(We will hear more of Dragon Boi's thoughts in this chapter, so they will be in bold italics. Note that they are his thoughts, and Yara cannot hear them.)
The dragon's body trembled as it stared at where the bounty hunters had disappeared. Rage and pain rolled off its tense muscles.
"You still alive, big guy?" the woman slurred slightly. She hissed as she touched the knot forming in her temple; she was hurt.
It marched over to her. She had laid on the ground for a few minutes during the fight with the disgusting human draped in the scales of its kind. The woman's tunic was torn and stained with blood, the fabric clinging to the deep gash on her side, and the bruise on her temple was already swelling. She cursed as it stopped in front of her. "Hold on! Hold on!" she called as it nudged her side. The tunic was stained with blood.
'Why should I hold on? Do you intend to bleed to death?' it thought, confused.
"Let me see your injuries," she mumbled, gently touching its side. The dragon grunted as it finally got past her tunic.
Humans and the need to wrap themselves always confuse it. The dragon felt the tension in its muscles ease off slowly as an incredible wave washed over it. The woman's healing powers were passable, in its opinion. She worked diligently, her fingers tracing the jagged edges of the wound on its side. It nudged the tunic again, trying to get under it to see the injury's extent better. It finally gave way, giving the dragon access to the injury.
'There,' its tongue managed to lave over the gaping wound on her side. The human grabbed at him, her feet lifting slightly off the ground.
'The woman is too light, not eating enough.'
It frowned at the noise she made. She sat down, sighing heavily as she looked between it and the bodies littered around.
The dragon frowned as it followed her gaze. 'I'll clear those out,' it thought to itself.
Her eyes went to the eggs, and the dragon wouldn't deny that she had been paying attention to them since she arrived. Good attention; the eggs were growing healthily and soon to hatch.
But that wasn't enough to write her off. The dragon couldn't shake off the lingering distrust it held towards humans. They were nothing if not persistent. They could lie in wait for years to actualise their agendas. She had no reason to come into the cavern in the first place.
However, begrudgingly, it acknowledged a sense of responsibility towards the injured woman. There was something undeniably captivating about this particular woman. She smiled, but they never reached her eyes; her words never matched her scent. It made him curious yet cautious. Even now, as it allowed her to inspect its injuries, her touch was surprisingly gentle against its scaled hide.
It shuddered as a large amount of healing energy flowed through it, closing up some injuries. The dragon looked at the woman, frowning. 'Was she trying to get on my good graces? I am healing you, so you should be grateful, ' it thought, its tail raised high. A soft golden glow enveloped her body as its healing magic took effect, casting a warm light in the cavern's shadows.
The dragon's head snapped up as it felt her weight go dead against its side.
'Woman? Woman?' It nudged her limp form. It seemed she had lost consciousness. Using its tail, it carried her to the corner where her human nest was and paused. 'would she want to have it stained? That didn't matter.'
It dropped her on the nest and threw the scraps of clothing and furs over her sleeping form.
Turning its attention to the fallen bodies of the men who had dared to invade its lair, the dragon let out a low growl of displeasure. Its sanctuary had been violated once again.
Humans had attacked yet again!
The dragon roared, shaking the cavern in its bid to let out some steam. Some gems were dislodged from the reverberations, and it turned to look at the woman lying unconscious in the corner. 'Still sleeping,' it thought.
With rage, the dragon began to drag the bodies towards the cavern's entrance, its powerful claws leaving deep gouges on the stone floor. Outside the cavern, the landscape stretched out in a vast expanse of frosted-over rugged terrain, bathed in the soft glow of moonlight. Shadows danced across the rocky outcrops, casting eerie silhouettes against the night sky. One by one, it tossed the lifeless forms into the cold night air.
Scum like them could be taken care of by the scavengers.
Once it had finished with the bodies, it went around cavern passages, trying to find and close any openings it might have overlooked. Then, it returned to the nest and rubbed its scent against the eggs, trying to calm its nerves. The eggs hummed, glowing with warmth. Its thoughts went to the group leader.
'That foul-smelling human,' the dragon mused disdainfully, its nostrils flaring at the memory of Kellan's repugnant odour. 'His very presence reeked of decay and malice. No doubt a hunter.'
He wore a cape made of dragon skin and scales; its drakeflame didn't affect the cape, indicating that the dragon whose skin was used was of a similar class or higher.
'The disrespect from that scum probably had it scraped off an afflicted,'
Death seemed to roll off the human in waves, a foul aura that tainted the air around him and now seeped into every crevice of the cavern. The walls and some treasures were smeared with blood and scorched from the battle.
'We can no longer stay here,' it rubbed its snout fiercely, trying to get rid of the smell.
Yet, leaving the cavern and heading north was still the matter. First, there was the woman to consider. The dragon checked on her once more, noting that a fever had begun to set in. A soft growl of frustration escaped its throat.
Humans were annoyingly delicate creatures, easily broken and yet stubborn. It wanted nothing more than to leave her but had the eggs to think of. Smoke curled around its face as it huffed, 'Why did she have to bond with the eggs?' Now, it had to wait till she was ready to travel before it could leave.
'If the hunters didn't return before then.'
Then, there were the eggs to consider. How would it carry the eggs and the woman? If the eggs hatched on the way, the hatchlings would be too weak to continue the journey. 'Of course, not knowing spatial magic would put me at a disadvantage now,' it thought, rubbing on the eggs. It would think of something to do. In the meantime, it patrolled the area.
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Kellan and his men had set up a makeshift camp in a clearing while taking stock of injuries and casualties. He decided to give a status report.
"Did you know he had a woman with him?" He asked as soon as Hagar's blurry face came into view.
"a human?" Hagar's voice echoed, confused.
"Yes, a woman. Although you didn't mention this information, I could have factored it into my plans." Kellan glared.
"We were unaware of the woman; the creature has been hostile to humans. This is unexpected," Hagar hummed, stroking his beard.
"Who would have thought? A lover, perhaps?" Another voice chimed in. It seemed Hagar wasn't alone.
"Do you think she has its name?" Rines asked from somewhere behind the crystal's view.
"This dragon is too vindictive. It would never give its name to a human," Hagar said.
"Even if she somehow learned it, I think this beastie would end her quickly. There is something else going on." Kellan added.
"She might be a captive. Dragons are creatures who love the flesh. Their scales and saliva are sometimes used as aphrodisiacs," Ayun's voice also came from somewhere in the room.
'Are they always together?' Kellan thought, frowning.
"It's not impossible. High and mighty they may think they are, but they cannot deny their want for rare things, and the woman is definitely a fine thing," Kellan grinned as an image of the glaring woman came to mind.
"is that so?" Hagar asked, leaning closer to the crystal.
"Yes, the woman is a beauty. She is dark-skinned, well-curved, and good with her blade. I feel like I've seen her before," Kellan trailed off, a thoughtful frown on his face.
"I don't see anything distinctive about that. Probably one of the women you have been with if she also recognises you," Ayun scoffed.
"Probably her eyes, one gold, one teal, like gemstones," Kellan continued. The woman had stirred his interest and even his loins. She had a fire in those gem-like eyes he needed to extinguish.
"Really? I can see the dragon being interested in her rare-coloured eyes," Rines suggested.
"Teal and gold eyes aren't common in this kingdom," Hagar agreed.
"Wait a minute, teal and gold are from the -" Ayun's voice was cut off when one of Kellan's men rushed into his tent.
"Boss! We found something!"
"What?!" He turned towards the communication stone. "I shall keep you informed; the hunt continues," he said, ending the call.
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As the days passed, the dragon watched the woman drift in and out of consciousness. Her breathing was shallow and laboured. The dragon approached her cautiously, its massive form casting a protective shadow over her small frame.
'Does she need more food? She barely takes anything right now.'
It knew they needed to be fed and watered regularly, even when healthy.
A wet cloth wiped the sweat off her body, was wrung out, and placed on her forehead. The cloth drew a soft groan from her lips. The dragon's eyes narrowed as it observed her injuries. Even with its interference, they were healing, slow, though.
The weapon that disgusting human had used was a cursed tool; only four such weapons were rumoured to exist in the world, scattered across the continent. According to old lore, it was forged by a dark sorcerer who tried to harness the power of the dragons before the days of the Eternal Slumber.
It is said that those who wield it are cursed to forever thirst for blood and power. The weapon whispered into their wielders' minds, urging them to commit heinous crimes. Entire kingdoms have fallen to its cursed edge, their rulers driven mad with power and bloodlust. Even the mightiest of warriors are no match for its dark influence, their souls consumed by the same darkness that birthed the cursed weapon.
'I didn't know they affected humans too,' it pushed her hair out of her face, claw tangling the wild locks. 'Should I cut it? Humans have too many inconveniences.'
The woman might not appreciate that, plus it had seen the amount of care she put into it and would rather not have her nag.
It stood up, joints cracking from lack of use. They would have to move north. '
Though it hated interacting with others and made that very clear, some didn't get the hint and forced their way into its nest. The idiot was one of those people. He had come from the east, talking about human trafficking activities, picking up again, telling it to consider going north.
If the eggs hadn't regained life, the dragon would have fought until the end in the cavern to protect its treasures. This was where the eggs had been created; having them hatch here would be best for them. It knew the hunters would return, and it would have been ready for them if it hadn't moved north yet.
With a snarl of contempt, the dragon vowed vengeance upon the disgusting-smelling human for the pain and suffering he had inflicted. It imagined the satisfaction of confronting him once more, tearing apart that arrogant facade and showing him the true power of a dragon.
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The woman finally became coherent after a while, and it was clear the injuries from the cursed tool had taken its toll.
As the dragon contemplated its next move, a soft rustle nearby drew its attention. It turned to see Yara beginning to stir from her unconscious state. It walked over to her, sniffing at her side.
Yara reached out tentatively, running her fingers over the dragon's scaled muzzle. It blinked at her hand, confused.
'Still slightly warm, but better than before,' it thought.
"We need to talk," she said, meeting the dragon's gaze with a frown.
The dragon cocked its head to one side, its eyes fixed on Yara's face as she spoke.
'What could she want to say?'
With a slow and deliberate movement, it nodded its head.
"We can't stay here," Yara continued, gesturing with her free hand around the cavern. "It's unsafe, not with Kellan and his men out there. We need to leave, go somewhere safer."
The dragon's eyes narrowed slightly, then began to pace. 'I know that already.'
"Where would we go?" she asked the dragon as she watched it pace around the cavern. Its movements were slower, thanks to the injury it had sustained in the previous battle. She had healed it to the best of her abilities with such little knowledge of dragon anatomy and her injuries, but it was clear that whatever weapon Kellan had used was high-grade.
Even with the dragon healing her, she still felt woozy and a bit unsteady on her feet. No doubt the dragon had some internal injuries she couldn't reach.
She pushed herself up slowly and stumbled over to the dragon and the nest. To think the dragon had gotten the attention of Kellan the Deranged. She sighed as she walked over the dragon's tail, kneeling by the nest.
'This was bad,' she thought, feeding the eggs with her essence. Everyone in the capital and beyond had heard of the monster's depraved ways and how he liked to 'hunt' as he called it, for his 'prey'. She watched the dragon stroll over to the eggs, sniffling at her pale face.
The dragon raised its head and frowned at her. 'Should she be expending energy already?' it thought, watching her.
Yara stopped and pulled her knees up, resting her forehead on them when she felt dizzy.
'This was very bad. We have to get out of here.' she thought, looking around.
"Do you have another place we can go?" she asked again. The dragon, its scales gleaming in the soft glow of the crystals, lowered its massive head, nuzzling the eggs—a low rumble in its throat.
"Hey, pay attention. This is serious," she called out.
The dragon raised its head, and a growl escaped it.
'Watch yourself human,'
"Come look at this. Which path would we be taking?" she asked, ignoring the dragon. It walked over and watched her scribble on the floor with a nearby blade.
'What are you doing?' it thought, looking over her shoulders.
It was a compass of sorts. 'Bad craftsmanship,' it scoffed.
"Hey, don't hate on my drawing. That's beside the point," she glared.
The dragon stared at her head, silent. The woman was getting better at guessing its thoughts. It wasn't sure if it should be amused or suspicious.
"Would we be going east towards the seas? Or north towards the mountains? Those are our best options for now," she murmured, frowning as she added drawings to the makeshift map.
The dragon pointed towards the crudely drawn mountains on the northern side. 'There, at least till the eggs hatch.' it thought.
"OK, we have a place in sight. What about the eggs? How do we move them?" she asked.
The dragon's gaze shifted to the nearby satchel containing Yara's belongings. It turned away from her and made its way to the satchel. With swift movement, it snatched the satchel in its jaws, emptied its contents onto the furs, and flung it back towards Yara, who shouted, surprised, as the satchel landed on her head.
"Hey!" she scolded, taking the satchel off her head. "What was that for?" It ignored her glare and nudged the satchel with its snout, then turned back to her with an expectant look.
Yara furrowed her brow in confusion. "What do you want me to do with that?" she asked, gesturing to the satchel.
The dragon rolled its eyes, 'Think woman.' Then, with a swift motion of its head, it pointed from the satchel to the eggs and back again.
Realisation dawned on Yara's face. "You want to use this to take the eggs?" she asked incredulously.
The dragon nodded, its gaze fixed on her. 'Good, you're finally catching up.'
"But how are we going to fit them in there? You know I have things to put in there, too," Yara questioned, eyeing the satchel sceptically.
The dragon huffed impatiently and lowered its head to the eggs, focusing on them with glowing eyes. They slowly emitted a soft, golden glow and began to shrink, gradually reducing in size until they were small enough to fit comfortably inside the satchel.
"Well, that's convenient," she mumbled, staring at them curiously. "What else can you do?" she asked, turning to it.
'More than your feeble human mind can comprehend,' the dragon scoffed, tossing its head to the side.
She could see the glint of satisfaction in its eyes, "Alright, Alright. This is great. We can enchant them to keep them from breaking while we travel." She touched the eggs gently.
'They would be easier to carry this way. If I were to get a transportation spell, it would be so easy to-' her thoughts were interrupted when the dragon bumped into her with its tail, head tilted curiously. She was doing it again; her scent was saying one thing, but her face was saying another.
"Urgh, you can't let me think at all, gimme a few days to gather myself, maybe two? Then we can get going,' she said, pushing its tail aside.
'Weak human, the others might come before then,' it thought as it glanced towards the cavern's entrance. Yara followed its gaze and sighed. "I know they could come in anytime, but we shouldn't travel without supplies," she said, standing up slowly.
The dragon paused. 'That made sense. I don't like the idea, though,' It huffed, smoke curling in the air.
"You agree? Great, you've become slightly more agreeable." She turned towards the dragon with wide eyes. It glared at her and moved towards the entrance of the cavern.
With the plan set, Yara leaned back against the cavern wall, exhaustion weighing heavily on her. The dragon settled nearby, watching over her as she drifted into a much-needed sleep.
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They were finally leaving the cavern, and Yara couldn't help but remember when she tried to leave herself. The scar on her side throbbed in response. To think that it had been four months since she fell into the cavern. If things went well, she might be able to go home.
Yara carefully cradled the shrunken eggs, wrapping each in protective layers of enchanted moss from the nest before laying them in the makeshift sling the dragon enchanted. The dragon, its golden scales shimmering even in the dim light of the cavern's entrance, extended its wings for her to get on.
She climbed onto the dragon's back with the precious cargo. They decided to travel mainly at night. The bounty hunters might have teleported close by. Seeing them fly past might have caused an attack or blown their element of surprise.
They flew for days on end, stopping on hilltops or thick woods far from human activities to stay hidden. At the back of her mind, Yara found it amusing that she was still making her way north, which had been her initial journey route.
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