This bloody moon. It wasn’t a weakness or a nuisance to us before. It was a brief moment where we remind ourselves who we truly are, what we truly are.
I look up to the round object sailing in the night sky; I watch how its reddish color is gradually fading away.
This night is meant for us to glide and fly freely up to the evening sky with nothing but love for each other. And humans, back then, were fond of us—
They worshipped, obey, and were loyal to us.
Back then, we gave them everything, everything that they deserved. We stood by their side and taught them what we know. Dragons secured their safety and swore to give them leverage.
--Until everything had changed.
In the end, what made them thought of betraying us? What corrupted their hearts to do such an unforgivable act?
In a small amount of time tonight, I observed numerous souls, most especially the old ones, go ‘home’ with color depicting sadness. As much as I want to close my eyes, I need to count and remember this scene, remember this day.
We are a creature of two identities, a part dragon and, undesirably, a part human too.
It has been a century of human reign; dragons were held captive and trafficked. They were condemned not to show their human faces and were forced to take the form of a dragon forever. All I could do back then was to watch my kind suffer and die as I blend in with the crowd of foul humans.
It took me years to create a plan, and finally, I managed to do so with some help.
I freed a hundred of my kind from their ruthless hands, and I will make sure those that are left behind would also be liberated.
I had enough of these two centuries of sickening war. It is time for us to reclaim our birthright and our lands. I will reclaim what once mine and make the dragons the rulers of the mountains and of the seas once again.
I ought to shed and paint this land with flesh and blood once again if I have to.
And my first move was supposed to be wiping out the Slayers troop in order for my kind to feel safe, even in just a negligible amount of time, but right now, because of my lack of information. I am stuck in a difficult situation.
I guess I am forced to blend in again.
Quite odd actually, I don’t know, but why did the king order us to be slaughtered instead of being recaptured?
I glanced back to where I laid her unconscious body down,
---but she wasn’t there anymore.
I felt her tremendous aura behind me and realized, she’s about to decapitate me. I immediately jumped my way out of the blade’s range, and instantly rushed towards her, took her sword out from her grip, and locked both of her bandaged hands on her back.
She had gone too weak now to even move like her prior self.
“You probably wouldn’t want to do that,” I seriously informed her.
“What?” She sarcastically asked, “You think I will give you a thought just because you didn’t kill me earlier?”
Yeah, she, in no second thought, deserves to die. She already slaughtered dozens of my kind. This human did that without a hint of pity or sympathy. And she will be slaying more in the near future if I will not stop her myself.
That is to be expected from a human.
As she struggled from my grip, I took the dagger from her belt before letting her go. She ran a little farther away from me, and before she takes another armless stance, I let the sword and the dagger fall to the ground beside me. It ringed off after the metal reached the rocky ground.
“I told you, you wouldn’t want to do that.” I crucially repeated as I lifted my hand for her to see my wrist. “If I die, you die.”
“Nonsense,” She disgustingly spat, “I know about the pact and I know it will not be sealed in such a stupid way. You can’t fool me.” She wore that primeval loathing face of hers, and I only gave her a bitter expression.
I sighed.
She is more hard-headed than I thought, and as much as I want to eliminate her, I will use her instead.
‘A’ blood and ‘A’ blood. ---that is the requirement.
I hate anything that connects us to humans.
Why did the ‘pact’ even exist?
Worse was the fact that someone like her, to be the first one to make a contract with me, is even more sickening.
I pulled a dagger from my pocket and stared at it for a moment. I have decided to let her learn what I really meant. I swiftly stabbed myself in my abdomen and expectedly, she fell to the ground, losing herself to the excruciating pain.
After removing the blade from my body, I stiffened myself to let a considerable amount of blood ooze from my wound, and let a jot of pain sting my body.
The pact is not formally and officially sealed so there are some malfunctions, something like that, and the ‘pain’ she’s suffering from right now is just another work of that.
That is, we will share each other’s pain, not exactly to be honest. The line that connects us only flows in one direction, from me to her.
However, thankfully, this pact won’t even last longer than three months if we continue failing to meet the ‘real’ requirements.
Three months of hell, with this beast as my ‘companion’?
I strolled towards her writhing body, grumbling in pain. I squatted down to my heels and pulled her collar to make her face me. She is gritting her teeth with pain. Blood is flowing out from her nose, and from lips to her chin. Her hand is terribly clenching her chest due to the immeasurable pain.
“Feel free to stab me anytime and savor the pain three times more than what you had inflicted on me,” I muttered before letting her collar go, and sat beside her.
--If she dies, it will be the end of the pact and I am free again, but---
“But if you want, there is a way to get rid of this curse, and we will be chasing and killing and each other again anytime soon if…” I paused as I make sure she is listening. She only glared at me and then coughed another round of blood.
Maybe I overdid it, what a pity.
“… If and only if, you are going to help me.” I stated.
“Help you?” She laughed at that statement. "If you think I am selfish enough to keep my life out of the line, you are wrong, YOU heartless demon!”
Ironic.
“Do you know that mystical stone that gives considerable power?” I asked instead of letting my emotion get ahead of me. I watched her quiver for a moment after hearing my query.
She knows about it too. Not all people are knowledgeable about that, at least, that’s what I observed.
“Gaia?” She softly mumbled to herself, but I heard it.
“We need that to break this curse,”
“---And to make you, dragons, unstoppable too huh, how wicked.” She grinned, evilly.
I sighed upon her statement.
She is helpless, and this conversation is also heading nowhere. Well, what should I expect? Humans were all brainwashed after all. But I want to know,
“I don’t know why a Royal like you is leading the troop herself---”
“What makes you think I am one?” She exclaimed that with confusion, or rather, with curiosity and fear from the fact that I guessed her identity right.
“Only a certain bloodline can create a pact with the likes of me, and they are now the people call ‘Royals.’”
She was silent.
What is she, what is her true identity? Is she a Princess of some sort, some important being from that notorious kingdom?
---or otherwise.
The sturdy and towering evergreen trees almost covered the moonlight that I am unable to observe more of her exterior features.
Based on my observation earlier, her current build is quite weak and was not prime for any pact-sealing. But her agility is somehow impressive, and her sword fencing is excellent. Her temperament exudes nothing regal though, nothing but bloodlust.
I wonder.
“Well,” I slowly stood up, “I don’t expect a human to give me a hand instantly after a combat after all.” I should head home for now since my wound is becoming a burden. I turned my back from her and started strolling towards her sword. “Until we meet again, human.”
“Wait,” She weakly mumbled, and then a thud came from her direction. “I will kill you myself next time for su…”
Without looking back, I know she dozed off.
I picked her sword up, walked towards my acquaintance, and took my seat at his back. He flew up towards the sky as I enchanted a spell that made us invisible to any naked eye.
She is an interesting one. I would love to meet her once again.
The moment I woke up and recognized this old, lame stone ceiling, I knew I lose.My teeth gritted with anger as my hands clutched. Memories from yesterday elapsed in my mind, destroying my morning mood.“A pact, my ass!” I madly growled.Knowing this tainted blood running in my veins is a curse enough, now you think some lame pact could stop me?Eat that crap.I woke up and dressed myself in my uniform, ready for some scolding. As I tied a clean white bandage on my tampered wrist, an expected presence entered the room.“Your highness,” Arabelle, a maid, greeted me with a humble bow. Whenever I hear that title, I feel myself being suffocated.“General,” I corrected with a sigh before I pulled my long auburn hair together, tying them with a simple white ponytail.“His Majesty is waiting for your presence.” She formally informed with her normal tone. I only gave her a nod before pass
Two days from now is the so-called special day, but they already set a job for me to do. That is escorting nobles and some distant relatives of the royals.An escort is needed since bandits mostly show up in this kind of situation, or worse, dragons would.They would take this opportunity to enter the castle and just like before, they will tear down these walls, and flood the castle with seas of fire.I could hardly remember what it looked like before.As I stand by the gate of stones, waiting for official orders. Carriages of exquisiteness already reached the castle, safe and sound. Gladly, not a sign of any assault from the foe, it is making me wonder.I was about to stroll towards the other side of the gate when I heard my co-general called my name.“General Rhys,” he formally greeted, “We assign you in the outskirts of the palace.”I only gave him a nod, took my horse from the stables, and headed immediatel
The grand day has come.Colorful buntings, lanterns, and posters decorated every house and street, and the castle was lit as the sun is about to set.Several carriages await at the entrance as the Nobles enter the great hall.As I got in into the main hallway, murmurs and giggles muddled in the empty atmosphere. Maids, mistresses, and visitors, they sure do talk a lot.They had been talking about finding a partner for tonight, pathetic.Instead of being stuck in this crowded place, I would rather do some safe-keeping job before the party starts. As I wore my same old lame uniform today, I walked out of the hall, towards the supervision area.“A dragon was insight,” I heard from a messenger inside the tent, “By the border.” He added.And that is where the fun starts.Alone, I rode towards the outskirts, looking for any sign of the sighted demon. I want to see that dragon myself before the army catches it.
(Before nightfall...)“Leonor said he will be reporting at midnight,” My servant, Fish, informed as we stood by the crowd. I then glanced at the window with curiosity; it was still giving off evening signs.“And what about the girl?” I asked next.“I don’t think she is here, sire.” Was his reply.Hmm.She is a royal, yet she isn’t here. But the party has not started though; maybe she will be coming by any time sooner.The room was getting crowded as visitors were piling up. Everyone is clothed with nobleness. That it shone together with the dazzling light of the glow stones. The place was wide enough for four full-grown dragons to fit and quite grand.Well-furnished maroon tiles, an old canvas of dragons and human beings painted together on the domed ceiling, and a kindled crystal chandelier in the middle. A throne is nowhere to be found, and
“How dare you fail to show up yesterday, Rhys.” Fiona furiously probed as she fixes my hair at a bench by the garden. I was meant to be scolded today either, but with my aunt around, I managed to avoid that, yet sadly, they dismissed me from my hunting job and must remain inside the walls once again.---since I so-callingly broke an important protocol.“Ouch,” I softly mumbled when she accidentally pulled my hair a bit too harsh. Involuntarily, my gaze traveled upon my bandaged hands, resting on my lap. Then, it slowly averted onto this thin, white, average-length dress that my aunt forced me to wear today.How unpleasant“Look at you, you are growing old.” She madly spat with the voice I could hardly recognize, “Do not wait for love to find you and just go on, MARRY someone and leave this crappy place.”“Yeah, and be stuck with some crappy guy too, huh,” I coldly responded. She didn&rsquo
Damn, I can’t stand her, leaving just like that in the middle of a discussion. Where did she even go?I scratched my head as I remember how I waited for her to come back only to know she runoff.But looking back earlier, with that plain white dress she wore and her braided hair. I never thought she has such side, I mean, she looks good in it.Her behavior is a drawback though. She even blabbered about seducing someone; I am not planning to go that far, that bastard!---And she did not even thank me for lending her a hand to go home, how ungrateful that is.I left the mansion and fled back to Leonor’s resting place, planning to investigate. Who even bothered to start an assassination on such a prestigious day?---The place will obviously be well-guarded.My mind then flashed a memory. I don’t know but; it is bothering me, why she opened up to me just like that. It was kind of unusual for someone wicked like her.
Fierce untamed flames and flailing dreadful screams became my everyday bedtime story. It creeps into my mind, corrupting my once lively dreams into nightmares. I tried to bury it all deep down into my guts yet it only kept resurfacing, pleading to be released from this benighted prison of misery and sorrow, wishing to see the so-called light one more time.I realized I was the one foolish on that part. That these dark cold demons inside me crave for the warmth of the light even though they know they would perish, and I obliged them from that due to the fact that I cannot just let things go.Just because I am afraid to remember, I am afraid to feel too much. I have prolonged my agony for so long that it clouded me from recognizing freedom.After all those terrible years of being alive, I decided to let it go. I faced my demons head-on with the courage that I could muster. I devoted myself to ending this century-year-old suffering of mine once and fo
Too much happened today;A lit-up motivation to end my connection with her and then,---a waver.Surely, the past has nothing to do with her anymore; she is not the person they knew back then, but, why is it bugging me?I thought as I stared at the candle-lit wooden ceiling while lying on my bed.What made it worse is that she is loved regardless of her sins, and even though she is at her worse. The fact that those kinds of people, the good one, are the one who is still hoping for her to come back is unrealistic. I mean, is it even possible, for humans, to create such a pure and strong bond?How come someone still loves an evil-deprived person?What made them think she has hope?I heaved a deep sigh at these idealistic questions in my mind.Betrayal and greed,---that is their nature, so I guess, forgiveness and selflessness either, huh,I closed my eyes, deciding not to think much about it, but I failed when I rem