The Second Salamander

58) Meanwhile...

Kameel

"I can only guess my brother's at Lucy's place, so if you need a place to stay, my couch is always free..." I offered, rubbing the back of my neck as a slight dusting of pink danced across my face.

"O-oh no! I couldn't possibly trouble you.." Jack stated, holding his hands up.

"Nonsense! It's the least I can do! Just think of it as a way to make up for the fire balls." I insisted.

"I deserved that.." I put my hands on my hips and pouted. His grass green eyes widened as he looked at me. "No! Don't do that! I can't..."

I put a finger on his lips, shutting him up as well as making him turn a bright red that could put Erza's hair to shame. A smirk slid it's way across my mouth as I saw him struggling to comprehend what was happening.

"I'm sorry to say, but I'm not gonna take no for an answer. I'm afraid you don't have a choice anymore! And I think we're both aware that you really don't want to say no." He gulped, a sheet of nervous sweat coating his beet red face. I took my finger away, deciding against torturing the poor guy any furthur, and started walking again, leaving a baffled Jack scrambling to catch up. I chuckled as he cleared his throat and walked beside me, shoulders stiff, his fists clenched, shooting ocasional glances my direction.

"Oh, c'mon! Don't start that!" I groaned. "Just relax!" I advised, ducking underneath his arm and hooking my hand onto his shoulder.

"U-uhm... it-it's kinda hard to relax when you p-put me in a situation l-like this!" He stuttered. I groaned again, rolling my eyes and stepped away. I blinked when he stepped with me. I looked up at him, furrowing my brows in confusion. "B-but.. I-I guess I won't learn if I don't try..." He looked down at me out of the corner of his eye and grinned.

I smiled and giggled as I shook him reassuringly. "That's the spirit!" I cheered.

We continued walking together, chatting about random things and laughing. By the time we reached my house, the sun was setting. I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and looked to the sky, gasping with an idea.

"Jack! Follow me!!" I grabbed his wrist and dashed inside, pulling him all the way to the ladder to the roof. "Hurry! We can't miss this!!" I let go of him and jumped onto the ladder, grabbing the bars and practically running up as fast as I could.

I slammed the trap door open and leaped out, turning back and looking down into the house. "Hurry up, slow poke! UGH, you are sooo sloooow!!" I groaned, pacing around the open hatch.

"Uhm, excuse me for questioning your sanity as you drag me through your house and order me to climb a suspicious ladder," He chuckled as he popped his head through. I tapped my toe impatiently as I watched him hoist himself up and close the hatch.
---------------------------------------------------
Jack

I dusted my hands off and turned back to her, raising my eyebrow, asking for an explination. "So, what did you want to show me?" I instently regreted asking when a devilish grin spread across her face.

She blinked, and when she looked back to me, her eyes were thin slits, completely dragon like.

"This!"

Before I knew what was going on, two strong, slender arms wrapped around me, and I was fifty feet off the ground in a split second. The grip of the person holding onto me loosened, sending a wave of panic coursing through me. As if that wasn't bad enough, the next moment I was flipping through the air, a flash if dark red flying circles around me as I free fell.

I was too shocked to scream, and my voice wasn't really cooperating right now anyway. I just fell soundlessly, my t-shirt flapping in the crazy wind.

The next thing I knew, something firm and strong wrapped around me, the loud slap of giant wings filling my ears. I squinted against the harsh wind, trying to see what kind of creature was holding me captive.

"I hope you're not afraid of heights!!"

I was thrown again as the creature jerked to a stop, the thing around my waist whipping me up and into the air. As I flew up, the red flash appeared in front of me, catching me on a flat sheet of yellow. I blinked, grasping onto the thing underneath me and gasping for air.

"You okay up there, Jack?"

I looked and found a pair of amber eyes peering at me behind a sheet of brown hair.

"K-Kameel?" I wheezed. "Is... is that you?!" She smiled and nodded.

"But that can wait! You can't miss this!" She shouted and pointed forward. I looked up and squinted, being blinded by the sun.

"I can't see it!"

She was silent for a moment, then something sharp poked the palm of my hand. I yelped, pulling my hand away to see two scales sticking out of her back.

"Scales?!"

"I told you, I'll explain later! Just take them and put them over your eyelids! That will help!"

"Won't that hurt you?"

"Just do it!"

I sighed and pinched the scales between my fingers, tugging them slightly. I hesitated when I felt the scales around the two tense.

"Harder! You gotta pull them out!"

"Okay!" I winced, pinched the scales and pulled. I heard Kameel suck in a breath, and my brows pulled together in concern. "It did hurt you!"

"It's okay! Now just put the scales over your eyelids and you'll see what I want to show you!"

I sighed, making a mental note to ask her about it later, and did what she told me.

The moment the scales touched my skin, they disappeared, fusing into the eyelids. I opened my eyes wide in shock, then nearly fell off Kameel at what I saw.

It was the most beautiful sunset I had ever seen!