Alana woke up she already in her
Room, Tera kept checking if Alana was feeling okay.
Remembering her mother and her father's faces, and everything that had happened, Alana was still processing.
Before she knew, she was falling asleep again... Her mind wondering to that time, that time where she knew their face, the sound of their laughter, the feel of their touch on her cheeks, their warm embrace..
****
"She is little but has so much energy, I don't think I can keep up with this little fiesty one.
And here I was thinking going against my father was the hardest thing I was going have to face." Albert , a tall beautiful young man, with brown hair and his emerald green eyes, was trying to make his child fall asleep.
"Well maybe she didn't get to spend enough energy, today !" Lera, Albert 's wife, her white hair, that was braided down her back, with her honey brown eyes, smiled at him teasing him, leaning against the door.
"Yes mommy I still have a lot of energy." Alana with 5 years old was jumping up and down on the bed.
" I thought you were supposed to be sick." The father sighted exauhsted.
"I am not sick ." Alana smiled brightly. "I want to play, I want to go outside."
" Oh my madjiwany, you have a fever, you are sick and is time for you to sleep." Said Lera smiling.
"If you behave daddy will tell you the story ..."
"About dragons!!!!!" Said the little one sitting eagerly down, awaiting for the retell of the dragons tale.
Albert chuckled at his daughter's excitement. "Yes, dragons," he confirmed with a smile. "But first, you need to close your eyes and get some rest. Dragons don't come out unless everyone is asleep."
Alana pouted but reluctantly laid down, snuggling under the covers. "Okay, Daddy," she said, closing her eyes. "Tell me the dragons story!"
Lera watched with amusement as Albert tucked their daughter in. She still leaned against the doorway, her arms crossed. "You spoil her too much with those dragons stories, Albert."
Albert turned to his wife and grinned. "But she loves them, don't you, Alana?"
Alana nodded eagerly, her eyes still closed. "Yes, Daddy! Dragons are the best!"
Chuckling, Albert began the tale of the majestic dragons that roamed the land centuries ago. He described their scale-covered bodies, their fiery breath, and their ability to fly through the sky. Alana listened intently, her imagination running wild with every word.
As the story progressed, Alana's breathing became slow and steady. She quickly drifted off to sleep, a content smile on her face. Albert gently kissed her forehead and tucked her in a little tighter before he and Lera quietly exited the room.
Closing the door, Albert and Lera walked together to their bedroom enjoying a moment of peace, with their fingers still intertwined they sat down, inside of their room, Lera rested her head on Albert's shoulder.
"She really is a handful, isn't she?" Lera asked softly.
Albert chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "She definitely takes after you. Always keeping me on my toes."
"I thought that's what you adored in me." Lera said teasing Albert.
" I wouldn't have it any other way." He gently a kiss in her temple. "She brings so much joy and energy to our lives."
Lera smiled, her eyes filled with love. "Just like you, Albert. You've always been my rock."
Albert gave her a tender smile in return. "And you've been my light, Lera. Together, we can handle anything."
Albert gaze didn't leave Lera, he placed his hand on Lera face, pushing her down, with his body over hers he starts to caress her face kissing her lips.
Lera's heart skipped a beat as Albert's hand went to her waist . She closed her eyes and surrendered to his touch, feeling his weight on top of her. His kisses were gentle at first, but soon they turned more passionate as he traced his fingers along her cheekbones and down her neck.
Lera moaned softly, her body responding to his every move. It was a moment of pure intimacy and desire, and Lera knew that she never wanted it to end.
"Lera."
"Lera." Albert whispered in between kisses.
"LERA!"
"Éter??!" Lera pushed Albert back and sat upright with her clothes open and disheveled, trying to regain her composure.
"Éter ?? That's was not what I was expecting for you to say while we were going at it."
"Don't be silly." Lera quickly grabbed Albert hands transporting in inside her mind so he can hear the conversation with Éter, she since she heard the urgency in Éter's tone.
"I am sorry to interrupt your ...time together, but your little human has woken up. I wouldn't normally interrupt because of that , however I felt a imense force close by, and it appears your little human left the room, and is in it's direction. "
"What??? She just fell asleep. " Albert was surprised.
"Well she just woke up, and is approaching well I sense another ... Dragon."
Lera and Albert jump right up, if there was a dragon close by there will certainly kings man close enough trying to capture it or kill it, and they have managed to avoid the king's man so far.
Lera quickly got dressed more decently, her mind racing with thoughts of their daughter being in danger.
She knew that if the king's men discovered them, it could mean the end of everything they had worked for.
"We need to find her and get her back to safety," Lera said, her voice filled with urgency.
Albert nodded, his expression determined. "Does Éter knows where is the dragon's location?"
"Yes, it's close by!" Lera said grabbing hers and Albert's swords, they were both pretty good warriors, Lera as a renouced princess, and Albert renouced Viscount they were extremely good with their swords." We need to be quick."
They both rushed out of the small house, scanning the area for any signs of threats, following the directions from Éter. Lera's heart pounded in her chest, her worry growing with every passing second. They couldn't afford to lose their daughter.
"How did she manage to walk so fast in so little time with high fever."
"I don't know we have to be quick."
Through the forest, Éters instincts led her towards the dragon and the little Alana. They soon caught up to her. Alana was sitting in the dark next to the dragon, who appeared to be weak and injured.
From the side a group of the king's men approched the dragon and the little girl with their weapons drawn.
Lera and Albert exchanged a tense glance, they were so close yet too late to avoid the king's men.
They could hear, the king's men commander orders saying to not spare neither, the girl or the dragon. They felt their hearts sinking as they realized their worst fears were coming true.
"But commander that's just a little girl."
"Kings orders, kill anyone that comes in contact with a dragon. " They all yelled in agreement, running faster with a killing intent.
Lera's feeling that, her body transformed into a dragon leaving her sword behind, she attacked some of the men approaching, grabbing them and ripping them apart, biting their heads off.
The men turned their attention to Lera/Éter dragon, shooting iron arrows at the dragon, others moved forward to attack the fallen dragon and the girl.
Albert could put himself between the king's men and his daughter.
"Alana!!"
"Daddy the dragon is hurt. We need to help it, it's in pain. She is in pain." Her little face was pink, despite of her mahogany honey skin, he could see her feverish pink cheeks.
"You are sick you should have stayed at home. Or you should have came to us."
Before he could take her away, the soldiers who managed to slip through the dragon rage, attacked Albert and little Alana.
With quick thinking and precise movements, Albert stroke his enemies, who came with rage and killing intent.
Lera's dragon form continued to wreak havoc among the king's men, her powerful jaws snapping shut on the iron arrows that rained down upon her. The king's knights scrambled to avoid her wrath, but Lera was relentless in her defense of her loved ones.
Albert, meanwhile, fought with all his might, his sword flashing in the moonlight as he struck down his enemies one by one. He could hear little Alana's cries of fear and pain, and he knew that he had to protect her at all costs.
As the battle raged on, more king's men approched, kept throwing arrows some hitting while others failed to make damage. She could feel herself growing weaker, her energy draining with each passing second. She knew that she couldn't hold out much longer.
Albert saw the danger that Lera was in and wanted to rush to her side. He knew that they needed to get out of there before it was too late.
"Daddy, look out." Alana yelled as more king's men angrily attacked them.
"Alana you have to run." He said pushing the king's men out of the way.
"I can't, she's hurt."
"What?" Asked the father. "You have to..." A sword pierced through her father's heart.
"Daddyyyyy!" Alana screamed.
Alana fell backwards, in shock, touching the weak Dragon behind them with her little hand, both her shock state and fear, triggered a connection with the dragon and their soul began to connect.
'Oh no, Lera, the little human, Alana is soulbounding.' As she turn her attention to Alana an iron arrow, dipped in mercury pierced through her scales.
Alana was soulbounding with the Dragon that was weak, and every king's men present was witnessing.
Her tiny piercing screams were soul chilling, the souldbound between two beings was a very painful connection, almost like breaking bones.
The king's men were ready to strike her with their bows and with their swords.
But before they could strike, a deafening roar erupted from Lera as her eyes blazed with fury. The ground beneath her shook, and a powerful surge of energy radiated from her body, pushing the king's men back.
Lera unleashed a torrent of energy from her mouth, engulfing the king's man in a blaze of searing heat. They screamed in agony as their bodies and their weapons melted into nothingness.
Witnessing the devastating power of the dragon, the remaining soldiers retreated in fear.
Lera stood tall, her anger subsiding as she turned back into herself, shifting her attention to Alana and Albert.
Albert had killed the ones close to him and Alana. Holding his little precious daughter in his arms while she was screaming in pain, and burning hot, was soul crushing to him, Lera approach them,placing her hand on Alana's temple.
Both Albert and Lera were covered in blood, they steady themselves and left deep into the forest. Their only focus is to protect their little baby.
As they fled deeper into the forest, Lera could feel the pain of her wounds, but she kept on going, choosing to ignore it. Éter wasn't able to heal herself, she was also trying to soothe Alana's pain.
The king's army would soon come look for them again, in much bigger force, and they had nowhere to hide. She knew that they couldn't outrun them forever, and they needed a plan.
"Damn King." Cursed Albert through its teeth, he collapsing on the ground.
"Wha... What happened? Are you hurt?." Lera finally noticing Albert wounded chest." How can it be...?"
"My love, we need to go to my... father's." Albert said his voice hoarse. He was bleeding out on Lera's arm.
"Albert please wake up, you can't leave me.."
Alana's condition was worsening by the minute, her screams becoming more frequent and more piercing. Lera could sense the pain radiating from her body, and she knew that they needed to find a place to hide until the soulbounding process was over, while Albert was bleeding out. He could not walk anymore.
Without waisting more time, Lera used all her energy to transform and flown away, taking Alana and Albert with her.