Rowan → Ethan Nakamura ✔

Faces

The dragon huffed, lowering his gleaming white head onto the pier. Water slicked over his scales, pooling onto the stone tiles like an open tap. Billie raised a hand, patting the side of his head.

"You're so cute!" She gushed. "Thank you for saving us!"

"Billie," Rowan scolded. "He's a king, not a dog."

Ethan wrapped an arm around her waist. "Are you okay?"

"My jacket's dirty," Rowan said, dusting off flecks of mud from the flowerbeds. "Other than that, I'm fine."

"What's your name, honey?" Billie continued. The dragon blinked lazily, relishing Billie's pets. He looked at Rowan expectantly, and she answered on his behalf.

"His name is Ao Run, one of the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas."

"One of the Dragon Kings?" Will turned to Rowan. "I thought there was only one."

"Like Ethan said – multiple personality disorder," Rowan reminded him. "The Dragon King is the god of weather and water. He can take the form of four dragons, each ruling one of four seas. Ao Run rules the West; seeing as he was closest, he was the one sent to defend his domain from Nezha."

Ao Run grunted for confirmation. Billie was making flowers bloom in his beard, pink lilies dotted about the strands of seaweed.

"You're a good boy," Billie said, as if she were speaking to a newborn puppy. "You'll help us get to Singapore, won't you?"

Nico snorted. "He won't if you keep talking to him like that."

"I don't think he minds," Will said. He stepped forward and began stroking Ao Run's scales on the other side of his head. Ao Run exhaled, hot breath spraying mist into the air.

"Ao Run might help us, but the other Dragon Kings might not." Rowan said cautiously. "They will have to deliberate first."

Ao Run grunted again, the same tone showing confirmation. Then he opened his mouth, the inside pearly white, a silver tongue resting on the bottom. His fangs flashed in the sun that now hung in the sky and no longer moved. Rowan thought he was yawning, but his jaws remained open.

"What's he doing?" Will asked, peering into Ao Run's mouth.

"I think..." Rowan hesitated. "I think he wants us to go in."

"So he wants to eat us." Nico's eyes narrowed. His hand brushed the handle of his sword. Rowan immediately flashed him a warning look.

"No," She said firmly. "If he wanted to eat us, he would have snapped us up right after getting rid of Nezha. Nobody, no matter how faithful to the gods, would willingly stroll into the mouth of a dragon."

"Maybe he's hoping we're stupid enough to do just that."

"What if he wants to take us somewhere?" Will suggested. "Like a dragon-subway."

At that, Ao Run tilted his head upwards before returning it parallel the floor of the pier. A nod.

"You're sure about this?" Ethan asked Rowan.

"No, but we can't exactly turn down the ruler of the West Sea."

Rowan carefully stepped over Ao Run's bottom teeth, which she was sure would draw blood at the slightest touch. Her military boots were thick enough that she didn't feel the soft, squishy texture, but Rowan saw the indent her weight made in the dragon's tongue.

Ethan, unwilling to let go of her, was dragged along. He grimaced as he felt the dragon's moist, fishy breath on his neck.

"What's the dragon equivalent of a breath mint?" He muttered to Rowan.