Chapter 5 Dragon Kingdom
1936 Words
Disclaimer: This book is copyrighted and is exclusively available on Dreame and Stary Writing platforms.
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The boy started to stir as she climbed up the mountainside. Her hands had small scraps and were getting sore. She found a small ledge halfway up and decided to catch her breath. She also wanted to talk to the child to make sure he was okay. She didn't want him to wake up scared being carried by some stranger.
“Hey sweetie are you waking up?” Rhea’s gentle voice called out. She could feel his body move a bit as he began to come to.
The small boy moaned, and she felt his body shift again. She decided to set him down. She wanted to talk with him and make sure he was feeling okay. Who knows what was injured on him after being in the river? She sat the boy down and knelt down in front of him. She watched his eyes open up and he looked at her in confusion. Surprisingly though he did not seem to be afraid of her.
“How are you feeling? You really shouldn’t swim in water that moves that quick.” Rhea grinned at the boy. “I’m Rhea.”
“You… you saved me?” The boy asked with wide eyes. Rhea nodded at him smiling gently. “Thank you… my name is Todd. And just so you know I didn’t plan to swim in the river.”
“How did you end up in the river?” Rhea asked him quietly.
“I was trying to force my shift. I thought the best way would be to jump from a high hill…. I never shifted though.” Todd said dejectedly.
Rhea bit her bottom lip. She understood trying to force your body to shift all too well. “Sweetie, you will shift when you are ready. You are a little young, aren’t you?” Rhea didn’t know at what age dragons shifted but werewolves were usually teenagers.
“Our king shifted when he turned seven! He was the youngest shifter ever. I’m eight so it could happen.” Todd beamed happily as he talked about his king.
Rhea remembered her mother talking about the dragon prince who was now king. “Your king is Titus, right?” Rhea watched his eyes bulge wide.
“How did you know that?! No one calls him Titus… that’s his personal name.” Todd was shocked how this complete stranger knew his king’s name.
Rhea winked at the boy. “I know a thing or two… How do you feel? Are you hurt anywhere?”
The boy blinked at her and then wiggled his body around. He winced as he moved his leg. “Ouch… my leg hurts.” Todd frowned and reached down to it.
Rhea bent down and looked over the boy’s leg. They was a big cut and deep dark bruising on it, but it at least it didn’t look broken. “Look’s like it will be okay but will probably be sore for a few days. At least climbing will be better since you can help hold on.”
“You’re going to carry me the whole way?!” Todd asked shocked.
“Well how do you think you’ve gotten this far?” Rhea giggled as she saw him look down the mountainside. “Come on Todd… let’s get you home.” Rhea bent down and helped the boy onto her back. “Hold on tight.”
By the time Rhea reached the top she was thoroughly cut up. The sharp rocks from the mountain left little nicks and scrapes over her skin. She was breathing heavy trying to catch her breath.
“Are you okay?” Todd asked with a bit of a whimper.
“Of course, I am okay. I’ve trained harder than this before.” Rhea straightened up so the boy wouldn’t worry.
“Rhea you finally made it.” Kelsie walked over from the tree line at the top of the mountain.
“Yeah, finally.... We all can’t teleport where we want.” Rhea rolled her eyes at Kelsie.
“Eeeww it’s awake!” Kelsie took a step backwards from her friend looking at the small child.
“Kelsie that is enough. You damn horses need to learn some respect for others. You are not the only species that exists in the world. This is Todd. Todd this is Kelsie… she is a kelpie.” Rhea was afraid the little boys feels would be hurt but surprisingly they weren’t.
Todd stared at the kelpie with indifference. “Oh…a kelpie… hmmm. I think I should be the one grossed out.”
Dragons… very similar to kelpies…they both were arrogant and were too good for everyone else. “Okay you two. You both should have respect for others. And you little man. It wasn’t a dragon that pulled you out of that river. Something you should try to remember in the future.”
“I like you. You are really nice…whatever you are.” Todd shrugged and smiled.
“What is going on over there?” Rhea began walking carrying the boy in the direction of music.
“That’s the adult party.” Todd said uninterestedly.
“Well then that’s where we are going… we need to get you back to your parents.” Rhea said as she confidently picked up the pace.
“I’m going to get in so much trouble.” Todd whimpered and ducked his head behind Rhea’s.
“I know the feeling.” Rhea let out an airy laugh. She knew that if her parents found out she left Elysium that she would be in for it for sure.
They approached an outside area that had a large dance area set up and hundreds of circle tables on the other side. There were people everywhere. Laughing, dancing, talking and eating. Of course,… all these people were dragons. Rhea always had in her head that most dragons weren’t shifters… but it looked like all dragons were shifters. She walked up to a set of short stairs that led down into the party area. She cleared her throat but was going unnoticed.
“I’ve got this.” Kelsie said annoyed. She let out an ear piercing whinny that had the whole party silent. Even the music quit playing. “Floors yours princess.”
Ugh… thank you Kels… Rhea swallowed and looked around at the many set of eyes on her. Her… an outsider… an intruder.
“I have someone here that I think belongs to one of you?” Rhea said as she shifted herself around to show the small boy on her back. She heard a woman gasp and came running up to her. “Careful… his leg is pretty banged up.” Rhea shifted the boy into the worried woman’s arms.
“What happened?!” The woman asked in shock.
“I tried to shift and ended up in the river. She saved me.” Todd explained as the woman’s face paled considerably.
“Thank you so much. Come on Todd let’s get that leg looked at.” The woman hurried away carrying the boy who was waving goodbye to Rhea.
Rhea noticed that she was still being stared at by the dragons.
“How did you manage to get up here?” A deep voice asked.
Rhea turned her head to see a man standing there. His eyes were a beautiful topaz color, and his hair was dark brown... almost black. His body was chiseled and his face…swoon! Hot damn, guess whose hormones just realized that other males existed. This dragon was gorgeous. Him and Lee could be on the sexiest most wanted list.
“I climbed up.” Rhea managed to shake herself from her lustful thoughts. She held her arms out showing her various cuts with a crooked smiled. “Not the best entrance for visitors.” She giggled but stopped as she stared back into a set of intense eyes staring at her. His gaze was deep and penetrating. She felt a slight heat rise to her face from being under his unwavering glare.
“Rhea? Is that you dear girl?” Rhea looked up to look at the voice beside the male hotness in front of her.
“Grandpa Sage!” Rhea squealed and jumped into the old man’s arms thankful to see someone she knows. The crowd gasped at what she did. She bit her bottom lip and pulled back. “Are hugs not allowed? Or is it because I called you Grandpa sage?”
The old man laughed. “Dear girl, you are allowed to hug me, and I told you to call me Grandpa Sage. You are one of the few who are allowed. My my my look at you?! You are stunning. You have grown up beautifully.”
“Aww thanks grandpa Sage.” Rhea smiled and kissed the older man on the cheek.
“Rhea…. So, you’re the fairy princess.” The gorgeous man near her said with a slight smile raising to his lips.
Rhea stepped back from grandpa sage and turned back to the man. Her eyes widen and she pointed at him. “Oh, my goodness you’re Titus, aren’t you?” Another gasp was heard from the nearby crowds. The man looked angrily to the crowd of people. He must have mind linked them or something because soon the music started back up and they all went about what they were doing before.
The man looked at Rhea and an arrogant smile unfolded from his lips. “Yes, that would be me… So… you’ve heard about me?”
Rhea smiled brightly at him. “Yes! My mother mentioned to me about meeting the cutest little boy who ended up being the prince of the west dragon kingdom. She said you were also the only other person beside my father who proposed to her.” Rhea giggled and Titus flashed a big toothy smile at her.
“She was my first crush, but I sadly struck out… Maybe I’ll have better luck with the second fairy princess that I’ve met.” Titus winked at her and looked her up and down openly.
Rhea giggled and extended her hand to him. “Nice to meet you.”
Titus looked at her hand and then frowned. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Hurt me?” Rhea looked at her hand and then back to him.
“I have a strong aura. My touch burns people… it even burns other dragons who are not at least a tier one dragon. Your mother was the only other one who I didn’t burn.” Titus smiled at her weakly. He didn’t want to injure her and knew it was likely that her would. Only upper tiered dragons were able to touch him. He had gotten used to this... having been this way since birth.
“Rhea…” Kelsie said in a warning tone. She knew her friend too well.
Rhea smiled, looked at her hand and then looked back at Titus. Well, if her mother could touch him then maybe she could too. All it takes is one second of courage… besides what is the worst that could happen? She just gets a bit burned, right? She took in a deep breath and stepped closer to Titus. She noticed his eyes widen a bit as she reached her hand out to him.
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Disclaimer: This book is copyrighted and is exclusively available on Dreame and Stary Writing platforms.
- Writer
