Chapter Text
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Bright, harsh sunlight is what first greets Still in Love when she opens her eyes. She tries to block her eyes from it, only to find both her arms sting painfully when she lifts them. A groan escapes her, and the slight movement causes her back to chafe against pebbles that only makes her groan even louder. Her legs feel cold, as if submerged into something, before the sound of water flowing tells her that her legs truly are submerged in water.
How did she even get here in the first place?
Ah, wait—she remembers.
Her mother had died. Executed by the kingdom because she had failed to fulfil her task as the court witch. As her child, Still in Love was hunted as well, and in a moment of desperation, she jumped into the river. She half wished to die by the time her body hit the water, but turns out the Goddesses still want her to live another day.
Still in Love shivers, feeling all her senses coming back. It only serves to amplify the pain she's experiencing, but at least, now she knows on what does she lay upon. With her legs half submerged in water, she must be laying on a riverbank of some sort. Her back stings with all the pebbles digging into her skin, while her chest feels scorching hot and terribly exposed.
She forces her body to move. Her muscles scream in protest, so she grits her teeth and pushes herself up. Her arms tremble but don't give in, allowing her to sit, then drags her legs out of the freezing water.
Pulling her knees to her chest, Still in Love hugs herself tight. She's almost completely naked, sans for the strip of fabric tied around her hip. The rips on the fabric tells her that her clothes must've been caught on rocks and got ripped off many times during her descent across the river.
Looking around, she finds that the riverbank she's in is desolate, with only a few short dry bushes at the edge of the water.
A fox is drinking water at the other side of the river. Still in Love exhales, relieved that she wasn't found by any predators before she awakes.
She stays still for a long while, trying to replenish her strength. Despite the pain all over her body, she doesn't find any major injuries, only a few scratches and bruises here and there. Her limbs all move fine, and she breathes easy. If she has to be grateful, then it would be because she wasn't caught and tortured before she jumped into the river.
The sun has glided down when she decides she must make a move. She doesn't know where she is, but staying at such open place will only make her vulnerable to predators. She'll have to find a shelter before nightfall.
She never expected to find ruins of a building just a few distance away from where she washed up. She had just gotten up, climbed a narrow path between the side cliffs, and the moment she reached the top, she already finds the ruins nearby.
Truly, the Goddesses must be smiling at her. Or maybe They just pity her.
Whatever. As long as she finds shelter, then Still in Love won't fuss. Just being alive is enough miracle for her. She'll make do with everything she finds.
The ruins seem to be a warehouse of some sort before its inevitable destruction. Ignoring the gaping hole at the entrance side and the roof nearby, the building seems to be quite intact. The building only consists of a large empty area, two small rooms under a second-level deck that probably used to be a place to rest, and a flight of stairs leading towards the aforementioned deck.
Still in Love tests the stairs, finding it not too weak, then proceeds to climb upwards. The deck oversees the entire building. There's also a door at the corner that leads to another staircase outside, but the hinges are too corroded that Still in Love can't yank it open.
When she's still engrossed with the door, a flurry of wind catches her attention. From the entrance, a massive shadow looms, causing Still in Love to gasp and drops to her knees, trying to hide herself at a darker corner. Her heart beats wildly in her chest when a creature flies into the building.
It's a dragon. A massive one at that.
Its scales are cerulean blue, reflecting the sunlight in such ways that it seems to gleam with every movement. It has a pair of wings, a set of forelegs and hindlegs, making it part of the common dragon class. Its head sits atop strong, medium-length neck, adorned with white mane on its spine and a pair of crystal-like horns jutting from behind the eyes.
Dragons aren't common in the kingdom she came from. They usually stay closer to kingdoms of umamusume—a humanoid species with a gift to run and thrive on elemental magic.
Still in Love is, too, an umamusume. But she was born in a kingdom of humans and grew up there, so she isn't familiar with such entity. All she knows about dragons is that they are solitary creatures, with intelligence that is believed to be more than those of humans, and are fiercely protective of its kins.
As the dragon swerves into the building easily, Still in Love realizes that this building must've been its nest. It stays above ground for a few moments after it enters. Strong wings flapping to keep itself hovering, and the force of its movement sends a storm of dust flying into the air. It then lands with a loud thud and a low grumble.
Still in Love holds her breath when the dust drifts to her position, trying not to alert the dragon. She knows she's an intruder. Who knows if the dragon has its mate or even offsprings nearby. If it truly does, then the dragon won't be so forgiving, and Still in Love will be torn to pieces the very moment it recognizes her presence.
But the flying dust proves to be too much for her to endure, and Still in Love coughs.
The dragon, previously grumbling to itself, immediately goes silent.
Still in Love panics. With the door at the deck practically useless, the only way to escape is to run down the staircase towards the entrance, but that means she'll have to run through the dragon itself. She might be an umamusume—a species also known for their ability to run in high speed and great stamina—but she's never honed that ability of hers. Trying to recall that innate power of her at such dire time will only end in her demise.
But maybe, she should've tried first. Because before she even finished thinking, a shadow already looms upon her.
Her eyes meet a pair of different colored eyes, azure and magenta, both with reptilian slit pupils staring wide eyed at her. The dragon hovers above her, icy breath fanning on her naked skin. In her terror, Still in Love freezes, her pulse roaring in her ears. She can't do anything else than staring back at the dragon, feeling her strength leaving her with every second the dragon looks at her.
Then, the dragon growls, and turns away.
Still in Love hears the dragon growling and flapping its wings violently. The commotion stops not long after. Still in Love stays in her position for a longer while, trying not to hyperventilate and kill herself when she's already out of death's hold twice.
When it doesn't seem like the dragon is returning anytime near, Still in Love lifts herself up. The building is empty. She looks around a few times, making sure the dragon isn't hiding to ambush her, before she breaks into a run.
The ruined building feels much bigger than it was before when Still in Love tries to reach the gaping entrance. She feels like she already ran a marathon, but she hasn't stepped foot outside the building even once. Her lungs constrict in her chest, her heart beating erratically, and her ears are deaf to everything but the sound of her own feet hitting the ground.
The dragon lands right in front of her just as she reaches the entrance. Still in Love shrieks, falling to her knees almost immediately and curls into herself. Tears starts streaming down her cheeks, fear choking her entire being as she kneels in front of the dragon.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry please don't eat me! I will leave your nest! Please forgive me I—oof!"
Something somewhat heavy falls upon her body. Still in Love scrambles to hold it, finding thick fabric, and blinks in confusion as her mind processes the item on top of her. Trembling, Still in Love wipes her tears as she grabs more of the material, growing even more confused when she finds something akin to a drape covering her.
She looks up to the dragon, who is still staring at her with its wide reptilian eyes.
From her point of view, the dragon is towering. It must be about five to six times as tall as herself. Its head is about the same size of her entire body, and its body is even more massive. Its wings, while being tucked, are longer than its main body, its tip reaching half of its tail. Each claw on its limbs must be at least as big as Still in Love's head.
It would have no problem to just stomp Still in Love into a puddle. Or swallow her whole. Or just swat her to oblivion.
But the dragon seems patient. It keeps staring at her, unblinking, as if waiting for Still in Love to make her move. Swallowing her saliva, Still in Love croaks out a question. "Are you.. are you giving this to me?"
The dragon chuffs.
Still in Love tightens the drape around her naked body. "I.. I'm s—thank you…?"
That seems to satisfy it. The dragon shakes its head a few times, then steps over Still in Love into the building. Still in Love follows its movement. The dragon doesn't seem to be bothered by her, as it returns to its previous place before flapping its wings a few times—again sending dust all over the space. It then scratches the floor before dropping itself on it, wings folded neatly and tail curled around its body.
The dragon already snores before Still in Love could even process the event that just transpired.
After a long time of silence sans for the dragon's breath, Still in Love feels her tenseness dissipating. She watches the dragon, now soundly asleep, before turning to look at the material around her body. It's actual fabric, dark brown in color and dirty with soot, but it's still a fabric.
She bites her lips. Dragons are believed to be smarter than humans. It definitely recognized her state of undress and searched for something to cover her up. By the dragon's lax attitude, it doesn't seem like it has any mate or offsprings nearby. It even seems to be welcoming of her. Maybe she can crash in its nest for a few days until her strength returns to her.
Still in Love grimaces. That might be pushing it too far. But the dragon never glared at her, or threatened her, so maybe it really is unbothered by her presence. If it doesn't want her here, it will definitely show its rejection. Dragons aren't really well known for their hospitality, after all.
So Still in Love braces herself, and steps back into the building. She saunters far from the dragon's sleeping form, settling herself near the small rooms. The nook offers her a slight protection from the dragon's sight, even if she knows the dragon will still be able to smell her no matter where she stays.
Her stomach rumbles. She can only tighten the drape around herself, unable to push herself to walk around some more to find something to eat. Still in Love waits until the sky grows dark, keeping her eyes on her new companion, before laying down on her back and tries to catch some sleep.
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The dragon's waking rumble wakes her up the next morning. Still in Love sits up immediately, scooting over towards a darker corner at her sleeping spot, alert over the dragon's movement. It does the same thing as before—yawning, then flaps its wings as it stretches, rapidly shaking its body a few times before opening its eyes.
It finds Still in Love in no time, and the dragon tilts its head slightly when Still in Love curls more into herself.
It grumbles once then turns to fly away.
Oh, so it really isn't bothered with Still in Love.
That's a relief. She doesn't have to worry anymore about shelter. She can roam around to find food, maybe find roads or tracks to villages, all the while having a secure place to rest at night. The river she had washed up upon is also close by, so water is aplenty. Predators also won't come closer because of the dragon. Truly, the most perfect shelter she could find, and she can't be anymore grateful.
But first, she'll have to find food.
The forest around the building seems to be barren of edible fruit-bearing trees. Or maybe it's just not the right season for them to bear fruit. Still in Love then tries to walk at the riverside, looking if she can catch any fishes, but to her disappointment, the stream is too wide and deep and the fishes stay at the deep water.
Despite being a court witch's daughter, she has yet to master the ability manipulate magic. Her umamusume bloodline allows her to learn natural elements magic, but she's still too young to learn them all. Her best attunement is that of fire, followed by wind. Water is, unfortunately, not on her forte. Maybe she'll have a better chance to hunt critters on the ground than to fish.
Taking a seat on the riverbed, Still in Love takes the time to look at her own reflection. Her hair is wildly unkempt. Her face is littered with scratches and bruises, and her eyes are hollowed out in fatigue and hunger. The brown fabric given to her by the dragon is draped randomly over her body.
Still in Love heaves a sigh. She looks wrecked. No wonder even a dragon took pity on her.
She supposes she should blame her mother for all this. She was such a wonderful umamusume, a powerful witch that mastered many elements, and even some other magic that regular umamusume couldn't ever try. Things like creation and transformation magic. Her brilliance made her well known, and the kingdom appointed her as the court magic to protect and serve the king.
Still in Love didn't know what happened, but her mother was declared traitor, and was promptly executed. For such a strong witch to be easily killed by humans, that honestly leaves a bad taste in her mouth. But considering the witch's feeling for the king, her death isn't too unexpected.
Still in Love knows about her mother's love for the king. She is proof of such love—or, she must say, obsession. She was not conceived naturally, as she was created from the king's and the witch's hair, solely so the witch can give herself a child from the king. She resorted to that method because a human and an umamusume's relationship is considered taboo in this world. A taboo that is, in Still in Love's opinion, based on nothing, because both humans and umamusume don't have that much of a difference by her own standards.
So maybe it's much more proper to call herself a homunculus. A fully functional one, as far as she's concerned, and the witch used to leave her on her own for a long time, allowing her to learn her own humanity from the people at the kingdom.
She was never close to her 'mother' before, so her death didn't leave any lasting grief. It's only the events following her death that made Still in Love somewhat bitter at her due to being dragged around in the commotion.
Her growling stomach reminds Still in Love that she hasn't eaten. Heaving another sigh, Still in Love takes the fabric off her, then dips herself in water to try and clean herself even just for a bit. Her wounds sting when water touch them, but she ignores it. The last thing she wants now is to get an infection.
Right after she rinses herself off, a huff resounds from the top of the cliff. Still in Love looks up, finding the blue dragon peeking at her from behind the rocks. It tilts its head, before stepping over the rocks and glides down to the river, landing carefully as to not splash water towards Still in Love.
"Uh.. hi?"
Okay, now the dragon has seen her completely naked. It feels weird to be stared upon, especially knowing that the dragon recognizes a state of dressed and undressed. But, then again, it's just an animal, and technically, it's also completely naked.
Still in Love exhales, trying not to think too hard about it.
"Do you need anything from me?" She asks as she wraps the fabric back around herself.
The dragon blinks. It turns around, trudging carefully across the water, before growing completely stationary just a few distance from its previous spot. Still in Love puts her full attention at it, only gasping when the dragon suddenly dives its head into the water.
When it retracts its head back, its mouth is full of fishes. It trots towards Still in Love before dropping its entire hunt at Still in Love's feet. It growls lightly when Still in Love only stares at it with her mouth agape. Apparently realizing that the umamusume is too stunned to move, the dragon pushes the fishes closer to Still in Love, then huffs as it takes a few steps backwards.
Still in Love looks at the dragon, then to the fishes on her feet, then back to the dragon. She lifts her hand to her chest, asking, "Are those for me?"
The dragon rumbles.
Still in Love swallows. Despite her disbelief, she bows at the dragon, mumbling her gratitude. "T..thank you.."
The dragon harrumphs, then promptly takes off.
Still in Love watches until the blue beast disappears into the cloud. She takes another look to the loot in front of her.
So, after covering her up, the dragon allowed her to stay in her nest, and now it feeds her? What a peculiar creature. Maybe it regards her as a company, or maybe it thinks of her as a helpless child and decides to take care of her. Whatever it is, Still in Love is grateful, knowing full well that she struck gold for finding a dragon who cares about her.
Maybe she can just stay with the dragon for the rest of her life. She still doesn't know where she is, or if there are any villages near, or if she can even reach the villages on foot. She's not well taught to survive in the wilderness. Having a dragon companion who willingly gives food for her is more than enough reason to stay. As long as the dragon doesn't grow bored or irritated by her presence, or until it finds a mate and has offsprings, then it's not impossible to live with it.
Still in Love takes all fishes she can and brings them back closer to the ruins. She searches for dry sticks and branches, then she sets up a small campfire to grill the fishes. The taste is abysmal—such a far-cry from the food she was served to back at the castle. But she can't afford to choose now. Until she can hunt on her own, or until she learns to utilize the plants around for spices, then tasteless grilled fishes will have to make do.
The dragon returns to its nest a few hours after night fall. It cranes its neck towards the spot Still in Love had slept at, finding her still there, and blows air through its nose. It takes a seat on its usual spot as it uses the claw on its wings to scratch on its neck. It then flaps its wings a few times and claws at the floor—a ritual it always does before it sleeps.
A cloud of dust airs once more.
Still in Love sneezes.
That startles the dragon. It stares wide-eyed at Still in Love, azure and magenta glowing beneath the surrounding darkness. It sniffs at Still in Love direction, then promptly sneezes as well when it inhales a huge amount of dust.
Still in Love, despite her best effort, can't stop herself from laughing.
The dragon snarls, stomping its feet in anger.
"I'm sorry!" Hearing the dragon's irritation, Still in Love bows immediately. "I was just.. you sound so cute."
It bares its fangs but it looks away from Still in Love. Showing that it's annoyed, but also telling Still in Love that it's not annoyed at her.
Realizing the dragon's body language, Still in Love tries to offer. "Um.. I think your nest is a bit too dusty. If it's okay.. I'll try to clean it up tomorrow?"
The dragon looks back at her with its head tilted.
"Um.. is that an okay?"
The dragon makes a sound akin to a roar, yet far lower. It chuffs once then lowers its head, curling its body on the floor but keeps its eyes trained on Still in Love. It taps the floor with its tail, silently staring at Still in Love—as if it's evaluating her. Then, when it looks like it had made a decision, it blows cold air on the floor, freezing it almost instantly.
Still in Love understands the message sent. The dragon never really notices the dust because it usually freezes the floor before it sleeps. It stops doing so after Still in Love's arrival, most definitely because it recognizes her as an umamusume that is not able to withstand the cold.
Still in Love feels her heart melt at the realization. The dragon cares of her in a much deeper level than she had previously thought.
"I.. I couldn't say thank you enough." She starts, keeping her gaze level to meet the dragon's. "Thank you for.. taking care of me. I will clean your nest. At least you'll be comfortable, too, even with me here."
The dragon only huffs. Because it doesn't close its eyes, Still in Love continues.
"What can I call you? Is Mr. Dragon okay?"
It growls, eyes narrowed.
"No? Mrs, then?"
The growling stops, but its eyes are still somewhat sharp.
"Well, how about Ms. Dragon?"
Its eyes soften and it huffs.
"Okay." Still in Love smiles. She can't believe her luck—a female, unmated dragon! No wonder it's not at all bothered by her presence. They're technically similar, after all. Still in Love is even confident that the dragon enjoys her company as well. "Thank you for taking care of me, Ms. Dragon."
The dragon yawns. It shakes its head a few times before turning its head around. In no time, its snores could be heard, and Still in Love smiles wider at the sight of the slumbering beast.
She takes off the covering fabric, folding it neatly on the ground. She slips under the topmost fold to cover herself again. It's much more comfortable than the night before, so it doesn't take long for sleep to grace her again.
Before she falls asleep, though, Still in Love looks at her reptilian companion.
"Good night, Ms. Dragon."
The dragon's rhythmic breath is the only thing answering her, but Still in Love can't be more satisfied.
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Living with a dragon is much easier than Still in Love had previously thought—not that she ever thought about it before meeting the dragon. The dragon mostly keeps to itself, rarely addressing Still in Love unless it notices her struggling with something, and more often than not leaves Still in Love alone in the nest.
It still hunts for her. Bringing a range of animals from fishes to a whole deer, and sometimes even bringing coconuts and fruits she can't find anywhere nearby.
Still in Love wholly accepts to be regarded as a dragon's baby if it means she gets pampered like this.
The dragon never eats with her no matter how big its hunt is for the day. It always flies away after giving its daily loot to Still in Love. After she got a few offerings she can't finish in a day, Still in Love starts making up tools, using jagged rocks as knives and vines as ropes. She cuts the big hunts into multiple portions, saving them inside one of the empty rooms after she asked the dragon to freeze it.
She also starts looking for plants that can be used as spices near the ruins. Her magic attunement allows her to manipulate the air, bringing her wind that carries scents of spices and leads herself there.
After about two months of living with the dragon, she can finally enjoy her food again. She would sometimes offer the dragon her meal during dinner when they both already settled inside the nest. The dragon never replies nor accepts, content with only watching Still in Love with those heterochromatic eyes.
Though, it comes to understand that Still in Love manages to ration and preserve its hunts. It reduces its hunting frequency, only bringing food every few days. It still flies off every morning to Goddess knows where, leaving Still in Love alone, and usually returns to the nest just before or after night falls.
Still in Love's time alone is spent well by practicing her magic. Being surrounded by nature makes her able to sense the flow of energy better, unlike back at the kingdom where the natural force is tampered with man-made elements. The energy of the streaming river feels better and stronger than that of the faucets. The lush forest offers a hearty amount of magic, much more than the potted plants could give. Even if fire is quite rare, she manages to tap into the energy of the sun more efficiently when it's not half covered by air pollution.
She also tries to manipulate the ice made by her companion dragon. But, as it is part of the dragon's creation magic and not of natural causes, she can't do anything or learn from it.
The dragon doesn't usually show interest in her magic practice. It rarely stays around in the first place, and when it does, it prefers to sleep under the sun. It might sometimes open its eyes when Still in Love does something big—like setting off an explosion or creating a small hurricane—but will return to its slumber soon after.
Still in Love once thought she'd get lonely living like this—with a non-verbal animal as her only company. Back at the castle, not many wanted to stay close to her, as she was known as the witch's child and thus feared just like her mother. They had glazed it as "respect", but Still in Love knew better. They were afraid of what she could do to them if they wronged her. Or they were afraid of her mother's wrath if she got hurt.
But, turns out, she doesn't feel remotely lonely. While the dragon also doesn't accompany her most of the time, its presence is always palpable. It never not responds to Still in Love. It studies her closely whenever she talks to it about something. It knows what Still in Love needs from it even if she doesn't ask. The dragon truly makes her feel cared for in the limited time they spend together.
If only there's a word greater than grateful, Still in Love would've said it every day to her winged companion.
Rainy season starts at the third month since Still in Love started living with the dragon. Still in Love reinforces the buildings as soon as she's confident that her wood manipulation is capable enough for renovation. She covers the tiny holes on the roof with vines, tight enough not to leak but light enough not to overburden the foundation.
She also covers the edges of the entrance with vines, making it so it protects the nest more from the wind. It doesn't work as well as she wished for, because the shrinking entrance is troublesome for the dragon. Its wings already caught on the vines a few times and caused it to tumble when it landed. So, even if the dragon gives no qualms, Still in Love refrains from adding more structures to the entrance. It won't do any of them good if her creation hurt her companion.
Today, just like the days before, it rains.
The sun had set for a while when the dragon arrives into the nest. It manages to avoid hitting the vines today, and it lands on the floor with a loud thud before it shakes water off itself. Still in Love peeks from her spot on the deck. During the dragon's first arrival under the rain, she got blasted with water when it shakes itself dry, so Still in Love had moved to rest on the upper deck.
"Welcome back, Ms. Dragon!" she greets, causing the dragon to look up at her.
Still in Love smiles at the beast. "How was your day, Ms. Dragon?"
It breathes out a puff of cold air at her question. In contrast to her who can only guess what the dragon means, Still in Love knows for sure that it understands everything she says. Every time Still in Love talks to her, it always answers, letting out sounds that Still in Love now can differentiate between each mood.
"I had fun today. I tried fishing and I caught some fishes! It was delicious, but some of them had so many spines.."
The dragon blinks and hums. That's appreciation as far as Still in Love knows.
"Thank you! I hope you had a nice day, too."
With that, the dragon lowers its head, blowing cold wind to the floor beneath it. It had resumed doing so after Still in Love moved to the upper deck. It's apparently more comfortable for it to sleep upon ice than on regular floor. It then scratches on the layer of ice until it creates a pile of ice shavings, before settling down on it and curls on itself.
Still in Love chuckles as she bids her companion good night. She spends a few hours playing with the vines hanging above her head to hone her wood manipulation magic. Still in Love spares another glance towards her winged companion before she closes her eyes. It's peacefully asleep, its chest rising up and down with every breath it takes. Its luminescent horns—one that Still in Love discovered after staring at it many times under the darkness—cast a faint blue glow over its face.
Still in Love whispers another soft, "Good night," as she lays on her back, cocooning herself with her garb.
The brown fabric given to her by the dragon at their first meeting is still the only piece of garment she has. The size of it allows her to utilize it as a cape during the day, and a makeshift mattress and blanket during the night. She had cut a few small pieces from it for her underwear, so she doesn't have to walk around stark naked when she needs to wash the fabric.
As she drifts into a blissful sleep, her faint dream shows herself how the sky looks like from the back of her companion beast. The idea has been floating in her mind for some time. It must've been cool to be able to ride the dragon. To feel the wind in her hair, to watch the earth from far above, to feel the dragon's mane and scales under her legs. She wonders if the dragon likes to glide gently in the wind or if it prefers to speed up.
Just when her dreams start to get more interesting, a loud blast startles her awake.
Her ears flatten on her head as she hears the wind blows stronger than it was before. The rain sounds as if it is getting poured aggressively from the sky. The sky lights up for a bit and thunder rolls in the distance.
Still in Love hugs her garb tighter. The tiny hairs on her neck raise ever so slightly.
Oh, she hates storms. She's always been easily surprised by anything, so lightning and thunders are the worst things in nature for her. She's okay with the kind of thunders where there are faint lightnings preceding a distant rumble. The kind of flashing light followed by loud booms? Now, those are her worst nightmares.
Still in Love curls into her garb and covers her head with it. The total darkness helps easing her nerves, until another loud strike resounds awfully near and she shrieks.
A rough moan echoes from somewhere behind the darkness. Still in Love doesn't dare to move, trembling under her blanket, when something nudges her gently from outside her blanket.
Still in Love lifts her blanket, finding the dragon's heterochromatic eyes staring at her. She grins sheepishly before covering her face with the fabric. "S-sorry.. did I disturb you?"
The dragon only blinks.
"I'm just—" a faraway rumble causes Still in Love to flinch, "—I'm not good with thunder."
That earns her a huff, followed by a gentle bite on the fabric covering her. Still in Love makes a questioning sound as she looks up towards the dragon. It stares at her while holding her garb between its fangs. It huffs again while pulling the garb from Still in Love, who, despite her confusion, lets the fabric to be pulled off her body.
The dragon steps away, returning to its sleeping spot with Still in Love's garb still bitten between its maw. It chuffs at Still in Love when she doesn't move. It taps its foreleg to the floor, then nods at Still in Love's direction, beckoning her to follow.
Still in Love stands up and steps down the deck.
"Are you asking me to sleep with you?"
The dragon hums. It taps on the ice beneath itself once more before moving sideways. Following the dragon's direction, Still in Love raises her hand, muttering a spell that causes her hand to radiate heat. She directs the energy towards the frozen floor, slowly melting the ice until it all evaporates to thin air.
After all of the ice is gone, the dragon settles down, laying Still in Love's garb between its forelegs. It lays its head around it and makes a low rumble.
Still in Love has to force her tears not to fall. "The way I don't know any more how to say thank you to you, Ms. Dragon…"
The dragon blinks, again tapping its foreleg urgently. Still in Love spares a chuckle as she walks towards her laid out garb. As she sits down on the fabric and wraps herself back with it, Still in Love reaches out to touch the dragon's neck. The grumble it lets out makes the muscles under Still in Love's hand reverberates.
She takes a few moments to stroke the dragon. It occurs to her that this is the first time they touch, and her heart flutters giddily.
"For someone who breathes ice, you are warmer than I thought, Ms. Dragon."
A faint growl comes as a reply.
Right at that time, a flash of light appears, followed a loud crash of thunder nearby. Still in Love jolts in surprise, curling against the dragon's chest. It growls again before moving its foreleg closer to Still in Love—as if embracing her, as if trying to protect her from a thing that wouldn't even touch her.
If her heart had fluttered before, Still in Love is sure it had bursted.
"Thank you.." she whispers again. She presses herself as tight as possible to the dragon's chest, feeling its scales scraping against her cheeks. They're far smoother than she had thought. The dragon's heart beats steadily behind her back. With a sigh, Still in Love wraps her arms around herself and nuzzles the dragon. "Thank you, Ms. Dragon."
The dragon doesn't answer. It just tilts its head slightly; its left magenta eyes focused on Still in Love. Its gaze feels much gentler tonight than it usually is. Even if Still in Love doesn't know the actual meaning behind that look, she knows is that the dragon cares deeply for her. Still in Love reaches her hand to the dragon's face, letting her palm stroke the small spikes on the dragon's jaw.
"Good night, Ms. Dragon. Sweet dreams."
There's a small twitch at the edge of its maw as it closes its eyes.
With a smile, Still in Love retracts her hand. Another flash of lightning passes by, but she feels at ease. Listening to the steady heartbeat of the beast around her, Still in Love lets herself be embraced by sleep.
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"To where do you fly off every morning, Ms. Dragon?" asks Still in Love one day, when the two of them are resting together under the sun. Still in Love has her hands busy braiding the dragon's white mane that is getting somewhat longer.
It only exhales as an answer. Its eyes are closed, apparently enjoying the warmth and whatever it is Still in Love doing to it.
She already noticed how the dragon got irritated with the mane falling to its eyes for a few weeks. Still in Love had offered to trim the mane, but it refused. So, she just watched it getting angrier every time its mane disturbs its own eyes, until she tried to offer to braid the mane instead.
Thankfully, the dragon agreed, so now they're spending the day under the warm sun with Still in Love trying to wrangle each unruly strand to be braided neatly.
"I'm trying to learn levitation nowadays. Maybe we can fly together once I mastered it."
The dragon cracks an eye open. Still in Love smiles at it, before she continues braiding the dragon's mane with dried out vines.
"I'd like to see what you see. I think it would be nice to be able to fly together."
It's been five months since they started living together. With so much free time in her hands and the abundance of natural energy surrounding her, Still in Love manages to increase her magical abilities much faster in five months than she did in years before. She is most confident with her wind manipulation skills now, and she tries to move the air to encapsulate her and allow her to float.
She's been aching to follow her winged companion to wherever it goes during the day. She likes their nest, sure, the forest and the stream around is also nice. But she would like to see more—to roam further than her legs would allow. She had tried to run through the forest, only to be discouraged by how dense it is. She will lose her way back sooner or later. She also tried trekking up and down the stream, but her journey was cut short by narrow waterfalls without any way to climb or move around it.
The dragon chuffs at her, waking Still in Love from her daydream. She smiles at the dragon, who keeps its gaze on her as it rises to its feet. It casts a glance towards its neck. A soft hum from its throat indicates the appreciation towards the tidy braids tying its mane. It expands its wings and flaps them once, causing Still in Love to giggle when harsh wind blows at her.
"Hey, I'm not done yet."
The dragon shakes its head with a growl. Seems that it has enough.
"Are you going somewhere again?" Still in Love reaches to stroke the dragon's leg, garnering its attention. "Be careful on your way out."
It stays silent for a while, staring at Still in Love closely. After a few moments, it harrumphs, then lowers its body once again until it lays flat on the ground.
Still in Love's confused look is answered with a soft roar and a tilt of its head.
"What is it?"
The dragon roars again as it uses its wing to push Still in Love closer to itself.
Still in Love lets out a small, "Oof!" once she hits the side of the dragon's neck. She looks at her scaled friend, who has now turned its head sideways to look back at her. The dragon grumbles and nudges Still in Love's backside with its claws.
"Do you.." Still in Love hesitates, "do you want me to ride you?"
A hum.
"Are you sure?"
The dragon rolls its eyes, lips pulled back in a slight snarl when Still in Love laughs.
"Wow, okay, okay, grumpy! I was just making sure!"
With a giggle, Still in Love climbs up the dragon's neck. She receives assistance from the dragon as the beast uses its foreleg to lift Still in Love up its body. After Still in Love sits right at the junction between its neck and its shoulders, the dragon raises its head up, looking back once to check at Still in Love.
Still in Love sends her companion a smile. She makes a move to hug the dragon's neck, nodding when it blinks. "I'm ready."
It roars and coils its body slightly, wings unfurling in preparation, and it leaps off the ground with one powerful push. It steadily soars into the sky, each beat of its wings propelling it higher and higher. On its back, Still in Love hangs on for dear life, but her laugh is full of mirth as she is taken to the sky.
Once they reach a particular altitude, the dragon eases up. It stops beating its wings forcefully and opts to keep them spread as it glides across the sky. The dragon takes a glance to its back, finding Still in Love still safely perched on it, and crows.
Still in Love, on the other hand, is exhilarated.
She raises an arm to enjoy the feeling of the wind against her. Looking down, she gasps at the sight of the faraway land. It looks so small and so far. A sudden wave of nausea hits her, but Still in Love only laughs as she returns her grip to the dragon's mane.
The dragon must've sensed her imbalance because it coos and stops moving. It lets itself be cradled by the wind as to not cause Still in Love any stresses more than necessary.
"It's okay, Ms. Dragon!" Still in Love yells despite the horrible spin in her head. "I'm okay! I like it so much!"
A claw touches her leg, and Still in Love giggles. She inhales deeply, willing to ground herself to the dragon. She opts to just look at the sky and the horizon to avoid getting anymore nausea.
She can't help the continuous laughter rolling from her lips, euphoric with the sight. Vast, blue sky fills her vision. A couple of thin clouds hang nearby, and Still in Love reached up to touch them, gasping at the cold sensation. The thicker, larger group of clouds are still far over her head, telling her that her dragon doesn't take her too far up in case she might run out of oxygen.
Giggling, Still in Love leans down to hug the dragon's neck. She dares herself to look down once more. Her head spins again, her body screaming in fear of the height, but it soon ebbs as she lets her gaze wander. She drinks in the view, loving how beautiful the lush green forest looks like from above. The mountain range appears at her far right, its peaks hidden between the clouds.
The lush green fades behind them as the dragon brings her further away from their nest. Patches of yellow starts to show, of ripe paddy fields and gardens, followed by groups of brown and grey clay roofs. They pass by the village rather quickly, following a dirt road somewhere, before more and more villages and towns pop out from the horizon.
A silhouette of a castle gradually appears in the distance. Still in Love holds her breath, dreading that the dragon brings her back to her old kingdom. But the closer they get, the clearer the castle looks, and Still in Love realizes that it's a different castle than the one at her old kingdom. In fact, the town that the dragon brings her to is unfamiliar to her, that she immediately knows she is taken to another kingdom by her friend.
A roar from her side prompts Still in Love to turn her gaze. A red dragon flies towards them, its golden eyes curious. Its scales are primarily of crimson hue, with much lighter color on its underbelly. This one doesn't have any horns, and the mane on its spine is kind of pinkish in color.
Still in Love's dragon roars back to it when it approaches. They fly together for a while, grumbling and chuffing at each other, until her dragon snarls when the red dragon tries to sniff at Still in Love. It snaps its jaw a few times, and the red dragon yowls as it flies away.
Her dragon voices out a long growl then, catching Still in Love's attention. She rubs the dragon's neck, telling it that she's listening, and the dragon starts its descent.
With the clouds parting, Still in Love manages to get a better look towards the town. It's bustling with life, people of all races fill the streets, going about with their day. Still in Love notices that the majority of the people are umamusume—their ears and tail visibly telling.
So, it was true that dragons prefer to stay near kingdoms of umamusume.
Her dragon takes her around the town, low enough for her to see but high enough not to disturb the citizen. When they get close to the castle, the dragon takes a sharp turn, heading towards the cliffs near the castle instead.
The red dragon is there, welcoming them with a roar and wings spread out. It chuffs at her dragon once they land near it, bowing its head deeply before it jumps around them gleefully.
Still in Love's grip on her dragon's mane gets tighter.
Is it Ms. Dragon's mate?
But her dragon growls at the red dragon. It moves its head lower, the muscles in its neck tightening, wings spread open slightly but with such deliberate tension that they feel like they might snap. It growls again when the red dragon purrs, the red one's head bowing deeply and its body curled sideways in a defensive but submissive manner.
Still in Love is shocked to the core to know that a dragon can purr.
Her dragon scoffs, moving backwards from the frightened red dragon. When it turns its gaze away, the red dragon springs to rub its head under Still in Love's dragon's jaw, quickly nudges Still in Love with its snout, then bolts away when her dragon roars in anger and bites the spine right before the red dragon's tail starts.
The red dragon takes off with a loud sound that Still in Love recognizes as laughter.
Still in Love gives her own chuckle when her dragon growls in irritation. She rubs the dragon's neck again, giggling when it looks at her. "You know each other well, eh?"
The dragon only gives her a concomitant huff. It takes a spot at the edge of the cliff, laying down carefully as to not stagger the passenger on its back. Still in Love takes the cue to slide down from her seat on the dragon's back. She takes a seat right beside her dragon, legs dangling over the edge of the cliff, watching down at the town beneath them.
"Is this the place you always come to every day?"
The dragon harrumphs, shaking its head lightly.
"No?"
It huffs.
"Hmm, I see. You don't come here all the time, but you like this place, so you take me here."
That earns her a hum. Giggling, Still in Love leans on the dragon's side. It might just be her imagination, but she feels the dragon moving slightly closer to her. She lifts a hand to stroke the dragon's scales, feeling it shifting with every breath the dragon takes.
Still in Love lets silence engulf them. She watches the town, somewhat entertained with the show of many people working and moving around. She sees how packed it is at a place that looks like the market center. There are knights patrolling around the castle's perimeter. Groups of children chase each other in the streets, laughter of joy painting their innocent faces.
Her dragon suddenly makes a sound. Still in Love cranes her neck, trying to look at what her winged friend is looking at.
It seems that the dragon is staring at an archery range on the back of the castle walls. Three umamusume are there. Two tall umamusume, one with waist-length brown hair and the other with gray hair in a bob. They wear similar attires, muted brown tunics and loose pants, except that the brown-haired one has a wooden sword hanging on her hips. They are conversing with another umamusume, much shorter than the two of them, with light brown hair tied in a high ponytail. The third umamusume wields a bow with a couple of arrows jutting from the quiver on her back.
Still in Love and the dragon watch as the two taller ones leave. The short umamusume then nocks an arrow to her bow, shoots at the target and hits the centerpiece with ease. She repeats the movement until she runs out of arrows. After that, she pulls out all arrows from her target, moves the target further away from her aiming position, and repeats all the steps indefinitely.
Peeking towards her friend, Still in Love finds the dragon looking a tad melancholic. Maybe it's the slightly downturned eyes, or the faint pull of the edge of its mouth. Not knowing what to do, Still in Love rubs the dragon's neck, causing it to move its attention to her.
It blows air at her, the melancholic look in its eyes changing to concern.
"Oh no, I'm fine." Still in Love smiles. "You seem a bit sad, though. Can I do anything to help?"
The dragon only hums. It stands up to its feet, then walks away from the edge. It lays down nearer to the cliffside under the shadows. The end of its tail taps on Still in Love's side, beckoning her to follow.
Still in Love smiles wider, obeying the dragon's request to curl up with it. She rests against the dragon's chest, giggling when it wraps its foreleg across Still in Love's torso. Still in Love absentmindedly strokes the claw nearest to her. In no time, the dragon snores, comfortable under the gentle breeze and the shades of the cliffside.
Just a few moments before Still in Love joins it in sleep, the red dragon returns. It tiptoes around them, sniffing at Still in Love, then leaps away after it voices out a small growl.
If it means something, Still in Love doesn't know.
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.
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From then on, Still in Love joins the dragon's daily outings quite regularly. At least twice a week, the dragon will take her soaring, sometimes towards a new place or just gliding across the sky. When the dragon doesn't offer her a ride, usually when it's going for a hunt, Still in Love continues training her magic. She may not be able to practice high-level magic due to the lack of guiding tomes, but she's satisfied enough in being able to manipulate the elements around her.
The dragon once 'asked' her during one of their trips to the umamusume kingdom; whether she'd want to stay with her kin instead of returning to their nest. Still in Love answered by hugging the dragon's leg, telling it that she loves spending her day with the dragon. She also said that she was not yet ready to return to civilization after what happened prior to their meeting.
It never asks anymore after that.
One day, when the dragon is out on its own, there's a sudden downpour. Still in Love reclines on her usual spot, fiddling with a fistful of sand trying to manipulate each grain. She flicks her ears when she hears a horse neighing nearby.
She then looks over the railings, and feels her heart jumps to her throat when she finds a wanderer had taken shelter in her nest.
It's a human male. Along with a bay-coated horse, busy drying themselves after being caught under the rain. The man takes off all his gears and hangs it on the nearby iron rod. He is about to take off his clothes when his horse stomps its foreleg, neighing loudly with its snout pointed towards Still in Love.
The man looks up in shock as Still in Love stands up. She supposes it's useless to hide herself, as the horse had already located her, and that there's no available hiding spot in her nest. She nods at the man who stutters.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't know someone is in here," he says with a bow.
Still in Love shakes her head. "It's alright. You seek shelter. But I must warn you, this place is the nest of a dragon. You might not want to stay for too long."
The man blinks. "A-ah, I see. I will take my leave as soon as the rain subside. Pardon me for asking, ma'am, but why are you here?"
"It is mine as well."
That gets him a little flustered. He just nods, muttering another thank you for the warning. Still in Love takes a seat and returns to her sand. She sometimes takes a glance towards the wanderer, who has started setting up a small bonfire to warm himself and his horse.
By only his looks, the man seems harmless. Just a traveller who seeks shelter from the rain. But Still in Love senses a subtle uneasiness under her skin. Perhaps it's because he's a traveller, and his arrival tells her that the dragon's nest might be discovered by other travellers who cross the forest. The existence of the building itself already tells that this place used to be part of a civilization. Who knows how many more travellers might pass by the building, and who knows if someone will try to drive the dragon away to make a resting place for travellers?
She also knows how her dragon won't appreciate intruders in its nest. If the man doesn't leave until it arrives, he might become an ice block as soon as it sees him.
Still in Love sighs. Her dragon doesn't usually return home during the peak of storm—preferring to find shelter first. She hopes it has flown far away and the traveller can go before it returns.
Thankfully, Still in Love's wish comes true. The storm eases fairly quickly, leaving only a light drizzle behind. She watches as the traveller packs his gears and immediately rides his horse out of the building. Once his horse's trot is out of her earshot, Still in Love breathes out in relief. At least that traveller is safe. She lifts a hand to direct the wind and sweep the remaining of the traveller’s bonfire.
It's already nighttime when her dragon returns, bringing a deer for Still in Love. But it doesn't present its hunt to Still in Love usual, instead dropping it to the floor as soon as it lands.
The dragon snarls. It narrows its eyes and pulls its neck, wildly sniffing around its nest. It casts a glance towards Still in Love's deck, finding her safe, before proceeding to sniff around and snarl some more.
"Ms. Dragon, please calm down. There was a traveller earlier today," says Still in Love as she steps down from the deck. The dragon looks at her when it hears her voice, but the snarl persists even if it walks towards her.
Still in Love raises a hand and the dragon lowers its head to put its snout in Still in Love's palm. As she continues stroking the dragon's snout, Still in Love explains, "There was a heavy rain, and he was seeking shelter. I told him to leave as soon as the rain subsided. He didn't pose any danger to us, and I had cleaned his resting place earlier, but I guess you can still smell him. I'm so sorry.."
The dragon harrumphs at Still in Love's explanation. It retreats from her touch, growling at the spot where the traveller had rested, then shoots the floor with a blast of icy breath. The floor frosts instantly—and short, jagged pillars of ice protrude from the floor from the impact.
Still in Love giggles while her dragon snorts in satisfaction.
"Don't you think it's a bit too much?"
The dragon just shakes its body in response before dragging the deer into Still in Love's makeshift fridge. It bumps its snout to Still in Love again, then blows air at her when she laughs.
"Okay, okay, I'll sleep with you tonight."
It has become a habit for them. Still in Love would fold her fabric on the floor and sits on it, followed by the dragon laying behind her and curls its neck inwards, creating a protective circle around her. Its claw will then drape over Still in Love's body, heavy to keep her in place but light enough not to crush her. Still in Love strokes the dragon's neck as she greets it good night, before leaning on the dragon's chest and closes her eyes.
Once Still in Love's breath becomes steady, the dragon moves its head. Staring at the space where the traveller once rested—now a cluster of icy stalagmites—it narrows its eyes.
For the longest of time, it keeps its glare towards the spot. Whether it tries to remember something or if it's just annoyed with the intruding scent is unknown. It only moves when Still in Love shifts, mumbling in her sleep, turning to give the umamusume a gentle touch using its claw.
.
.
.
Still in Love notices that her dragon stays around much often nowadays. Even if it flies away, it returns much faster than usual, lounging near the building or by the riverside even when the sun is still high up in the sky. It follows Still in Love during her magic practice and watches her closely—the one thing it never did before.
At first, Still in Love thinks it's just isn't in the mood to fly. After all, winter is nearing, and the world has grown colder. The damp air must feel heavier to fly in. She also appreciates the company. Having her dragon around means she can talk to it more often, retelling stories and experiences from her childhood to her friend.
But then, it doesn't let Still in Love to sleep on the deck anymore. Whenever Still in Love is going to climb up, it'll put its head in front of her and coos, beckoning her to sleep by its side. If Still in Love refuses, it will bite on her cape, forcing Still in Love to relent unless she wants her only clothes to get ripped apart.
While it was endearing before, it has grown to be concerning. Still in Love worries even more when she questions the change in behavior, only to be met by a subdued hum and a gentle puff of cold breath to her face.
Something is bothering her dragon. Still in Love wonders if it's the traveller from before. Maybe the dragon has the same concern with her—if any other travellers or an authority catch wind of this secluded pace. They might try to drive them away to utilize the building, or worse, they might hunt the dragon and try to 'save' her from the dragon's grasp.
So, she lets the dragon does whatever it wants. She follows the dragon's wishes, knowing it only wants them both safe.
Still in Love's fear comes true barely two weeks after the traveller's appearance.
It's night when it happens. The two of them had fallen asleep, but Still in Love wakes up abruptly when her dragon shots up to its feet and roars. An unnatural bright light fills Still in Love's vision for a split second before sharp claws yank her off the ground.
There's a stinging pain at the side of her chest. Her breath is knocked out of her. Still in Love gasps for air, disoriented, and a strong scent of fire overwhelms her senses. When her vision clears, Still in Love finds herself on air, with an inferno raging below her. She is firmly pressed to the dragon's chest by its front claws, while the dragon flaps its wings angrily and roars towards the inferno.
No.. not the inferno.
There are people down there. People whose attires are painfully familiar to Still in Love.
They are soldiers from her previous kingdom, blades unsheathed and pointed at the dragon. Between the soldiers, stand a person wearing a red and light blue shawl. While it's not a 100% replication, Still in Love would never not recognize the symbols on the shawl, and realization dawns upon her.
The court mage. A position her mother used to have.
For the court mage to be deployed this deep into the forest, Still in Love knows they aren't looking for the dragon. They're looking for her. Looking to decimate any traces of her mother from the face of earth.
"Ms. Dragon!" Still in Love shouts, trying to catch the dragon's attention. "Ms. Dragon! Let us just leave! They can't travel fast on air! We can still escape!"
But her shouts fall on deaf ears. The dragon roars at the army and the mage lifts up their staff. A bright light appears from the tip of their staff. Still in Love recognizes the magic being chanted and grasps at her dragon's claws.
"Ms. Dragon! You can't fight them! Please, let's just—"
The dragon ignores her and opens its maw. A cold, sharp energy blasts off its mouth, sending a pillar of icy wind at the army below. The mage swings their staff, creating a layer of protective magic over the army. The dragon's magic gets blocked off and sprays outwards, leaving spikes of ice jutting out from the ground it falls upon.
The mage points their staff once more at them. Still in Love struggles to turn in the dragon's hold. If the dragon doesn't hear or obey her, she will have to do her part in protecting the dragon. She catches sight of the spears of light materializing behind the dragon. With a quick swipe of her hand, Still in Love summons a strong gust of wind, hitting the construction of light and scatters it around.
That gets the dragon to notice what she's doing. It takes a quick look behind it, finding more spears materializing, then flies away with a loud snarl.
The spears launch at them. The dragon twists and turns as it avoids the spears, while Still in Love tries not to vomit while casting her own magic to help averting some of the spears' trajectory.
But it just never stops. The sheer amount of the spear doesn't allow the dragon to fight back, focusing only to keep themselves safe. It has tried to fly closer to the army, just in case the spears won't stop and impale them, but it only makes it got hit with a new fire spell from the mage and a few arrows into its flesh.
Swallowing the bile in her throat, Still in Loves shouts again. "Ms. Dragon! Stop fighting! It's useless! Let's just leave, please!"
A short growl. Then, the dragon takes a sharp turn, and flaps its wings forcefully that they propel them further than they usually would. The dragon doesn't spare any look behind, escaping the scene as fast as it could.
The smell of ash and the spears of light gradually disappear as they fly further and further into the night. Still in Love hugs the dragon's claws tightly as she mutters a few healing spells she knows. She is not well versed in them that she can't completely heal any wound, but at least she will try to alleviate the dragon's pain.
Despite the dark, Still in Love recognizes the way her dragon is flying to. It's going for the umamusume kingdom they usually visit. Still in Love heaves a sigh, feeling the fear and weariness in her heart slowly dissipates.
Until the dragon's flight hitches.
It snarls, repeatedly shaking its head as it struggles to keep itself on air. When Still in Love asks worriedly, it only growls, steadying itself for a bit, before it suddenly yowls and starts its descent.
The dragon drops itself in the middle of a cropfield, flattening many of the short planted crop. It lets Still in Love go and pushes her aside, before it falls to its side with a loud thud.
Pained, agonized growls pour out of the dragon's mouth. It beats its wings and digs its claws into the ground, gasping heavily as it curls and uncurls its body and thrashes around.
"Ms. Dragon?" Still in Love's call is answered with a long snarl. Ears flattened to her head, Still in Love calls out again all the while chanting a painkiller spell. "What happened? Where does it hurt? How can I help you, Ms. Dragon?"
Watching her dragon in agony breaks Still in Love's heart. She shouts to the dragon, trying to catch its attention, but the dragon is in too much pain to even notice her. Confusion and fear build up in her heart when her magic doesn't seem to cease its pain. Still in Love walks around the dragon, evading its tail and wings, trying to locate whatever it is that tortures her friend.
Still in Love feels her blood runs cold when she finds the numerous arrows lodged into the dragon's underbelly, with dark, green-tinted veins expanding from the arrows' entrance site.
Poison.
Her dragon has been poisoned.
"Ms. Dragon!" With her heart hammering in her chest, Still in Love dodges a swinging tail, trying to get close to the dragon to pull out the arrows. But the dragon's movement is too frantic, causing her to get hit by its claws and got launched a few meters away.
Still in Love's loud cry when she hits the ground seems to pique the dragon's attention. It stops thrashing around, though its body still curled and shaking, and it softly coos towards Still in Love. It approaches her carefully, nudging her with its snout and whines when she groans out.
"M-Ms. Dragon.. can you be calm for a while? L-let me help you.."
Despite her throbbing muscles, Still in Love pushes herself to her feet, trudging towards the dragon's underbelly. The dragon coos again. Its claws dig into the ground and its entire body shakes, telling Still in Love just how much pain it's trying to withstand.
Now that the dragon is calm, Still in Love is able to pull out the arrows. Every pulled arrow gushes out a green-tinted blood. Still in Love has to hold herself not to close the wound, hoping to let the poison flow out following every drop of blood pouring out of the dragon. Once all of the arrows are extracted, she lifts her arm, casting a warm healing magic to the dragon.
"It's all done.. how are you feeling?"
The only thing she receives is a weak exhale.
"Ms. Dragon? How are you feeling?"
The dragon cracks its eyes open. Still in Love is taken aback with the color of its eyes. She clearly remembers the dragon has blue iris for her right eye, and magenta for her left. This time, somehow, its eyes are both magenta in color.
"Ms. Dragon..?"
It exhales again, longer. It lifts its foreleg, dragging Still in Love to its chest.
Still in Love follows along. Once she's seated between the dragon's chest and its claws, it curls its neck inward. Creating a circle protecting Still in Love.
Just like it usually is.
But Still in Love knows. Knows by the dragon's slowing breath. By the cold skin under its scales. By the flickering light in its eyes.
A singular tear rolls down Still in Love's cheek. Soon, many more follow. She sobs as she pulls the dragon's claws closer to her, trembling hand rubbing the scales on its neck and feels it reverberates when the dragon breathes out.
"I'm sorry.. I'm sorry… You've done so much for me and yet… I'm truly sorry…"
The dragon rumbles. Its gaze softens as it lifts a claw to touch Still in Love's face, as if it’s trying to wipe her tears.
Still in Love buries her face to the dragon's claws, arms tightly hugging its foreleg. She dares not to move. Only crying, tears falling freely, as the dragon's warmth slowly but surely be replaced by the cold of the night.
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