COBALT: The Red Phantom (Book One)

Chapter 9: The Phantom of the Rock (Part 1/3)

          The rock happily consented to his request, and went as high as it could, before denting the ceiling and dropping to the ground in front of the dragon. It sniffed the rock, then looked up at Káel with narrowed eyes.

          Despite his shared confusion, Káel took up a cocky smile as he relished in the small dragon's face. "Go on."

          The dragon scoffed out a puff of grey smoke, scooping the rock in between its jaws, and whipping its head up so the rock went flying at the ceiling. The dragon then gave Káel the best imitation of his smile as it could, and pushed the rock at him with one of its paws.

          "Cheater," Káel scoffed, scooping the rock off the ground to look at it.

          "Careful with that please," a voice cooed.

          Káel and the dragon simultaneously whipped their heads to the sound of the voice, and upon seeing someone standing there the dragon jumped with shock onto Káel's bed and burrowed underneath one of his pillows. Meanwhile, Káel gripped the rock and poised to chuck it, his pale face and fear twisted mouth screaming anything but intimidating.

          It was a man, which would have been enough to give Káel a heart attack. But the stranger had gone overboard on the spook spectrum hiding in a full-faced plain white mask with an unnaturally long smile curving from cheek to cheek, and narrow crescents for eye-holes. He was also wearing a tight crimson trench coat, and a matching broad brimmed hat with a long purple feather drooping over the left side. 

          Káel couldn't see any visible weapons, but his sudden appearance and out of place dress code kept him on his toes. Not to mention, the only skin showing was parts of his ears peeking through his hair, and his neck, both of which were unnaturally pale.

          The person quickly raised his empty hands and backed away. "Woah! Let's all just calm down a bit!" he blurted, his head slowly tilting as he dropped his arms in disappointment. "Who are you anyways?"

          "Who am I?" Káel stuttered, almost answering the question before thinking twice. "Screw that! Who the hell are you and why are you in my room?!"

          "English huh? That's a strange language," the man said, throwing off the thread of conversation while he adjusted his gloves and hat. He turned his head to Káel who was still ready to chuck the stone at him. "Relax, you called."

          The dragon popped its head out from under the pillow and snarled, while Káel slowly dropped his arm in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

          He pointed at the rock in Káel's hand. "You summoned me..." He turned to the small dragon, his voice a mocking sneer. "Or was it your pet?"

          The dragon shot out from its dark sanctuary, the hairs on its back puffing up as its ferocious hisses clogged up with spit and hoarse growls. Káel shuffled away from the enraged creature, holding up his blanket as a poor defense while he shot the man cautious glances.

          "Ah yes, I almost forgot," the man taunted. "You can understand every. Tinsy. Little. Thing. I. Say." He bent down and pushed his face at the dragon until it cowered back into the pillows, ignoring Káel who had pulled the covers up to hide his shoulders like a bewildered child. "Too bad you can't talk back kitten."

          "P-please don't hurt him." Káel's voice was barely a mutter as he tried to swallow his stutter, blurting out the rest of his sentence in stricken panic as the man turned his head. "He's not my pet, I'm just taking care of him."

          The man got up and did a quick stretch. "Relax! I couldn't hurt him or you even if I wanted to." He stuck both his hands in the nearest wall and wiggled them. "See? I can't physically touch anything. You summoned me, you didn't release me, my physical form is still in there." He motioned towards the rock. "So please be careful with it."