The Dragon's Kiss

Chapter 3 - Dracones

"Shut the front door," Ashley whispered as soon as she stepped out of the camp. Surrounding her was a large forest, but not an ordinary one. Every inch of it radiated a mystical glow; from the pearly white barks of trees, to the rainbow colored pebbles resting on the ground. Her nose immediately flooded with the gentle scent of roses, lavenders and lilies, her ears blessed with the sound of flowing water, as well as the melodious singing of a bird she did not recognize. Sets of glorious trees stretched out as far as she could see, and she looked up, realizing how tall they were. They almost touched the sky, forming thick canopies to prevent any sunlight from seeping through. Yet not an inch of the place seemed dark or gloomy; every element of the forest had its own luminosity. For a moment there, she forgot all about her situation, completely dazed by the magnificence around her. Her gaze focused on a particular plant growing at the foot of the trees. It looked like a cactus, but instead of being covered in thorns, tiny flowers bloomed on it, their centres glowing vibrantly.

A tickle on her shoulder forced her to tear her gaze away them, a gasp escaping her lips when she glanced at the creature perching on it.

It was a figure the size of her palm, made of light alone. A dazzling shade of purple.

"Don't hurt her," Haco warned, stepping closer to Ashley.

She blinked at him, only then remembering that he was accompanying her.

"What is this?" she whispered, gesturing to her shoulder. "And I'm not gonna hurt... her."

He met her gaze, raising an eyebrow. "I wasn't talking to you. I'm talking to the one on your shoulder. And this one's a he."

Ash frowned, narrowing her eyes in disbelief. "What? This... thing, understands you?"

"Of course I understand him," a shrill voice replied in her ear.

Ashley jumped slightly, startled, as the light flew away from her shoulder, disappearing into the trees. She took a deep breath, glancing at Haco. "What on Earth was that?" she asked, gulping.

"It wasn't on Earth," Haco replied. "We are on Lyrous right now."

No s**t, Sherlock. Earth could never be this beautiful. Either we are actually on a different realm, or I'm finally losing my mind. Is this because of the weed?

Haco cleared her throat, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Okay," she nodded, "let me rephrase that. What the hell was that-"

Haco stepped closer to her, clapping a hand over her mouth as he grabbed the back of her neck with his other. She frowned at him, as he looked around in alarm, before directing a glare at her.

"Ashley," he scowled, "did you forget what I said to you?" He asked in a hushed tone.

Ashley tried to reply, but her words came out muffled.

"Do not speak until you're spoken to," he snapped. He pushed her back, cornering her against a tree as he removed his hand from her neck. A second later, she felt something sharp poke against her side, making her suck in a breath. "Should I kill you right here, right now?" he growled. She quickly shook her head, whimpering as he traced the blade down her skin, stopping at her hip. "Maybe I should. You clearly don't understand the intensity of your situation, or mine. So if you're planning to mess this up for me, just tell me now. You will be strung up to one of those trees you were so fascinated by, if you do not do as I say. Let's end this now and save everyone the time and trouble," he said through a clenched jaw. 

Ashley shook her head, closing her eyes shut as tears started to form in them. She did not want him to see her cry again, unwilling to show her weakness, or fear.

"Good girl," he said softly, removing his hand from her lips.

She let out a breath, opening her eyes as she stared at him with fear. How strange was he? So gentle in a moment, and yet so violent in the next. Haco withdrew the dagger, and tucked it inside his belt, but did not step back. It was only now that Ashley realized how tall the man was, having to tilt her head back to even meet his gaze. He towered way over her, the top of her head hardly reaching his chin. 

"Now if you're done with your temperamental attitude, we have somewhere to be. I'll brief you on what to do on our way there," he said, his tone still slightly harsh.

Ashley nodded, hugging herself. She frowned, gazing down at her clothes when she felt something soft and silky, instead of the thick jersey she remembered wearing. Her eyes widened when she realized she was clad in something entirely different: a simple pink gown, flowing down to her feet.

"What the hell?" she muttered, glancing at Haco.

"What now?" he sighed, meeting her gaze.

"What am I wearing?" she asked, scowling at him.

"You noticed now?" He rolled his eyes. "Usually the first thing women are concerned about is their clothes."

"Shut up," Ashley snapped, marching up to him. "I don't care what I'm wearing. I care about who made me wear it."

Haco's eyes widened slightly, and his cheeks seemed to tinge reddish. He lowered his gaze. "You have nothing to worry about, I assure you. I am an honorable man. I would never touch a woman without her consent, and I did not look your body while-"

Her hand connected with his cheek before he could finish, and his head whipped to the side.

"Never touch me again," Ashley warned, glaring daggers at him.

He clenched his jaw, but kept his gaze lowered. "Forgive me, but what I did was for your own good. You were sweating profusely after going through the Transporter. I had to help."

"You couldn't wait until I was awake?" she retorted. "Stop making excuses."

Haco looked her in the eye now. "I have no obligation to make excuses, Ashley. I am not afraid of you, in fact it should be the other way round if we think it through."

Ashley's glare faltered slightly, and she took a discrete step back. "You're saying I should be afraid of you?"

"No. All I'm saying is, I'm sorry for changing your clothes. I was only trying to help, my intentions were clear," he replied calmly.

She looked away from him, tucking her hair behind her ears. She gulped, feeling her heart race slightly as she imagined how it must have happened. How he must have taken her clothes off, one by one. Starting at her fishnets, pulling them off of her, revealing her long legs to him. He must have then pulled her shirt off, unless he decided to just tear it off with his dagger. How he must have taken off her br-

A loud rustle snapped her out of her lewd thoughts, as Haco instantly pulled her behind himself, covering her with his huge frame. She did not even see when he pulled his dagger out, ready to fight anything that attacked them. Ashley glanced down at his hand that was securely wrapped around her wrist. His skin was warm, providing her with a weird sense of comfort.

Wait a second. What? The thought made her frown. 

"Danger lurks around here," Haco mused. "We have to leave at once." He whistled loudly, and hardly a few moments later, the leaves rustled again. She found herself stepping closer to him, as a chill crept down her spine, her gaze fixed on the moving bushes. An enormous animal suddenly pounced into the clearing from behind them, making her let out a scream. She cowered behind Haco, her eyes wide in fear, as she instinctively held onto his tunic. "Kill it, kill it!"

Haco turned to her, giving her an incredulous look. "Are you mad? That's my best mate. He has stood by me and protected me countless times. Why on Lyrous would I even think of harming him?"

Ashley glanced up at him, gaping. She then glanced at the ferocious animal. It looked like a tiger, but larger, and more beautiful. "A tiger? You're best friends with a tiger?" she asked, staring at him again. 

"What's a tiger?" Haco frowned. "It's called a Stripe. And he, is called Valak. Pay him some respect, will you?"

Ashley scoffed, running a hand through her hair. "Okay, Jasmine. I say this with utmost respect, I am not getting anywhere near that thing!"

Haco let out a sigh, running his hand through his hair.

- - - -

"Let me down right now, Haco, or I swear I'll kick you in your family jewels!" Ashley squealed, tightening her grip around Haco's waist.

"All my jewels are safe back at my home, Ashley. And still, if you want, you can kick them. But you're not getting off this."

"I'm gonna jump," she threatened.

"You make any such move, and I'll tie you to myself. Do not provoke me," he warned.

She let out a small cry, leaning her head on his back. "This is making me sick. I'm gonna puke."

"Focus on the beauty around you, Ashley. You come from such a dull world. Lyrous, and particularly Dragaria, is exquisite compared to your realm," Haco replied. There was a sense of distaste in his tone as he used the words 'dull' and 'realm'. 

"What's... Dragaria?" Ashley asked, keeping her head low.

"The part of Lyrous we are in right now. The place littered with the Dracones and the ones loyal to them."

"So like," she gulped, "Dragaria is a country ruled by the Dracones?"

"Uh, no. In your terms, I think it would be called a... Capital. The whole of Lyrous is ruled by the Dracones," Haco explained.

"Oh," she replied, raising her head now. "Who are the Dracones?"

"The ones who can transform into enormous, fire-breathing creatures," Haco stated. "The barbarians of Lyrous. Ugly creatures, really."

"Um, you don't mean dragons, do you? Those big, scaly things that fly and have weird tails like lizards?" There was a growing uneasiness in her stomach, and it was starting to make her dizzy.

"I don't know what lizards are, but sounds like it."

She felt as if something moved behind her, and she turned to look, her breath catching in her throat.

"I--I don't suppose they're friendly," she whispered.

"They're the most cruel of creatures. It's a Reign of terror, Ashley," he said softly. "And they hate our kind."

"Yeah, it does look cruel," she squeaked out, ignoring the bile rising up her throat. "Um, one is right behind us."

The Dracone let out a shrill screech, making Ashley scream and turn away from it. Her head started to spin, as weird glimpses filled her mind. It was as if her mind was trying to remember something, but failing.

"Hold on tight!" Haco's alarmed voice echoed in her ear, as Valak took a sharp turn, causing her to stumble to the side. Haco's arm wrapped around her waist just before she'd hit the ground, and he pulled her back up, placing her in front of himself now. He took her hands and placed them down on Valak's back, making her tightly hold onto his fur, as she turned her head to glance at Haco. He leaned in, his cheek almost touching hers.

"Just hold on, and don't look back. I will not let anything hurt you, Ashley. I promise."

In spite of the wind whipping at her face, and her hair dancing all around her, she could feel his warm breath on her skin, and smell his unique scent. Their closeness gave rise to butterflies in her stomach, and she gulped, noticing how his eyes shone with sincerity. Ashley nodded, quietly obliging to his command for the very first time, as she tightened her hold onto the Stripe, turning away from him.

She felt him shuffle behind her, and stand up on Valak, retrieving something from his belt.

"Differus divignem Dracarius!"

A white light poured from behind, and a moment later, she felt Haco slump down, his head resting onto her shoulder.

"Haco?" she asked, turning her head to glance at him. His body was limp, and his eyes were closed. But at least the Dracone was no longer following them. "Haco? Wake up! Haco!"

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