Dragon Frost (38 page)

I slice
down the next demon and find an opening in their defence, I break
for it. “Get down!” I hear a voice call. I drop, my body flat on
the floor and heat boils above me and my head begins to spin as a
high-pitched noise enters my ears. I shake my head and tattering
bass steps make their way towards me and I see armoured greaves and
blue scales. ‘
Dante?’

“
No, it’s
me!” I’m pulled from the ground and forced behind Altair he grasps
my hand and leads me away. “We need to get you out of
here!”

“
Varden!”
I cry. A large demon-boar jumps us and he forces me back where I
stumble against the wall, I feel rather useless right now and
uncoordinated, it’s frustrating, I’ve never been so. That’s just
another to add to my condition—still it’s too soon to tell. I see a
winged demon hover above Altair and I move to reach for my wire I
had to sheath away earlier only to find it no longer present.
Great! I’m defenceless and we’re going to die!

“
Kal!” I
glance to the voice, Dante stands with Varden, his crossbow is
tossed in the air and swims towards me smoothly, a demon’s blade
swings at me horizontally and I slide under it and catch the
crossbow, I spin around and on my knee shoot down the demons that
pursue me. I’m sturdy and manage to hold back the line until
something large steps through the crowd, “You’ve got to be joking
me . . .” I hear Dante mutter. My senses were heightened. I rise
from the ground and slowly stalk back and stop beside
Dante.

“
He’s all
yours.” I say as I eye the large tubby stature of the nine-foot
tall grey skin cracked demon—
he is in real need of a hot-spring.

“
What . .
. you’re going to leave me to fight tubby,
 here
?” he asks me as he jerks his thumb to the demon
before us and I give him a side look saying, “does it really look
like I can take him, now” though he doesn’t comment he steps
forward with a sigh and points a finger. “You’re mine big boy!”
Dante charges at the demon and leaps, his shoulder comes in contact
with its chest and the demon is sent back several hundred meters. I
stare.

There are
times, like now, when I forget how strong Dante is and Altair for
that matter—I’ll like to see which one is stronger though, that
will be interesting. My mind is pulled from the fight between the
gigantic demon and Dante to see a demon falls down before me with
an arrow in its chest. “Keep your head in the game!” I hear Varden
growl. I shake my head and fire several more arrows.

It’s not
exactly the fear the forces people to run but the impending death
that threatens their existence, normally I’m never the one to run
from what I feared however, I’m required to protect Varden if it
means running than we’ll run. It’s not exactly how I like to handle
life-threatening situations but survival is the utmost important.
He may be good with the bow but there’s hundreds if not thousands
after him. He may be a good shot but he has wooden arrows not
energy arrows like the Nefaliem—he’ll surely run out in time—that’s
what the demons require, time if nothing more, time—every species
greatest enemy.

Not even
the Vampires can escape it. Even time is their enemy . . . The
corners seemed endless, I however am unsure which way to turn, am
unsure of which way to go, once we had landed on the ground. I slip
my lengthy wire that had extended to safely secure us on solid
ground. The zip-line sounds and I manage to coil the whole wire and
place it in my belt. “Do you think they followed?” he
asks.

“
They
won’t give up so easily, especially, since Golgotha has your life
with her grasp.” The thought of what would happen should Golgotha
place his hands on Varden. It would just give me another reason to
ring her throat. I hear Varden clear his throat and regards me with
wariness—I realise than that I was growling—like a dragon. I clear
my throat and force myself to calm down, they couldn’t do anything
to him as long as I kept him from the demons and the hands of
Golgotha.

“
Behind you . . .”
 came the familiar voice. I glance behind us and force
Varden to the ground. The stone-corner wall, crashes and flies
towards us and I shield us from the impact my loose long sleeves. I
stand on my feet and see a large Troll. I frown.

“
Hold
still . . . Nefaliem.” it orders and swings its chain mace around
in the air before sending the spiky mace towards me and I duck,
barely missing the debris from the maces’ impact on the stone wall.
Now, we are currently at a crossroad of the Contuse Villa, the
place where accommodation, businesses and stables stand tall and
lifeless, stand tall and eerie.

“
Kal!” I
hear Varden cry as he runs towards me, with little time to react he
forces me out of the way and under him I now lie until there is a
break in the momentum of the enemies’ weapon. I move to my feet and
sprint holding up my long gown, I curse for the current symbiosis
my body is in, the odd part is—my body is working together to
completely heal itself—though, I’m a victim of a sad and dangerous
game. I try and not let that fact, bother me, this is something I
have to accept—I’m vulnerable now—just like before. I have to be on
my guard or this time, I may remember what happens.

I stop at
a dead end, Varden halts beside me and gasps in surprise and
annoyance. We both spin around to face our impending deaths. Why
couldn’t I have died at Varden’s hand—I wouldn’t have been given
the trouble. I scan the area, for anything to use than my right leg
becomes heavy, I glance down. Armor, more . . .
armour. 
What is going on with me?
 I wonder and see the materialization of my
crossbow upon my leg, bit by bit, it slowly becomes shaped and
solid. I slip my fingers down and around under the trigger and aim
it at the Troll. At current, the Trolls’ arms are forced above its
head as it attempts to swing its mace down at us, I fire, my wooden
arrow—transforms—it’s no longer wood but energy green-blue energy
zip-line that slices through the Troll’s head. Its arms fall down
and is sliced by the energy residue left behind like a
trail.

After the
debris of the Troll have fallen to the ground, Dante and Altair,
run towards us, I regard Varden with a confused look and he lightly
shrugs his shoulders. After everything that happened, can I blame
them for their current expressions playing out upon their faces?
Shock—fear—anxiety—concern. It’s enough to one, want to smack them
across the heads for over reacting and two for being concerned.
Very few people care about me—mostly because they concluded or
judged that I didn’t have anything to
offer. 
Only in my human form.
 I think.

“
Kal are
you okay?” demands Altair, in seconds he’s before me questioning
and scanning my body for any other form of injuries. He continues
to scan my body and notices my bloodied wrist and his eyes go dark.
Why does it matter, it’s just blood, I pass blood every month? “Who
did this?”

“
Golgotha
and her minions . . . relax, I’m fine, and it’s just a little
scratch.”

“
What are
you doing getting into fights anyway?” he growls.

“
Why does
it matter?” I retort.

“
Because
you’re weaker than before!” he yells and I go quiet. He sighs.
“Sorry.” Don’t be. I glance at Varden’s retreating form and follow
suit, Dante and Altair I feel follows behind me. Entering the Main
Building once again and I notice the receptionist from earlier who
Altair and flirted with . . . the sight of her causes an unknown
source of anger to rise within me, Lifet walks towards us from
where the woman is, the moment her eyes land on Altair she
ungraciously stumbles towards him with her hands flat on his
chest.

I can
sense Lifet and Dante’s uneasiness and Varden’s enjoyment. “You’ve
returned . . . I thought you died . . . ” she states with a chock
in her voice. I glare at Altair and the woman.

“
We’ll .
. . I . . . ”

“
You came
back for me right?” she asks and at that point I’m tempted to pull
out my father’s Prevail and thrust it through her.

“
Are you
sure you’re all right?” she asks and I grind my teeth. Why do I
even care, he’s a womanizer. I knew that and just because he hunted
with me the other night doesn’t mean anything even if it’s a ritual
among the married. If he wants an escort, I’ll have one too. I move
over to Varden and grasp his arm.

“
Let’s
go.” I didn’t give him another second to react and begin to drag
him along the floor, to my surprise he didn’t mind it but that’s
not what’s bothering me at the moment. 
Looks like an old dragon can’t be
taught new tricks.
 I think. 
Then again why should I care? He’s not my
responsibility.

“
Alright,
I’m coming, just don’t pull . . .” he calls after me. After we have
left the room I continue to pull Varden under an archway that led
to the quarter garden. I continue to hold my grasp on him until
I’ve finally managed to find my way to the snow covered ground,
where my boots crunch the ice beneath my soles, I place my elbows
on the frozen balcony rail.

Varden
stands beside me but doesn’t touch the rail.

“
I just
don’t get it . . .” I begin to think out loud, only than do I
realise what I had said, I sigh and regard the frozen valley below
where the garden in spring would be colourful blooming flowers and
lush lively leaves. Varden remains silent. I turn to him. “You
think I’m an idiot don’t you?” I ask.

“
No I
don’t.”

“
You know
. . . I’s okay if you do, I won’t be mad. I way past that emotion.”
I mutter. This is one of the main reasons why I never go for the
alpha males, they either have women lined up outside their door,
countless mistresses or a just plain womanizers. Sometimes, I
wonder what chemicals in the male brains causes them to play around
with women like that and their emotions.

“
It’s not
you I think is an idiot.” he says at last. I glance at him
confused.

“
Who?”

“
Altair,”
We both laugh at that, knowing it is true.

“
How
could I miss that?” I say with sarcasm, “It was obvious.” He laughs
before pauses and regards the ground with furrowed brows. “Varden?”
I ask as I place a hand on his shoulder, hoping our eyes would meet
mine, something was bothering him and I’m afraid it’s my fault. I
really do feel like kicking myself or rather maybe I
should.

He sighs
and runs his fingers through his blond tresses and leans on the
cold ice. I can hear his heart rate increase. He’s either nervous
or cold, I’m falling towards cold, why on this earth would he be
nervous around me, it just doesn’t seem plausible. “You know, if I
had the power to, I would kill Altair.” I’m shocked at the ice in
his tone and the seriousness of his face, the hard outline and his
firm gaze on the distant mountains we had entered to arrive
here.

“
Wh . . .
Why?” I stutter, too shocked.

“
Because
. . . he has the most beautiful, smart, talented, fierce woman
behind him, he doesn’t know how lucky he is. Where I’m from men
will fall over each other to marry you . . . what I wouldn’t give
to kill Vedric for touching you than Altair for hurting you.” My
chest fills with this uncontrollable warmth, I can feel my heart
race and myself becoming happy at his worlds. “Sorry.” he adds; and
I’m snapped out of my reprieve.

“
What are
you sorry for?” I ask.

“
For
ranting . . . ” he trails off, his face becomes red and I laugh. He
scowls at me and I laugh more. “What so fun—“ he yells and I hold
up a finger against his lips.

“
I wasn’t
laughing at you . . . I was laughing at what you said.”

“
What’s
the difference?” he growls.

“
The
difference is . . . you weren’t ranting, you were . . . ” I trail
off and he goes quiet, it’s like something unspoken has been spoken
and I can’t help but feel comfortable in this silence and I can’t
help but feel more comfortable around him.

“
I know.”
he finishes for me and I drop my hand, and stare at him, his eyes
are so alluring, I’ve always been a sucker for pale blue eyes,
there just so mystical. I feel hypnotized and find myself inching
closer to him, heat radiates between us and it only pulls me in.
Only the sound of approaching footsteps yanks me from my attempt to
kiss Varden.

I step
away.
I
shouldn’t do that!

“
We need
to talk.” Is all Altair says and turns his heel. I take one last
glance at Varden, hoping my look was apologetic and follow after. I
shouldn’t have done that but I don’t know whether to be happy or
mad I was caught almost kissing Varden. The journey to our
compartment is irritatingly slow. I can’t help but want to yell at
him to hurry up but I know he’ll just ignore me. He opens up the
door to our compartment and gestures for me to enter.

I eye him
uncertainly and enter.

“
Look if
you’re angry because—” I’m cut short by Altair’s lips against mine,
I’m shocked and mad at the same time I really don’t know what
brought this on but by the time he pulls away I’m slightly
flustered. That just annoys me more. I’m irritated by the smirk
across his face, I bring up my hand and slap him hard across the
face—I refuse to be seduced by any man—including Altair. “Are you
kidding me? Seriously . . . you’re here trying to . . . what? What
are you trying to do anyway?” I ask before I add yelling at him.
“And I’m not taking off my scales!”