“Okay then, tonight. But what about when the dragon gets back? Wouldn’t he guard you heavily during the night?”
She grinned. “Yeah, but he’s a heavy sleeper. He needs his rest too.” She quickly grabbed the pot that the dragon ate from and brought it over to the side of the room. “Now, I think it might be best if you could teach me a little more about the outside world.”
He nodded, and the two continued to talk. The hours passed on by, and the fact of the matter is that he began to enjoy the conversations he had with this girl. She, despite being trapped all the years, knew a lot of the outside world, which he guessed she got from the roaming dragon. But at the same time, she had a lot of questions, and they weren’t questions that normal people would ask.
She was surely intellectual for someone who was trapped there for so long. He couldn’t imagine it.
Of course, when they weren’t chatting, they already thought up of an elaborate plan, as the girl began to talk about the dragon’s habits when he returned from wherever he was. She always made sure that she kept track of the dragon, possibly because she thought up of the days when she was trying to escape by herself.
Time has passed and the girl noticed how long the dragon was taking to return. Usually he would come back at least every hour of the day, but the gap felt so long.
“Maybe we should escape now,” he said to her, but she wanted to wait.
“I know that you’re not the patient type, but please bear with me. I really need to figure this one out. Why isn’t he here? Where could he be?”
“You probably miscalculated. I mean, a dragon should come back here instinctually, right?”
She glared at him. “Look, I know that he follows a routine. I’ve seen him come and go plenty of times. I kept track of everything. I don’t understand, why isn’t he here?” She turned away from him. “I think we really need to think this one through. I don’t know what may happen.”
“If you’re afraid all the time, then we should’ve gone earlier,” Ignei pointed out.
She teared up. “I’m sorry, but this never happens! I mean, I always thought that he left at this time, and that he always came back to carefully guard me. Why?” she collapsed to the ground. “Maybe this is stupid. Maybe I shouldn’t do this after all.”
That’s right, another voice said in a smug manner. You shouldn’t.
The girl’s eyes widened as she pulled Ignei close to her body. “You-you’re back,” she said quickly.
How is it that now Ignei was able to understand him? It didn’t make sense in the slightest.
I have been for a while now, the dragon replied with a sneer, a small puff of smoke emitting from his nostrils. You looked suspicious when you filled your stew to the brim. You usually wouldn’t do that. And you wouldn’t let me finish your leftovers, which was strange because you always let me do so.
This dragon was strangely smart. Then again, Ignei did remember that these dragons were cunning and actually calculative.
And so of course I had to see what you were up to, so while you didn’t notice and began chatting with him, I was watching closely, listening to him and all the lies he spewed out. The dragon glared at Ignei, its lizard like purple eyes getting to him. He won’t be able to help you out there, no one will. You’re safe right here, okay?
The girl slowly nodded. “Of course,” she said slowly, her voice shaking and her body trembling. “I won’t think much else of it.”
Ignei couldn’t believe his eyes. This creature was keeping her here, captive basically. All she wanted to do was break free, and she couldn’t even be able to stand up to him.
“No,” the boy said, bringing the girl close. “She’s not.” He brought out his dagger out of his pocket. “You’re going to stay away from her and stay away from me. She’s coming with me.”
The dragon’s head tilted a bit, as if a little amused at the boy’s accusations. Hmm? And what? You will never survive out her in the forest. That girl is special. She can attract any living creature to her. If she goes out there, then who know what the other things might do to her.
Ignei never remembered that.
Ah yes, you totally did not know? She’s a Cursed being, one that had a spell cast on her when she was born. Even if she were to escape out there, she wouldn’t be safe.
The girl in his arms cried at the prospect of that happening to her.
That is why I am here. I’m keeping her safe, you wretched fool and if you think you can take her from me, then think again. You will never escape here alive. I will not allow it.
Man, for a dragon, he sure speaks a lot. But what was this about these Cursed?
“Stop it, can’t you see that she is afraid? She is afraid of you, the one that she calls a friend. Now, if you’ll excuse me,” He took a step towards the door of her room, “we’ll be leaving.” He opened the door and holding the girl, he fled down the stairs. Ignei could hear the dragon roar outside and then a smash of the room.
He brought his sack of supplies, right?
Ah yes, he did. He never removed it from his body. “Go! Go!” he said quickly to the tiny captive as the two of them began to run down the stairs for their life, trying to make it before the time ends. Ignei felt a strong tingling within him, but he tried his best to ignore it.
The dragon roared again and there wasn’t blast of heat. The girl screamed as she saw a big dragon eye poking out of the stairs above.
“Boy!” she cried. “You better know what you’re doing!”
Ignei had to make this one quick. He had to escape with this girl, and he would do so whether the dragon liked it or not.
But running through the stairs wouldn’t help them, as the dragon’s head decreased the distance slowly. It was gaining up on them.
“Will you trust me?” he asked her. She quickly replied with a small hum and he grabbed her waist. “Hold on tightly,” he said slowly. “This might get a little bumpy.”
He jumped off the slippery stairs, and taking the girl with him, plunged down towards the bottom of the tower. The girl’s eyes widened at the decreasing distance between them and ultimate death. Then she closed her eyes and tried not to think about it.
Instead she prayed that everything will soon be over.
It was an instant. One moment they were free falling, and the next, they weren’t. Somehow, Ignei felt something radiating from the palm of his hands, and he knew then that this would be a special day indeed.
They were floating somehow.
Ignei looked at his body as a strange glow of light permeated the air. They descended at a quick pace, making sure that the two would reach it to the bottom before the dragon would catch them.
“The door!” he cried out before feeling another heat wave. They reached the ground and began to run towards the door when the dragon roared again and a big burst of fire was in front of them.
How dare you try to steal her from me! How dare you put all these ideas in her head that she might actually be able to escape! The dragon roared. The tower was collapsing. How dare you!
Ignei had to get out of there quickly if he didn’t want to die right now and become squash. He grabbed the dagger and stabbed the dragon. Strangely enough, the dagger had managed to pierce through it, and the dragon cried out in agony.
The boy then ran towards the door and using the last bit of his power, busted the wall. He took the hand of the girl and they both ran out of the collapsing tower, the dragon trapped inside it.
She was speechless at how such a strong thing that kept her captive for so long was now completely destroyed. She cried bitterly.
He might’ve slayed the dragon, but she mourned over the loss of her only friend. Ignei understood this, and gave her a shoulder to cry on. But he knew that they needed to move on.
“Come on princess,” he said to her.
“Wait,” she told him. “I still never got your name. Mine is Mira. If we’re going to be partners, then we need to at least know each other’s names.”
He chuckled. “It’s Ignei.”
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