The Dragon's Flame Queen ✔

✔Chapter XVI - Dragons don't run away from a fight

"He's coming!" Demian shouted and Seraphina saw the attacker running towards them, in the nick of the moment she did what she could do and with her left hand she gripped the arrow embedded in her arm and threw it right at the attacker. He swiped his blade and cut the arrow off, having failed she just wrapped her arms around Demian and covered him so that she could at least shield her with his body.

Seraphina waited for the blade to slash through her back but somehow the blow didn't come except came the sound of a grunt and a body falling to the ground. Seraphina slowly untangled herself from Demian who breathed deeply, she saw the shadow of a large man standing before her and her eyesight blurred, the fatigue started growing on her along with the throbbing pain. She looked once at Demian's face with a faint smile on her face knowing that they were saved and saw the concern growing on Demian's face as her body lost her will and her eyelids closed and she slumped on his shoulder.

***

The attack had taken them by surprise, Demian wasn't expecting to be attacker in a crowded market place of all places. Regardless of that, this was his first time going to the town and seeing the commoner folk going about their work. It seemed a little annoying when at first Seraphina had started acquainting with the children who were dressed so poorly. They laughed and played with her while he stood aside and watched her despite her multiple calls. She thought he'd 'play' with some village kids? Sure, she must be delirious.

He watched them and felt their laughter echoing in his chest, suddenly he saw Seraphina whispering to the children and they laughed loudly before they all ran straight to him. He watched them with slightly worried eyes as they all gathered around him and gripped his arms and started dragging him towards Seraphina who stood smiling.

"What the devil are you doing? Let go of me!" He shouted as he tried to pull his hands off from their clutches, "Let go! Do you even know who I am?"

His threats seemed useless as the kids laughed, they weren't much taller but their numbers made him get dragged, "It's okay, Danny! We know you are shy that's why you don't want to play." One of the girls with two pigtails said and his jaw fell. Shy? And wait, Danny?

"What are you-"

"Sera told us everything, now you won't be lonely. We'll be your friends along with her." Another boy who seemed to have a snotty nose grinned and Demain felt as if his head would explode.

"Lonely? What are you-"

"It's okay, Danny. You can be our friend, you can even have the apple pie that Thea's mother makes." Another boy said.

"Sure!" The pigtailed girl from earlier squealed in glee and till then, they had successfully brought Demian to Seraphina.

"Welcome." She smiled almost smugly and Demian scowled at her.

"Come on, Danny. Play with us." The kids insisted and Demian eyed them all. They all were grinning and seemed genuinely willing to accept him. It was the first time that he had seen such expressions, he was used to the smug, mocking, disgusted, terrified faces of people around him, even pitiful faces which had made him always think that the people around him only hated him and coped up with him just because he was a dragon prince. But here, these kids had no such obligation, they didn't know who he was and that's why he was seeing such pure expressions which touched his heart. This was the first time he was feeling the kindness and not pity.

"Fine, I'll play." He said as his eyes found Seraphina's and she smiled radiantly.

For the first time in his life Demian had found himself chased by the laughing and shouting kids. He chased behind the kids who easily evaded him and he was surprised to find such swift and lithe children living in this place. The playing session was so, amazing that Demian momentarily forgot that he was a Dragon Prince, he forgot about his curse and even the thought that these were the commoner kids who were chasing after him and grabbing and jumping on him.