It was only after Cass had talked them down from starting a war that Sam and Byron came back.
Cass knew it was them because everyone else who would knock on the door was already in the room. Sam peeked his head in once Cass made a welcoming noise, and as soon as Sam saw everyone in the room, and touching Cass, he came in. Byron was Sam’s shadow, a tall, blue haired man who should have stood out, but somehow didn’t. Cass was sure that it came from the base of his powers.
Byron took one look at the room, taking in Taniora in her state, and sighed. Cass wasn’t sure if he got the full picture, but it was clear that he knew that something had happened. Maybe he had heard it while he was approaching the room.
Sam looked like a nervous mess as he glanced around, his cheeks still pink from whatever the two had been up to. Cass was a little glad that Sam was able to have these kinds of moments now. It was nice to know that Sam, a man who had been supporting him and basically lying to the demon king for him all this time, was able to be happy.
It was an especially good reminder right now, after having a rather heavy conversation.
"Ah, another dragon." Taniora said warmly, her who demeanor shifting from anger to warmth as she called Byron out as a dragon. It was no surprise to anyone in the room, but they seemed a little impressed that she was able to identify him so easily. "Who are you, old one?" Byron looked a little surprised to be called that by her, but then he nodded.
In fact, he looked a little embarrassed.
"I’m not...an old one, but thank you for the title. My name is Byron." He told her and Taniora nodded.
"Understood. Are you familiar with the Red Dragon?" She asked. Byron looked confused for a second, glancing towards Cass to get some clarification. Cass tried to make a gesture, stroking his chin as if he had facial hair. For a second Byron was confused, before his expression brightened.
"Yes. He was the one who helped me into adulthood." Byron confirmed and Taniora’s expression bloomed with a smile.
"I am learning so many new things about him! I am so glad that things are going well for him. When I met him the war had just finished and he was a tired, exhausted dragon. He’d lost a lot of friends and family in the war. Too many. He had a hard time forming bonds with anyone after that." Her gaze slid from Byron to Cass and back. Her eyes were warm pools as she spoke. "I am so pleased to see that one of my friends is finally getting the happiness he deserves."
Cass could only imagine how happy she was. Cass didn’t have friends, but he was sure that it was similar to how he had felt after he realised his sister’s husband wasn’t a piece of shit.
"Byron is an important member of my staff. He’s also a dragon who has been raised by fairies. His parents sadly passed during the war and they took him in and raised them like their own." Taniora seemed surprised, before she looked a little confused.
"Did he have a delayed hatching?" She asked and Cass shrugged. He turned to look at Byron, who also seemed confused before the woman who raised Byron chuckled.
"The short answer to your question is yes, there was a delay because we moved the egg from where it had been found, assuming that the area wouldn’t help it hatch. We were wrong. Or, those who had been keeping an eye on the egg before me were wrong. We had very little knowledge of dragon eggs, and very little contact with dragons to get information on eggs. Anytime they had asked in the past, the dragons grew suspicious. It was never assumed that we had found an egg and instead assumed that we wanted to steal an egg." That was interesting to hear for Cass.
"The area matters?" He asked and the fairy who spoke, a lady who did look her age, chuckled. Her eyes were soft though, kind.
"Yes. There is a reason each dragon has a different kind of nest and a different kind of den. Byron loves dark places, full of the damp and cold spaces that I would normally only give to someone I wanted to punish. He also likes the night sky when there are no stars. He was an unusual child, but a loved one." She glanced at Byron, and Cass watched as the dragon swallowed nervously.
"Mom." He warned, but she just waved a hand at him, smiling.
"I can’t count how many times we would make little forts in his room, all dark and cozy. I would never let my child be somewhere cold, even if he grows into a giant with scales." Her eyes were filled with something that Cass could only recognise in his sister’s eyes in the more recent months.
He was fairly certain it was...love. A love that Cass was not familiar with.
Cass’ chest grew a little tight.
"Um, may I ask who our, uh, guest is?" Sam asked carefully, showing respect towards Taniora. Cass wondered if she would catch on to the fact that he was a demon. However, that wasn’t the case.
Instead, she watched him, saw how Byron was his shield and his support, and smiled.
"I am Taniora. An old friend of the red dragon. I was found in the dungeon, having been displaced by demons, or so it seems." Sam looked horrified by her words.
"They did what?" He whispered, horrified. He then glanced around taking in the rest of the room. "Should we not return you back there? Do you, oh goodness, do you have your um," Sam seemed to be struggling over what to call her bones. How to be respectful. Cass chuckled.
"We do, but we want to ask Taniora what she would like to do. Do you want to be laid to rest where they had put you before? Do you think that would calm you? Do you have any idea why you’re awake now?" Cass realised he might have overwhelmed her with questions. Taniora seemed a little shocked, before she chuckled.
"I think I would like to see where my love laid me to rest. I never gave him any instructions, since I didn’t think I would die before him. I might be angry at him the next time I see him if it doesn’t please me." She joked. Sam, however, was very interested. His eyes were wide and curious as he spoke up.
"Have you seen him? As a ghost?" He asked. Someone tsked, clearly thinking that Sam was showing a severe level of discourtesy. Cass’ Aunt was frowning, but Ser Hune was trying to hide her smirk behind her hand.
Taniora didn’t seem offended in the slightest.
"Well, I can’t recall. As I told Cass when I woke up, I simply woke up, was rather confused, and then slowly realised I was my own person. I might have, but I have no recollection of it." She was being kind to him and Sam’s face turned red.
"I’m sorry. That was a rather inappropriate question." Sam apologised and Taniora laughed. Her gaze slid to Cass, her eyes curling at the corners as she smiled at the both of them.
"It isn’t. I wasn’t upset, and it’s a good thing for me to think back on these things. Who knows? I might have information tucked away inside of me that might be beneficial. It’s not every day that you run into someone like me." Sam remained quiet, as did Cass, Edgar and Gideon. Byron was even quiet.
Well, that would normally be the case, but Edgar and Gideon had seen Cass crush a version of himself, real or not. They knew who or what Cass was, and how he had come to be.
He also couldn’t recall how long he had been dead for, or what had happened during that time. He had woken up, like she had, only he had been aware of who he was, just not where he was. That was hard to do while inside of a void.
Taniora thankfully didn’t notice the gap since Edgar spoke up before it got too long.
"We shouldn’t go today, but there is...someone that I think the other might want you to meet, if you’re okay with it." Edgar said, glancing at the fairies near him.
Cass felt his spine stiffen as he realised what Edgar was saying, and who he was referring to. Cass glanced at him, and Edgar gave him a soft smile. Taniora looked rather confused.
"Who did you want me to meet?" He asked and Aunt Alysora gave a soft exhale.
"Can you feel them?" She asked carefully. "It might not mean anything to you, dear hero, because you fell before the several wars that we’ve had with the humans." There was a lot of pain in her eyes as she recounted it. "However, the humans did something truly unforgivable, so terrible that while we do not and will never justify the crimes that Cass’ mother committed against him, several of our own had turned to demons to try to get help. Even if it cost them themselves."
Cass sighed, closing his eyes as even he felt a bit emotional as his Aunt set up the crimes the humans had committed. Sam swallowed and Gideon, the only true human in the room, dropped his gaze and looked ill and uncomfortable.
"They burned our trees." Aunt Alysora whispered. "Our nursery trees." The sounds that came from the fairies around them were painful, hard to hear. Taniora let out a terrible gasp.
"No! They wouldn’t-they couldn’t-what would make them do such a thing?"
"They knew." Cass said slowly. "They had to have known. Humans, the bad ones, know what they are doing is wrong and will proceed to do it. We also can’t rule out that the demons were playing both sides, unaware that fairies can’t really make deals with them. They might have just seen it as an untapped resource." Cass muttered, the realisation making his stomach turn.
Everyone looked upset, and angry, before Ser Hune clapped her hands, bringing the attention towards her.
"But! We’ve managed to revive several, and Cass, through another of the same blood, has kept one a secret here. The Dukes wanted to get their hands on this plot, specifically Cass’ shitty grandfather, but he has kept it safe and now..." Ser Hune trailed off, before smiling brightly. "Now I am even able to have a child that we have always wanted." She said. Taniora seemed a little shocked.
"There...is only one here?" Her question hung in the air. It felt like a blow that Cass didn’t even consider that there could have been more nursery trees outside of the one that he was protecting. The one that had saved him.
It was hard to hear that. Hard to consider it.
The weight of it hung in the air and Cass wasn’t sure how they would get out of the moment.