Diamond in the Rough

Dragons Part 17

(Ivory)

Heat surrounded us as Arden threw his body over mine.  A roar followed the spew of fire, and he quickly released me.  The trees and grass sizzled, turning black.  I turned to him, drawing my daggers.  

"Stay here, and do not move," I ordered, glancing over the boulder.

"But I can help," Arden insisted bravely.

"No, you will only be in my way.  I've trained for this, Arden, I'll be fine," I jumped up and crept around to get behind the scaly dragon.  It was covered in iridescent blue and gold scales that glimmered in the moonlight.  

"Ivory!" it roared my name, orange eyes glowing.  It's ginormous teeth looked very sharp from my view behind a tree, and I pressed my back into the bark.  "The new king wishes for you, and I am commanded to bring you to him."

"Only if you can catch me, death-breath," I yelled, already running behind the dragon.  I try to sink my blade into his back haunch, but his hard scales block it.  It turns to me, claws long and neck lowered.

"Your pitiful blades cannot hurt me, Seeker," it roars, fire leaping for me.  I turn and dive behind a poor tree, which gets fried.  Now, I just have to figure out it's weak spot while staying alive.  "Think Ivory think!" I shout as fold into myself as a blast of heat surrounds me.

"Ivory!" Arden waves his hands, coming out of the place where I had just told him to stay.  "It's weak spot is its belly!"  

While he had been yelling, he had distracted the dragon, who turned to him.  I creep and slide under the beast, wrinkling my nose.  FYI, it smells like rotten eggs under a dragon.  I army crawl until I am directly under the heart of the beast.  I plunge my dagger into it's heart and it roars in pain.  I drag myself to get out from under it before the dragon can collapse on me.  My hand clutches the grass, and a strong hand seizes mine, yanking me out from under it.  I tumble onto Arden's chest and just lay there, stunned.  His chest rises and falls rapidly, his heartbeat in my ear.  His hands encircle my waist as I roll off him and land in the grass next to him, breathing hard.  

"Well, you are still both alive.  Congratulations, now get up," Leo's sleek black body appeared above us on a tree limb.  "It appears things have worsened in Forever.  We must get there immediately."  He leaped down, staring at us.

We both scramble to our feet.  

"What are you talking about?" I asked, brushing grass from my blonde hair.

"Forever has fallen to the barrier walls around King Magnum's castle.  He is weakening, very quickly," Leo almost looked sad for me as he walked off onto another path.  

"It's okay, Ivory," Arden squeezed my arm.  "We will get there in time to save your kingdom."  He smiled gently and followed the cat.  

I had no choice but to continue, even if I feel like like someone had just tased me and I couldn't move.  But I did because I couldn't lose Forever.  Not now, not ever.   I jog around Arden to pull up beside Leo.  "Where are we going now?" I asked, brushing a mosquito off of my shoulder.

"I have to change our course, which means we are headed through dangerous territory," Leo flicked his tail.

I clench my jaw tightly, "What kind of dangerous territory?"

"Will it help if I say I know someone?" Leo asked.

"No, now spit it out furball," I placed my pale hands on the hilt of my twin daggers.

"It's called or referred to as a Sailor's Death-row," he spoke evenly.

I stumble to a halt and Arden bumps into me.  "You want to take a human through there?  A place where sirens lure people to their deaths!"

"Wait, what?" Arden looked frightened, sharply glancing my way.

"Seeker, come over here," Leo climbed a tree a few paces away from Arden.  

"What?" I crossed my arms, looking up at the golden-eyed cat.  

"Have you even bothered to look at that boy?" Leo asked, tail swishing impatiently.   

My neck heats as I think about his bare chest and how good it looked, the way his smile lit up his handsome face, how his stormy blue eyes seemed to burn into mine, and I shook my head, to clear out this dangerous thoughts.

"That's what I thought," Leo closed his eyes for a second.  "He isn't human.  He hasn't ever been affected by being here.  He also heard voices in the here, the Thorns Forest.  I think he is fae."

"That's not possible.  I would have felt it," I harshly whisper to him, keeping my voice low.  I referred to the ability to sense power in faeries, most can.   

"Unless someone bound his power, trying to hide him from evil creatures," Leo pointed out.  I glance back at Arden, and he smiles.  I smile back before turning back to Leo.  

"This is turning out to be a very complicated case," I closed my eyes, then my skin prickled.  Goosebumps raised on my arms, and Leo disappeared.  I turn and throw an iron knife right at Arden.  His stormy eyes went wide with shock.