"What?" I asked Bailey looking at her with a confused look on my face.
"Your hair is gold. Not the usual white." She said as she lifted her right hand and began to stroke my hair softly. "And its longer. Like your hair back on earth."
"Is it now?" I asked her with a soft smile on my lips as I helped her into a standing position. Dusting off the sides of her frame and hips, earning myself a slap from her.
"Oh, sorry!" She immediately apologised while chuckling softly. "It was a response out of habit." She added as she leaned into me. Placing her head on my right shoulder. I wrapped my arms around her relishing in the contact. "My head feels weird." She said softly as her arms snaked around my torso.
"What do you mean?" I asked her as I breathed out softly into her ear making her shiver. "Like a headache?"
"No, just weird." She said with a giggle as she hugged me tighter.
We broke the hug after a few minutes as well as a small head ramming into my left leg.
We both looked down to see the red dragon staring up at us with a black expression. I knew how Bailey would react remembering the first time she saw Ninja.
"So cute!" She said as she knelt down quickly and grabbed the sides of the baby dragons head. It would seem that even with the events that have occurred all around us, she could still be distracted by a cute little animal. "What's its name?" She asked as she brought the baby dragon into a hug.
"Haven't named him yet." I told her honestly as I looked around for Ninja who I found lying down next to the exit of the tunnel, waiting patiently for us. "Why don't you." I said as I brought my attention back to her.
"Really? Can I?" She asked with a bright smile as she stroked the dragon along its spine, eliciting a soft purr like noise from its belly. "How about Scale?" She said before repeating the name to the baby dragon. "Do you like that? Hmm?" She said in a soft voice that mimicked the way mothers talked to babies. "Do you like Scale?" The dragon yipped with joy as a long thick forked tongue escaped its lips and licked the left side of Bailey's face, causing her to laugh loudly.
After a few minutes of watching the baby dragon interact with Bailey, it finally decided to continue with its original plan. It wobbled over to me as it head butted my leg? I knelt down to pet the dragon with my right hand, when all of a sudden its head jerked up and its jaws clamped around my hand.
"Ah!" I shouted as I stood up quickly, Scale letting my hand go as it fell to the floor gracefully. "What the hell?" I asked loudly as I brought my hand to my chest. Glaring at the dragon before me.
Two large rings of energy formed on the ground beneath both mine and Scales feet. Starting at our feet as the epicentre, before both grew in size, rotating clockwise with great speed. As the two energy circles touched, they quickly changed from a bright red to a vibrant purple. The now one large bright purple energy ring, grew in height before it stopped a mere thirty centimetres of the grounds. It split into two rings, with one on the top and the other still rotating on the ground.
In between the two swirling circles, runes of an indistinguishable language formed. The runes were rough and held a certain similarity to the elven written language. But these held more power within. There were hundreds of runes that spun between the two circles as they merged into each other, split of each other, and then merging with the two circles on either side.
This process lasted no more than a minute before the bright purple changed to a golden colour and shot towards me. Hitting me in full force, almost knocking me over. I only just managed to stay on my feet. Scale was gone, but a bright red tattoo on my right shoulder in the form of a mighty dragon in flight remained. I could feel the power coming from the tattoo as I stared down at it in wonder and awe.
"What just happened?" Bailey asked as the bright lights from the willing contract died down.
"It formed a contract with me? Willingly." I said as I lifted my gaze up to meet hers. "Contact a GM and ask about this. Maybe they has more information."
"Okay." Bailey replied as she tried to open her menu. A minute passed silently between us as a look of shock crossed her features. "Kai? I have a problem."
"What is it?" I quickly close the distance between us with a concerned expression plastered across my features.
"I can't access my menu." She said slightly afraid, knowing what this might mean for her.
Both of us had shocked looks on our faces. Does this mean that her situation is the same as mine? Does this mean that she can no longer log out of this gaming engine? Is she stuck here forever? To be honest, that last thought gave me both negative and positive feelings. On one hand she could no longer go home, but on the other, she could be stuck here with me.
"Do you think this means..." She trailed off with both of us knowing what she was planning to say afterwards.
"I think so." I told her honestly as I stepped closer to her. "I feel this is my fault. If you had not been here, maybe you could still live your life-" I began to confess my feeling of the situation when her right hands fingers pressed against my lips, successfully silencing me.
"It is not your fault." She said with a concerned and resolute expression upon her face. "You protected me. You kept me alive." She said as a soft smile spread across her lips. Her right hand now gently stroking my left cheek. She leaned in and gently placed her soft lips upon my own. It was gently but held more love and passion than I ever felt before.
The kiss broke as we stared into each others eyes.
"Let's get out of here." Bailey said as she grabbed onto my right hand before walking passed me. Dragging me with her as she guided me out of the tunnels and into the daylight beyond.
It was good seeing the bright sun again. Knowing that Bailey was at my side, was enough for a content sensation to fall upon me. It might just turn out to be a good day.
"You need to finish that quest." Bailey said as she noticed my closed eyes and upturned head. A soft smile spread across her lips.
"How am I suppose to tell that old man that not only did I fail to retrieve the egg for him, but the hatching willingly formed a contract with me?" I asked her as I squeezed her right hand with my left. This is a failed quest, if I have ever seen one.
"Have faith." She said as she began to slowly walk forward. Entering the forest surrounding us and the entrance to the tunnels. "You are always so negative. Not everything falls according to your thoughts." She added with a chuckle.
"And you're always optimistic." I responded with a chuckle of my own. "How can you be so happy all the time?" I added as I fell in step with her.
"To be honest, it's because you're here." She said with a soft blush as she glanced in my direction. "With you here, I feel safe with the knowledge that you can protect me and vice versa."
"Makes sense." I replied laughing softly at her explanation. It made me sound more of a bodyguard than a boyfriend, but to be honest, I didn't care. I just wanted her next to me.
It was a long walk back to the city and most of the journey occurred with our hands clasped. We felt happy being near each other and the constant contact was reassuring our doubts that we were not going anywhere.
We fought a few monsters, but with my power and the now freed motions that came with Bailey's disconnect to the gaming engine, made dealing with monsters an enjoyable task. Her assassin sub-class along with her daggers were far more effective without the limits of the gaming engine.
Her movements almost fluid within the air as she slashes down or thrusts forward. The acrobatic movements that came with her fighting style, made her entire fight a sight to behold. To my eyes, she was absolutely enchanting. I am truly lucky to know her, let alone call her my girlfriend.
Once we made it to the familiar shop I was hesitant to enter, but with the forceful push from behind by Bailey, I finally entered the shop staring into the eyes of the old grey haired man behind the counter.
"So you're finally back?" The old man said in monotone. Making me think that he already knew and that he was really pissed that I took the dragon from him. "And in one piece, I see." He added as she straightened up and glared into my eyes.
"Yes, sir." I replied without taking my eyes off of his.
"And where is the egg?" The old man said as he crossed his arms while straightening his back. His gaze unnerving me slightly.
"About that..." I began but trailed off as I lifted my right hand and rubbed the back of my neck.
"I see the contract mark on your shoulder." The old man said making me flinch ever so slightly. My eyes widened. "You you contracted with it? Even though you knew it was a part of a quest?"
"He contracted me." I told the man honestly as lowered my hand and kept his gaze. "Willingly."
"Did he really?" The old man asked softly while a look of confusion crossed his face.
"So I guess this means that I have failed the quest?" I asked hoping to just receive the confirmation so I could get on with what was needed.
"Let me talk to a few people and get back to you." The old man said as he turned around and headed back into the storeroom behind the counter.
"So, I guess we can leave." I said as I turned to Bailey with a soft smile trying to hide the confusion I currently felt.
"I guess so. But that was weird." She said as she turned around and walked by my side as we left the shop. "I was expecting a different outcome." She added with a soft chuckle.
As we left the shop I tapped into the wealth of knowledge Odin allowed me, wondering of my next move. I needed to begin the end fight but I was not sure how I should go about it.
I was lost in thought when a burst of bright white light erupted to my right, covering the streets, blinding all who gazed upon it.
I only had enough time to turn to Bailey and cover her with my body. I willed all my power to surround her and keep her safe.
Myself on the other hand, was hit with the brunt of the attack as pain seered through my body.