White clouds hung on a blue sky as if a powerful being had frozen them in time. Hope lay on a blanket stretched on the grass. The clouds crawled under her control as she waved her arm. Taking part in this activity was one of her favorite hobbies. It was liberating to sit and do nothing, letting her worries and fears float away on those clouds.
Hope's reddish-brown hair flowed over the blanket like a silk veil. Her body light as a feather. She could feel the soft embrace of the clouds as she pictured herself floating on one of them.
One of those white fluffy cotton candies was thinner and floated away from the flock. Hope giggled. Everywhere there must be a black sheep trying to mix things up and disrupt the balance. In fact, that was what made things more interesting.
She awoke from her daydream when Drake's voice reached her. "Why did you summon me here?"
Hope did not move, attempting to maintain a state of calm within. "Come on over! Settle down next to me and gaze up at the sky."
"Is that why you called me?" Drake snorted. "Today is not even your day to make demands."
His words did not sound exactly as he intended. He didn't know why, but Drake didn't feel like he had authority over her now. A wave of peace was creeping inside his guts, heart, and bones, scaring him out of his wits.
It was not uncommon for Drake to see viciously slaughtered bodies and take the lives of others in gruesome ways. That was real, and that was what made him feel powerful and unique. This peace gripping his innards was making him weak and despicable.
Although the voice he heard wasn't Hope's, the words were coming from her lips. There was something odd about it as if the world's most incredible being had come here only to bring peace to the troubled souls of the wicked.
Her voice rang out, "You said our deal is childish, and you gave me a mission. You did not set conditions, which means that you are only interested in the result. So, until I fulfill my mission, you have to obey me, or you can kill me now because, otherwise, I have no way to succeed. "
Drake sat down like an obedient child, his mind empty of thoughts and chilled by that infinite feeling of peace that seemed so inappropriate and foreign to him. He laid next to Hope, mirrored her position, and looked up at the sky when he heard the mesmerizing voice again. "Do you feel the current drawing you to the clouds?"
"Yes," Drake replied, not realizing when he said that word.
"Take a deep breath and allow the current to carry you along. Find the perfect cloud and climb to the top. How are you feeling?"
"I'm free," Drake whispered, knowing that this was how he felt, although it was yet another completely new feeling for him.
Hope allowed him to get drunk on the boundless freedom. Then, the peaceful wave that she sent towards him gradually diminished in intensity. Now Hope suspected she knew why some of her abilities worked on him, but she had to be sure. She placed one knee on each side of Drake as she straddled him. He stared intently at the woman as she bent down and covered his head with her hands.
Drake shuddered. Now it wasn't just a disembodied voice maneuvering him the way she wanted. At that moment, the voice had a face bent over him, and the sun's rays had created a halo of light around her head. Was this woman real? Did he create her from his dreams and desires?
Hope did not allow him time to reflect. She whispered, but this time she sent a wave of curiosity and desire. "Close your eyes."
When Drake obeyed with no reluctance, she ran her hand through his silky black hair and made the connection. "Now the current has changed course and urges you to go down. Do not oppose the current. Find the deepest pit and go down as deep as possible. You will wither and become an ocean of darkness if you oppose the current. You can obtain peace even in that pit and even if you reach rock bottom if you do not oppose it. Let go! "
They both opened their eyes. Drake's were entirely red with golden rays, and the pupils were vertical black stripes. Till now, those red sparkles in his eyes were just a glimpse of the beast. Now, the creature was here.
The voice that resounded was that of an ancient god, too strong and thick to be a man. "I am the Fire Dragon, and I must thank you for releasing me from that cage. This human deceived me into thinking we can reach communion, but he is too vain and weak for me to inhabit him. I am one of the Old Gods, and I demand wisdom and power from those who seek to merge with me. Only such beings can be deemed worthy of my attention."
Hope grabbed both his hands, pinning them on the grass and tightening the grip between her legs. "I released you from your prison, but still, I am holding you under my power. You can feel that I can make you do whatever I want. Do you deem me worthy of your attention?"
The Fire Dragon's eyes scoured her. He gazed deep inside her soul, penetrating every shield she could muster to protect her heart. Hope felt like this creature knew her, maybe even better than she knew herself. His voice thundered, full of passion and something else that Hope couldn't grasp. "Yes! I deem you worthy of so much more…."
Hope managed to hold back her excitement, staying on point. "Good! Then listen carefully. This man you are inhabiting isn't weak. I've never seen a more powerful man. He is strong and tender; loving and spiteful; peaceful and conflicted; good and bad at the same time. Can you even fathom how tough one must be to keep in check all these opposing traits?"
The Old God's gaze calmed, and he smiled peacefully. Seeing Drake's face with a genuine smile was quite a sight for Hope. She noticed acceptance when his booming voice echoed again. "I understand. I choose to do as you wish, but I will require something of you. Just don't forget that. You can order me anything you want, but when the time comes, you will have to live up to your part of the deal."
It wasn't a good idea to make a pact with an Old God without knowing what he will want in return. But Hope was now connected with him, and she could sense that he wouldn't ask anything harmful for her or anyone else. It felt like a personal request waited to be made.
She nodded, and the Fire Dragon became submissive. He asked, "What would you want me to do?"
The mistress understood that she had complete control over the beast for now. She wished that things could go so smoothly with the monster named Drake as well. "Go back to your cage. Await the moment when Drake will propose once again to become one. It's important to work hard to achieve unity this time. Don't forget that it takes acceptance, and you both should strive for this."
Hope sighed as his red eyes closed. She wished Drake hadn't heard the whole discussion because that would swell his already oversized ego even more. The woman stood still, admiring his sexy, elegant features, especially now when he looked so calm with his eyes closed like he was sleeping and dreaming of a peaceful place.
After a few seconds, Drake opened his coal-black eyes again. They were always shrouded in thick darkness and icy coldness. But now, she could see deeper, glimpsing the frozen pain hiding in those beautiful yet deadly eyes that seemed forever inconceivable.
Realizing the way she was straddling him while pinning his hands on the ground, a normal girl would have blushed. But Hope was no normal girl. She enjoyed being on top, and a smirk covered her face.
Before they could say or do anything, a bark came from the woods. Hope tensed with a grimace of concern.
'This can't be good,' Drake thought, seeing her frowning even more.