Fiery Bonds

Chapter 16

Panic.

Fear.

Loneliness.

That is all Kira could feel after running from the guards. Her chest heaved and her limbs ached from all of the running. Sasha had remained silent the entire time. Not a single word was uttered between the two until they gained some distance from the Imperial Troops. With a small fire made, Kira settled down for the night.

"I wonder what happened to everyone..." Kira muttered setting some more wood onto the fire. She pulled a small log over close to the fire to sit on. Sasha appeared on her shoulder with a grim look on her face.

"Those humans...they..." Kira silenced Sasha with her finger pressed to her mouth.

"Don't finish that sentence..." Kira's gaze became lost in the fire, her thoughts were a torrent of chaos. "I never asked for this..." She stood up and set Sasha onto the log. The tiny dragon peered up at her. "I never asked to be with dragons, I never asked to be a princess, I never asked for my life to be ruined!" She kicked a branch into the fire angrily. Sasha jumped back to avoid the sparks from the fire hitting her. "Stupid Dark! Stupid dragons! I hate them all!" She sat down on the ground with tears trickling down her cheeks. Sasha climbed down from the log and over to Kira.

"Kir....."

"Go away Sasha!" Kira snapped glaring back at Sasha. The tiny dragon rolled her eyes and climbed up Kira's back to her shoulders.

"You need rest. Your father-"

"I want nothing to do with my father. He is better off dead to me." She turned her head away. 

"You're acting like a child! Right now is not the time to be contemplating on such nonsense! Silver is dead and there is nothing that is going to bring her back!" 

The area grew quiet. Even the nighttime critters had hushed after the outburst. Kira looked at Sasha teary-eyed. She reached up and stroked the tiny dragon's face. Sasha nuzzled into her hand for a moment before Kira let her hand drop back to her side. A pained expression haunted her eyes. 

"I'm tired of war and death...Everyone expected me to make things better but now...." Kira brushed some of her hair out of her face. The silence of the night was broken by a crackling laugh. Kira shot up onto her feet with Sasha clinging to her clothing. Their eyes darted over the darkened forest trying to find the source to the sound.

"Relax lass, or should I call you princess?" A snarky voice spoke up.

"Dobius?" Kira called out hesitantly. The tall, lanky sorcerer melted out from the shadows grinning like a fool. His sandy blonde hair had leaves in it and his tunic appeared to be all ripped up. His pants were coated in mud and blood. Kira held back the urge to vomit when the stench of blood washed over her. Sasha disappeared back into her tattoo form on Kira grumbling something about Dobius that Kira couldn't quite catch.

"The one and only. Your knight in shining armor, your wonderful steed to ride, your-" Kira balled her fist up and struck Dobius right in the chin. He recoiled back in shock. The blow sent him stumbling back a few feet until he regained his balanced. "Ah, expected worse but..."

"How dare you think for even one second you can sneak up like that!?" Kira snapped glaring at him. Her arms crossed over her chest and her gaze pierced right through him.

"Relax milady, your father sent me to-"

"Go back to your swamp." Kira stalked past him to douse the fire. "I don't want anything from my father."

"Why such the change in attitude? Your father loves you dearly-"

"Then why didn't he come out to get me? Or send Dark and Thunder eh?"

"Humans aren't as easy to detect like a dragon. You are a special-"

"I don't want to hear it!" Kira started to gather what small things she had on her. Dobius scratched the back of his head awkwardly as he tried to figure out how to approach the situation.

"At least hear me out..." Dobius pled walking over to Kira. He put his hand on her shoulder as she went to swing a small pack onto it. She gave him a harsh look before setting the pack back down. 

"You've got a minute." 

Dobius took a deep breath before he started to explain. "Your father sent me to find you to take you back to the Southern Region. He insisted I keep you as far away from the other king's grasp due to your....uhh...abilities. He wants to rendezvous in the village of-"

"I'm heading east to Karon's lands. The country of Melivous is where I will hide. I want nothing to do with this war." Kira pulled away from Dobius and started walking into the forest.

"It's dangerous to travel at night." Dobius pointed out.

"I don't care." Kira retorted.

"Please Kira-"

"My answer is no." Kira replied sharply. Dobius stepped in front of her to stop her.

"Then let me come with you." Dobius smirked, "A brother needs to watch his little sister." 

"I'm perfectly fine on my own, now go home!" Kira stalked past him trying her best to distance herself from him. Dobius appeared in front of her, his face reddened from anger.

"Yes I'll go home to my burned down swamp and be executed for being a freak of nature! Those guards that attacked our home destroyed everything but I guess it is okay to run away from it like the coward you are." Kira stared him down both at a lost for words and royally angry with him. "No wonder father didn't come get you himself." Those words struck Kira right in the heart. Tears welled back up in her eyes and she pushed past Dobius. Once she was a few yards away, she turned back to him.

"I you want to accompany me to Melvious you can, but I need some time to let things cool down if I even decide I want to go back to the dragons..." Kira called out, her voice cracking a bit.

"They're your home Kira, your family..."

"My family doesn't exist anymore. Now are you coming or not." Kira turned away from him and started on a deeper path into the forest. Dobius shook his head then ran after the stubborn girl.

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From a distance a scout was watching  the two disappear into the forest. A curse under the breath made several critters scatter from the man. He was dressed in black clothes with a mask covering half his face. On his arm was scars from both knife and sword wounds. He put up his scope and extended his arm out

"Those two will fetch a nice price from the king, don't you think Accipiter?" A black hawk landed on the man's arm and screeched out into the night. The man chuckled and let the bird fly off into the sky.