamored by what she was experiencing, and as she fed her curiosity, her actions became bolder. Soon enough she was using both of her hands to explore Daegal’s singular one. He watched her intently as she examined his body, noting just how small and delicate her hands were compared to his.

  He could feel the heat of her body as she explored his, her hands gripping, squeezing, and feeling his scales. She slowly worked her way upward, moving on from his fingers and to his palm. He could fit both of her hands into his palm with little problem, and she pressed down experimentally, testing the thickness of his hide.

  The last time he had touched a human he had killed them. The dichotomy between that and this very intimate exploration was stark indeed. Just remembering that night created a visceral reaction in Daegal as he tasted bile in the back of his throat. He did his best to swallow the feeling, keep it contained, but he couldn’t manage to stop it all as his hands started to shake, which Fiora couldn’t possibly miss.

  She thought it was because of her, and she let go of him as she rattled off an apology. “I’m sorry, that must have been a little much for you. I didn’t mean to be so forward.”

  Daegal closed his hand, steadying himself as he took a deep breath. “No, it’s... it’s not your fault.”

  Fiora studied Daegal, and while it was difficult to read his expressions at times, she could see in his eyes that he was lost deep in thought. Whatever he was thinking of it was clear that it wasn’t pleasant. She saw him wince slightly before calming down and getting control of his outward appearance again.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  “What’s wrong, Daegal?” she asked.

  His first reaction was to dismiss the question entirely, but he knew that he couldn’t keep doing that forever. He wasn’t quite ready to tell her the truth, either, so he settled for something in the middle.

  “It was just memories, bad ones.”

  “About other humans?” she inferred.

  “Yes, though that is the simple answer.”

  “And are you...” She let the question hang unsaid, and Daegal just shook his head.

  “No, I’m not ready to talk about it.”

  “Okay, okay, I won’t push. Whatever those memories are, they seem to cause you pain. I wouldn’t want to open old wounds like that.”

  Daegal felt grateful that she was willing to give him space and not pursue further answers. He was worried that dangling such information would have only inspired the overly curious girl into pressing him for more, but apparently, she had more tact than he gave her credit for.

  The conversation slowed somewhat after that; the heaviness of it all making it difficult to pursue more lighthearted subjects. They both silently agreed to call an end to the day’s discussion, seeking rest and new slate to work with on another day. With Daegal allowing her to visit without an offering, she was taking every opportunity she could to talk with him.

  Weeks passed in this manner. While Fiora visited often, she could not justify trips into the forest every day. It said a lot about how their relationship was developing that when she couldn’t come, Daegal felt lonely. Such a feeling had been absent from him for a very long time. He had been content to live in his mountain alone, but now that thought was turning increasingly painful with every passing day.

  He developed new habits in response to these feelings as well. He patrolled the route that Fiora preferred to take for their meetings and double checked that they were safe. He expanded the borders of his territory for the first time in a decade, ensuring that any animal that was remotely dangerous was chased away, or forcibly removed. He was taking no chances.

  His feelings were evolving faster than he could keep track of them. Daegal had succeeded in forming a connection with a human again, but it came at a cost. To put it bluntly, it was giving him anxiety. He worried about everything whenever she wasn’t with him. It became so bad that his behavior was noticed by Fiora during their conversations.

  “Daegal,” she started, drawing his attention from the surrounding woods, “are you alright? You’ve seemed rather... on edge, recently.”

  “It’s nothing. I’m just making sure things are safe.”

  She looked around with confusion. “Safe from what?”

  “Just... safe.”

  Now she looked a little miffed. “Daegal, I’m a grown woman and I’ve spent years traveling this forest to help my father. You don’t have to treat me like I’m a child.”

  He raised his hands placatingly. “I know you’re not a child, it’s just... there are dangerous things out there that humans can’t deal with easily. I’m trying to make sure they stay away.”

  “Animals don’t often bother people, Daegal. Besides, I always carry a little repellent on me just in case I run into one.” It wasn’t just animals he was concerned about, though. She continued, “you seem to be stressing yourself by worrying about me so much. It’s not that far from my home to here, and I doubt many animals would come close anyway.”

  “But...” He trailed off, not knowing quite what to say in response. She filled the silence he left.

  “Don’t misunderstand, I’m touched that you would think to take such measures for me, but why does it matter so much to you? Why are you taking it so far?”

  His jaw locked as he tried to find a way to answer that would satisfy her questions while allowing him to keep his vigilance. He came up frustratingly short on that account, and his true thoughts were the only thing that came out.

  “Humans are fragile.” The frank way he said that took her off guard as she blinked with surprise. “You break so easily. I can’t even touch you with half of my strength without hurting you. Your skin is soft, your limbs frail, even animals half your size can do serious harm to you. You’re so weak that... that it’s scary.”

  She was surprised with more than just his words, but by how he was reacting. His breathing was elevated; every intake accompanied with a shudder that ran through his whole body. With every bit that she learned about him, she was able to paint a clearer picture of this being she was interacting with. At this point, everything she knew essentially confirmed what she held as a theory until this point. Daegal had known a human before her, and he had lost them.

  Fiora knew that she recognized the look in his eye from somewhere; she had seen it before in her father. When she was younger, she would often catch him staring listlessly into nothing, eyes dark and devoid of the spark of life. It never lasted long, as when he noticed her, he would immediately regain that light in his eyes. Emil had Fiora to latch onto and love; Daegal had nothing, and Fiora couldn’t help but feel profound sadness at the idea.

  She was compelled to act with this recent revelation that she pieced together, and she stood up from her seat, crossing the short distance between them. Even while standing in front of Daegal while he was sitting, he was taller. Fiora was a bit nervous about how he might react, but she had to go through with this or else she wouldn’t find peace with herself. Taking the initiative, she leaned in and gave Daegal a hug around his neck.

  Daegal froze stiff with even his tail sticking straight out behind him. He did not expect her to do something like that, and he didn’t know how to react, so he froze, afraid to do anything. Fiora felt him stiffen, but he did not push her away, so she continued.

  “It’s okay, Daegal, you don’t have to be so afraid. I’m not in any serious danger living my daily life. I won’t be going anywhere any time soon.” She backed up just a bit to look him in his frontal eyes. “And I’ll continue to be your friend, should you want me to.”

  A friend...

  The notion of having a friend again was the final push that caused the dam to burst inside of him. His eyes filled with tears, turning the world blurry. His shoulders slumped, his body feeling like it had doubled in weight in a single instant. Daegal felt elated and exhausted at the same time, and he slowly raised his hands, gently bringing them to rest upon Fiora’s back as he applied the smallest amount of pressure he could while hugging her back.

  The warmth of another person sank deep into his bones, bringing a decade worth of weariness to the surface and slowly burning it away. There was too much to get rid of it all in a single hug, and especially when they could not stay in that embrace all day. Fiora gently began to push away at the point where she felt it was getting awkward. Daegal could have easily continued to hold her close, but he didn’t want to make her feel trapped.

  Fiora backed up from Daegal before sitting next to him with a smile. Daegal, for his part, wiped his eyes as he chuckled, a long-snouted grin on his face.

  “I must be a rather pathetic sight, crying from a single hug.”

  “I’d say it is more than justified.”

  “Heh, even so, I bet I’d confuse more than a few people if they saw me. I need to maintain my image as the monster of the woods before I end up attracting more foolish humans with no sense of self-preservation.”

  His slight against her made her face scrunch up like she smelled something bad. “Oh, I’d say that we’re well past that point. You may look like a monster from the darkest pages of a fairytale book, but you’re softer than sheep’s wool.”

  “I wouldn’t know, I’ve never gotten close enough to a sheep to feel it. They do look fluffy, though.”

  “We’ll have to remedy that, someday.”

  “Hmm, yeah, someday.” His old dream of being a part of the village came back to him for a moment, but it was dismissed again as an impossibility. He was too different. People like Fiora, or Adelaide, were unique among humans. Trying again would end no different than his first attempt.

  It was a nice day, one of the best that Daegal had experienced in a long while. Fiora was also quite satisfied with the way things turned out as well. From that moment onward, Daegal didn’t hold back nearly as much.

  They exchanged jokes, friendly greetings, and even physical contact like hugs more often. Time marched on, and winter was closing in as they neared the end of fall. The last bit of color that clung to the trees was sparce, barely even a splash amongst the baren branches. It was still Daegal’s least favorite season, but regardless, he was feeling lighter than he had in years.

  He awoke in the morning, stirring from beneath his pile of furs. He pulled out some of the meat he had stored away, already planning to get more in anticipation of the frost. Daegal looked over at his roommate once again, and the little doll sat there like usual. While he was still a bit sad at the sudden nature of their departure, he couldn’t help but feel that there was some purpose behind it. Maybe they left so that he would be more inclined to meet with Fiora? Or, perhaps, he finally had someone real to talk to, so he didn’t need that part of himself anymore. Whatever the reason, he would have to keep moving and hope that he was heading in the right direction.

  After finishing his meal, he was cleaning up around his home when he smelled something. It was acrid, familiar, and made his heart drop into his stomach. He spun around toward the entrance, eyes already dilated, and heartrate elevated. Clawing his way up to his feet, he rushed out of the cave entrance with near maddened urgency. The moment he emerged into the morning light every nightmare he had in the last decade came crashing down on him all at once.

  There was smoke coming from the village.

  A large, dark column of smoke was rising high into the sky. It wasn’t as wide as the one from a decade ago, but that didn’t make it any less terrifying for him. Old fears resurfaced, and he threw himself down the side of the mountain as he rushed into the forest, near hyperventilating as he pushed himself to move faster than ever before. Dread consumed him, and he could only make a desperate plea as he ran.

  No.... No, please, not again...