A bright, blue light came from Elysia's hand. A soothing spell, it was a preparatory spell, neither she nor Silo wanted to be burnt to a crisp in this encounter and I'm sure you wouldn't want to be burnt too when you meet such a thing.
Slowly, faintingly, it woke up.
The Dragon awakes, getting up on all four of it's legs, careful not to damage it's bed of paper, parchment and cover.
Elysia steps back, else her arm would be ripped when it rose. She took in its majesty. It was true majesty, not the one mimic'd annually nor the opulence they revel on nor their leaders.
No, it was they who held true majesty.
"A red dragon."
Elysia muttered, but it can be heard all around. The hat on her head nod, as if agreeing. Only fools would disagree anyways.
The Dragon was as large as the ruins itself, the bright-red scales indicant of its subspecies though, its white underbelly is a sight that one can never be used at.
The scales on its head had creases, and its horns twisted and had toughened after what can only be perceived as centuries---or fearbe, beyond centuries of existence.
It was old, ancient. An archaic wonder and in the flesh.
"Why have I been disturbed?"
It...spoke.
It spoke.
The ground shook, and it spoke in a loud and booming voice. It made both Elysia and Silo cover their ears, nearly stumbling back. Whatever or whoever who was unaware of their presence were very much aware now.
"Ugh--hunters...there are..hu-"
She spoke, trying to regain her composure, yet as she looked back up to the Dragon, there was only...shock.
There was something on the long neck of the Dragon.
A...An arrow?--
Not a moment too soon, she would crash on the ground. It was a miracle that she didn't land headfirst else she'd be knocked out now.
Silo had pounced unto her, and now, it was dragging her behind one of the few standing walls in the ruins, just by the side of the Dragon.
It looked at them, and the feline, whatever fear he had felt, whatever death that would befall them, he faces.
He looked death straight in the eye.
And...it grinned.
"I see."
It spoke.
Another arrow struck it by the head and it made Silo nearly stumble back.
It was calm?
----Silo's PoV ---
The true majesty.
In one motion, it's wings unfurled and everything blew away.
Even the hat was gone.
Elysia was in my arms, and still were we blown away against the wall.
I had not hit myself as hard but her eyes were closed...unmoving.
But fine. No blood, still a pulse, and still breathing. She was fine. She was fine.
I held the back of her head and, no, she wasn't fine.
My hand, it had blood, there was blood. And on her head. Oh, no no no.
If it was the opposite, she would just woosh her hand and I would be healed. But no no, I had no such luxury this time.
No magic.
Why.
Up above, the Dragon flew high. It only did. The arrows still reached it, but damned be the Dragon if were she to suffer.
Her white hair, I set back, and it was coated red. Whatever supply we had too was by that hill.
I told her.
Too stubborn, too careless.
Paper would not do it..
But her cloak definitely will.
I took off the cloak she had given to me. It was the first of her many gifts, and I could hear my heart just as I rip it apart.
Her head set high, not to touch the ground nor anything else.
The blood dripped, and it was unsettling.
Sooner than later, what was once a part of the cloak was now wrapped along her head, doubled, it stopped the bleeding.
That...I...that was all I could do, was it?
My hands support her head and then her back, then and only then do I pull her close, my face nestling into the top of her head, muttering what praying I had.
Il will have to do.
It will.
Above me, the heat was unbearable, it was as if the Sun had began to come visit us personally and I can only imagine how unbearable it must be for her now, beyond her dream....
Then..then...
She still breathes.
And the ground shook once more, lighter than last time, from behind me. Death will have to take me first.
"None shall harm us now."
The..Dragon spoke again. It was to me, I knew it, it was coming for me, I knew it. I can only strengthen my hold around her.
May Il have mercy.
"You may let go, child."
And did it come for me. But...gently.
Its scales, hard, rough and coarse rubbed on my hand.
No, not Death.
A minute passed, the rubbing did not end and even for another, it kept going.
Serenity approached me, but I could not be complacent.
I raise my head, and still with her in my arms, I look back at the Dragon.
It was close, and it stared right at us.
But it meant no harm.
My eyes cast down, and a stack of books were before us. It was an offering, like those zealots do with statues, but, we are no statue---unless we were about to become one.
Ha-Ha.
"To wait."
It spoke as it pushed one of the stack closer.
Books, to wait, huh?
It did not want me to go, did it not? It wasn't like I was going anywhere.
Do not mock me.
"Why? Why...books? Not gold?"
I ask, it wasn't time to be curious, but it spoke casually, its aggression was something I didn't want to fight. Mama taught me that. Meet bread with bread, and stone with stone.
And fire, with water.
And death, with play.
"Dragons..love gold, do you not? Why so many books? Why? Why do you hoard books...not gold?"
I ask and ask so that it would be the only thing in it's mind and not destruction.
And as I do, I keep her close as so it may not snatch her so easily.
"They are gold to me."
The Dragon spoke as it lied down, as it had when we had just approached it initially. Huh?
"Alas. Alas, reading, I could not do it. So I hoard, for one I can read. But I could only speak fire. And read fire."
That gave me an idea.
It was hot, but slowly, I grabbed one of the books, opening it a few pages deep, careful as she still rested.
The first few formal pages were there, and so I clear my throat.
"Chapter One, The Reckoning of the Storm! In one grave and deep night, a ship sailed forth....................