Chapter 19: CHAPTER NINETEEN

The disgusting-smelling human was back!

The dragon felt his rage spill over as he fought the humans after what exactly? Him? His eggs? He didn't know, and he didn't care. He just wanted them to leave.

He roared at them, but they didn't back down. For each one he killed, more popped out.

Leave. Us. Alone!

The disgusting-smelling human must have had some mixed blood to have been able to track them down in this weather. Even the dragon was having some difficulty navigating the storm.

The woman was somewhere behind him with the eggs. Were they safe? It couldn't turn to look as it was busy with the humans in front of it.

The scene overlapped with one of the dragon's deeply buried memories. No! It wouldn't be like that time! I will protect my own! It thought as it tore the humans apart, releasing flames to incinerate them.

The weather reduced the intensity of its flames, but it was enough to do damage. The humans seemed to have gotten better weapons this time. They were able to cut through his scales and hurt it.

It kicked one of the humans away and clawed at the ones before him. He was so engrossed in them that he didn't notice the change in the air until it was too late.

It turned just as the disgusting human shot a spell at it.

It roared as the spell hit.

Pain.

Pain unlike any the great beast had ever felt washed over it. What was this?! It roared as it fell, thrashing around in the mud. It was a dragon; it couldn't get burnt, but if it were to describe what it felt, it would liken it to the feeling of being burnt alive.

Molten heat crawled up and inside its body, the runes! It realized, causing it to thrash about, trying to dislodge them.

It didn't work.

Not even the icy rain could douse the flames crawling all over its body.

Then its bones broke, flesh tore, and body rearranged forcefully. It roared, thrashing harder. What sorcery was this? To harm a dragon this severely

It could hear the woman's screams in the back of its mind. What was wrong with her? Where was the disgusting human?

It managed to focus and noticed a human running off with something. Its eyes widened as it realized it was the woman's strange holder.

It roared, eyes widening in realization. The one with the eggs! It stumbled to its feet and tried to chase after the human, but a wave of pain and dizziness caused it to fall again.

No, no, no, not again! It thought as it struggled on the ground, feeling its body grow weaker.

There was a strange light at the back of its eyelids. It could hear the woman's cries in the background. Why? It asked as its consciousness faded. Why were humans so evil?

***********

Gradually, his consciousness returned. He could hear noises but couldn't open his eyes. His body still pulsed with pain. The noises slowly became clearer, and he realized someone was there! He grabbed their hand and opened his eyes. Pale hair and pale skin swam in his vision, and he couldn't see again.

Not the woman. Why did he have the woman's scent? Where is she? Where are the eggs? His fangs sharpened as he dragged the male figure—an elf?—closer. He couldn't tell; everything was a blur.

Someone tried to attack him, more humans! He thought as he swiped at the attacker; the noise he heard afterwards made him nod, and the attacker wouldn't be getting back up.

The elf in his hand cried out something and struggled harder. He didn't care. He just needed to get away from here, find the woman and his eggs and leave!

Where were they? Why would no one answer me?! He snarled.

A noise caught his attention, and he turned. There! The woman! he thought, throwing the elf aside. He marched over to her, stumbling slightly as the ground seemed to move beneath his feet. His vision flickered, giving him short, blurred glimpses of the woman.

She didn't seem too hurt. She raised her hand and said something. What? What do you want? He thought, confused.

His body ached, and he stumbled and looked down at his feet. Feet? Why were his feet so small? What was he doing again? His head hurt.

The woman repeated something, and he blinked at her. Her hair was different from the elf's. Darker, less plain. He touched it, frowning at the way it felt in this form. He stared at his hand. Wait, why was he in this form? What was going on?

He looked at the woman's hand again. Was she real? Was this an effect of the disgusting human's spell? He hated mages. He pulled the woman close and sniffed her scent. He needed to know she was real and not a part of his hallucinations. He growled as he caught the scents of the elves on her. Why would their scents be on her? He rubbed against her, trying to get their scent off.

Her scent changed to something more sharp, and he frowned. What was wrong with her now? He tensed when he noticed more creatures by the door, more elves. Were they in an elven forest?

Mine! He glared at the elves by the door as he pulled the woman closer. She was saying something, but he couldn't hear anything over the noise of his heart pounding.

He hated this feeling, this vulnerability. It made his skin itch. He backed the woman into a corner. They would need to fight their way out. He needed a clear view of the space. He shook his head as spots danced in front of his eyes. Not now! He needed to focus!

The elves kept increasing. Why? What did they want?

The elf said something and then turned away from him. The dragon paused. Why would one turn their back to an opponent? Was he underestimating me? Because of this form? The woman grabbed his hand, and he turned to her; what now? They had to get away from here.

He felt the familiar charge of a spell and tried to turn again, but the woman called him. He snarled at her. Was she working with the elves? Was she finally showing her true colours?

He knew the moment the spell hit. This time, though, his body didn't catch fire. Instead, it felt like he was thrown into an ice lake. His body went limp, and he sighed as he collapsed against the woman.

This would not be forgiven, he thought as his eyelids fluttered close. Was she always this soft?

Her familiar scent and the spell lulled him back to sleep.

**********

The dragon's instincts surged in his haze, driving him to run after the human clutching the satchel holding his precious eggs. They would not escape, not with his eggs! His hand shot out again, fingers curling around what he expected to be the thief's wrist, only to freeze as his gaze fell upon his hand.

His hand... was human. Panic surged through him, and he reeled back, disoriented and confused.

Why?

Confusion knitted his brows as his vision cleared. Blinking rapidly, he looked around the unfamiliar room. Where was he? What had happened? Slowly, his eyes narrowed as he realized something had gone wrong.

His attention snapped to a noise beside him, and he turned his head to find that the hand he had grabbed in his daze was that of the woman; she stared at him with surprise and concern.

"You're awake," she breathed, relaxing into the chair.

The dragon frowned, his mind a mess as he tried to piece together his scattered memories. The woman looked pale and tired with bandages on her head and dark circles under her eyes. It seemed she had been sleeping on the chair. He tried to speak, but all that came out was a raspy cough that increased the ache in his body.

"Wait," she said softly, gently pulling her hand away from his grasp. "Just hold on." He watched as she rushed out of the room.

Where was this place? Why can't I change back? What of the disgusting-smelling human? He frowned as he struggled through the haze in his mind.

Before he could gather his thoughts, the woman rushed back into the room with a cup of water, holding it to his lips but he pushed it away, determined to regain control.

With a groan, he attempted to sit up, his muscles protesting against the effort. The woman's firm hand pressed against his chest, urging him back onto the bed. He glared, trying to fight against it. Why was the woman even able to push him? Her eyes narrowed in frustration as she scolded him, "What are you doing? You need to take this and lie down." she held out the cup, "Your body is still weak," she sounded exasperated.

They both glared at each other, tension crackling between them as they silently challenged each other.

How dare this woman? Does she think less of me in this form?

"I am not weak," he growled hoarsely, but his protest was cut short by another coughing fit, his chest heaving with the strain.

"Sure, whatever you say," she muttered under her breath.

Reluctantly, the dragon accepted the water, his pride bruising at the feeling of vulnerability that came with this body.

As he drank, he observed his surroundings. His senses had dulled considerably but were still sharper than humans. The room was small, with a small cot, a table on the side, the chair the woman was sitting on and only one door.

That might be a problem, he thought as he looked around for other escape routes.

His eyes fell on the bed he was lying on; the coarse sheets carried the woman's scent. He shook his head slightly. It was distracting. Was this her bed and the reason she had been asleep on the chair? Again, why were they here?

Handing back the empty cup, the dragon's gaze narrowed as he studied the woman. He couldn't help but notice the lingering scent of elves mingled with the woman's own. He frowned. Why were their scents so heavy on her? It also hung in the air, faint but unmistakable.

He frowned, his suspicions stirring. Why would the woman's scent be tainted with that of the elves? Was it because they were in the elf's space? And why was it making him angry?

He blinked as he noted the faint dampness of her scent, a subtle hint of guilt mixed with the medicinal herbs and her natural scent.

What was she hiding?

"Where are we?" he demanded, his voice rough and low. "And what of my eggs?"

The woman remained silent, her head bowed, as she fidgeted nervously, refusing to meet his gaze. Her scent grew heavier. Irritation flickered in the dragon's eyes as he repeated his questions.

"What is it? Where are the eggs?" he asked, pushing himself up. His patience was wearing thin. The human disappearing into the teleportation circle with the holder must have been a part of his fevered dream. There was no way those fiends could have his eggs.

"Answer me!" he snarled, eyes glowing.

Before she could respond, the door creaked open, and an elf stepped into the room.

The dragon's muscles tensed, his instincts urging him to act. He grabbed the woman, pulling her close. She yelped as she tumbled into the bed. The cup fell from her hand, clattering to the ground.

He ignored how his instincts had him protecting the woman as he positioned himself between her and the newcomer.

He snarled at the elf, golden eyes glowing with challenge, daring the elf to make a move. He might be in this form, but that didn't make him any less a dragon.

The elf froze in the doorway, a flicker of surprise crossing his features.

His gaze darted between the dragon and the woman, assessing the situation cautiously.

Every aching muscle in the dragon's body tensed, ready to spring. He was tired and stressed in an unfamiliar place, all foreign feelings he didn't like.

He would get his answers one way or another.

His claws were no longer claws, his fingers flexed involuntarily, and his muscles curled ready. Just before he lunged at the elf, the woman grabbed him from behind.

"Wait! Wait! He's an ally!" she shouted, holding his hand.

What? An ally for what? He frowned, turning to look at her.

"What are you doing?" he asked, confused.

"Stopping you from hurting yourself, obviously." She rolled her eyes. "Plus, as I said, he's on our side." She held his hand.

"Hurting myself?" he scoffed, "I need to leave this place and find out what is going on; I do not have time for your games, woman!" he glared.

"Yara," the woman glared back. The dragon blinked.

What was that supposed to mean?

"My name is Yara, not woman, not human, Yara. Remember it," she said, poking his chest with each word.

The dragon stared at her hand, confused. Why would I need to know your name? All beings were the same to him. Insignificant before his might. Why would she think she was different?

"...I just know that's what you call me in your mind!" she continued to rant.

"What gave you the idea that you were ever on my mind?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

He would have to admit that it was a bit amusing watching her sputter in shock. "You...you!..."

Plus, dragons considered names sacred; they didn't just throw them around for others to hear and use.

The two of them continued to bicker; the dragon sighed. The woman was exhausting sometimes; why did she have to nag so much?

He wanted to cover his ears, but that would be unsightly for a noble being as himself.

They completely forgot the reason for their argument in the first place.

"Excuse me?" the elf in question began and flinched as they both turned to glare at him. "Umm, I need to check on your injuries and give you an update..." he trailed off.

"I do not need your help," the dragon spat, moving to stand. The room spun around him, and his legs gave out, making him crash back into the bed.

The woman made a noise as she tried to catch him. "You have a weird way of showing that," she grumbled from beneath him, then she began to wriggle, trying to push him off. "Get off me, you're crushing me."

The elf rushed in, dropping the tray on the table before making his way to the bed. He stopped in front of the dragon, hovering worriedly.

"Please, let me assist you," he said gently, waiting for permission.

The dragon glared at him, eyes narrowed. While he was embarrassed by the situation, he understood he wasn't in top form. The faster he healed the faster he could walk away from here.

As the elf worked, the dragon's thoughts began to clear slightly, allowing him to focus on the task at hand. His body still ached with every movement, but the pain was becoming more manageable, thanks to the elf's ministrations.

"There, that's better!" The elf announced as he closed off the bandage around his chest. "Your injuries are healing fast, not as fast as they should but better than expected," the elf looked at the dragon and then at Yara.

The dragon flexed his fingers, checking his mobility. " So where are the eggs? Should you have them out of your sight?" he asked calmly.

"You haven't told him?" The elf asked.

"Haven't told me what?" the dragon stared at them. "No Orym, he just woke up," she said.

The dragon growled, "Speak," he commanded, "where is this place and where are my eggs?"

"This is a safe spot for the resistance, we have many scattered around the empire" Orym began, he sat back, wondering how to break the news to the dragon.

He looked at the dragon and paled under his intense stare. Then he turned to Yara, asking for help with his eyes. She was looking at the dragon with a worried frown so their eye didn't meet.

'Damn, I guess I'm alone in this,' he thought, feeling the dread pile up. the dragon won't attack him, right?

"Well?!" the dragon's growl jolted him out of his thoughts.

" Well, the eggs are currently not here," Orym said slowly.

"Yes, I can see that," the dragon waved him to continue, Orym took a deep breath, 'Please protect me great tree,' he prayed then rushed out, "The eggs are gone!"

The room fell into silence...