The Dragon King-Closed

[Perplexia]

Alex felt as though the darkness was closing around her. She hadn't realized that she would be in danger by wandering off castle grounds. Although scared her exterior remained calm.

Her soul on the other hand wretched in fear crying out for its mate to find her and save her from the doom that awaited. Alex didn't think if she cried out he would hear her, and wasn't sure she wanted to be saved.

If she died, then she would be sparing herself a lifetime of uselessness. She had come to the realization that she was going to give this thing with Jack a chance. But now he had decided he was done.

The pull that had caused her to go to him, should ideally bring him to her. If they were compatible.

 

[TheRPGuru]

Jack didn't know what jerked him upright, something hit him in the gut and all he knew was danger. He looked around frantically for the source of the feeling, but he could see nothing. He heard nothing, the castle was quiet. Yet the tingling didn't go away, it pulled on him like a string, pulling his attention outside.

He found himself on the platform where he normally took off in his dragon form. He peered into the dark and he thought he could hear it. The fog outside was thick and hard to see through, unnaturally so.

Jack gritted his teeth, and raced out into the night, half changing as he did so.

* * * *

The creature that loomed in the dark over Alex was ten feet tall, unnaturally thin and long in the limb. Horns spiked it's face and head all over, drool dripping from a mouth that seemed more a black void than a body opening. It hesitated in striking as it was a creature that lived on fear, and knew not why Alex wasn't running away or screaming.

It moved slowly closer to her, hunger filling it as it readied to strike.

* * * *

Jack saw the shape before he saw Alex, he knew from the pose it held it was ready to feed on something. He swooped in and slammed into the beast, sending it flying into nearby rocks hard enough to crack them. He landed in his half dragon form, wings flapping as he landed inbetween Alex and in creature.

The beast roared a loud inhuman hiss, and rushed Jack. Huge spikes came from Jack's hands like a fist of swords as he charged towards the beast to meet it head long. There was a crunch from the impact, followed but the sound of sickening flesh as the beast's fell to the ground in four pieces.

Jack turned toward's Alex and shifted back into human form as he approached her. "Are you alright? What are you doing out here?" He asked, a little stunned by what called him here.

 

[Perplexia]

Alex looked blankly at the beast that threatened to tear her in two. She closed her eyes excepting that it was her fate now to die. The life she could have had with Jack was no more, he was tired and done. She couldn't blame him, but now she had no purpose.

Then there was a thud and smash. Her eyes flew open to see Jack between her and the beast, and in an instant he had demolished it. He changed back to human before her and she wrapped her arms around him tightly hugging him as her body now trembled and the tears fell.

"I'm fine" she managed to answer as she stepped back from the embrace and began to examine him to be sure he was okay. "You told me that you were done trying. So my being here was pointless". she said blankly. "I wasn't going to waste my life away in the castle and watch you torture yourself. I don't remember yelling and i'm well out of view how did you find me?"

 

[TheRPGuru]

Jack held Alex when she hugged him, his heart beat rapidly from the rush. He had been scared for her, he knew something was happening and yet he couldn't tell what. It was a feeling he had never gotten from anyone before. And she seemed to know it too, because she pulled back and asked him how he had found her.

Jack frowned and thought about it. Truth was he didn't know, something pulled him outside, pulled him to where she was. He shook his head. "I don't know. I felt something urging me to come here, that there was danger. But I didn't know what until I flew in to see the beast and you in the dark." He sighed and trembled, "That's never happened before. Are you alright?" He asked her. "You sure you aren't hurt?"

 

[Perplexia]

"Yes Jack I'm okay" she said softly "Was it like a pull, almost like a rope pulling at you? That's what I felt after Veletra's left you. But I didn't understand it until she came into the kitchen ranting."

She shook her head embracing him once again. "I told her off by the way, I'm sure you'll hear about it."

She let silence take over for a moment, before speaking again.

"Jack, There is a reason I was drawn to this mountain my entire life, there is a reason that I knew you were in anguish, and there is a reason that you knew I was in danger. We owe it to ourselves to find out what it is. If you're set on giving up then you need to leave me here. But if you are willing to give it one more try, then I will go back with you."

 

[TheRPGuru]

Jack sighed and held her against him. "Of course I want to try Alex. Look Veletra, she just pushes by buttons sometimes and it hurts me more than anything that I've not been able to give her a decent life. She has been basically in prison her whole adult life and it's my fault. It doesn't feel good."

He shook his head and stepped away from her. "Look I might never try again after you. But something tells me that there is something special about you. I can't put my finger on it, but I feel it." He frowned and shrugged, "And if it doesn't work out, then I will free your village of the pact and give up. I'll have no choice."

He took Alex's hand in his. "Come let me take us back." He said, sprouting wings from his back. "You'll have to hold on tight though." He smirked.

 

[Perplexia]

"No you're wrong" she said watching him change and taking a step back as his wings sprouted. She gave him a big smile and then went back o finishing what she was saying.

"Veletra created her own prison when she denied herself the ability to accept that she was chosen, and when she didn't accept you for who she was. You have provided us a home of exceptional quality that we would have never known. You supply us with all of our needs above and beyond. To top it off you actually care. This is not a prison it's an opportunity to be part of something larger then ourselves."

Wrapping her arms around his neck she clasped them firmly so he may fly her home.

 

[TheRPGuru]

Jack frowned as she tried to comfort him about Veletra and thought about it to himself. Veletra had every right to be upset, she was chosen and forced up the mountain, she hadn't decided to join him. Very few girls did, which was why Jack had tried to make life easy for them once they came to him. Sure they lost there friends and family, but he had hoped he had given them a full loving life in return for their sacrifice.

Jack took to the air holding Alex close, his flight was rougher in half human form and not as powerful as in his dragon form. But it was faster. The wind rushed through their hair tightened the clothes against their bodies.

Jack thought to lighten the mood, so he sniffed loudly in her ear. "Good lord, being out at night has made you smell like a Sarlac." He teased with a smirk. "You will take a bath when we get back." He insisted.

Jake landed onto his platform and ushered her into his bathroom, where a giants stone tub was sunken into the ground. He pulled out a stone in the wall next to the tub and water from the hot spring within the mountain began to fill the tub. He glanced at Alex and winked before opening a nearby wooden closet that contained bottles of oils and fragrances.

"Do you like Lavender or Rose better?" He asked, turning toward her with two bottles in hand.

 

[Perplexia]

She didn't particularly care to be told that she had to take a bath. But she let it go and enjoyed the flight, although a bit rougher then the first.
Looking now at the bottles he held before he she chose the rose. She actually liked both scents just as equally, but decided to go with rose for the particular mood she was in.

Looking up at him she said softly "I have no idea what a sarlac is, but i'm guessing that's bad?" she let out a light laugh. "Out" she said smirking as she pushed on him lightly to get him to leave the room. "you can talk to me through the door if you wish"

Once the door was closed she questioned to see if he was still there. "Jack?"

 

[TheRPGuru]

Jack shook his head, "I was merely joking with you. Trying to lighten the mood." He explained. "But yes, a Sarlac is a giant slug-monster. You don't smell like a Sarlac, you smell like you need to soak in a warm wonderful bath though." He said smiling.

She lightly laughed at him, then simply said "Out."

Jack nodded and left the room. Hanging outside the door at her request. He listened to her climb into the water, and pictured her naked just on the other side of the wooden barrier between them.

"Jack?" She called softly.

"I'm here." He told her.

 

[Perplexia]

"so about this bride thing, is there any type of special ceremony or something?" she questioned as she washed her skin in the steamy rose water.

"Is there like a courting period, how does it work?"

She closed her eyes and let herself relax. It was almost as if she could feel him near which provide her a sense of warmth and security. She had felt a pull to him earlier, and wondered if that was what drew him to her beyond the castle. He was right there was something that was different. Given she had always felt drawn to the mountain where as everyone avoided it, she never felt the need to be connected to a guy, not even a crush. As if somehow she knew her destiny was elsewhere.

 

[TheRPGuru]

Jack sighed and leaned his head against the door. "Typically the village throws the ceremony. As much as I would love to have a wed-day or whatever it is called, I have been told it is supposed to be a ceremony surrounded by friends and loved ones. Sadly I cannot provide that for anyone, anyone coming up the mountain could never return."

He paused, "I purposefully have ignored that tradition as I do not wish to see someone saddened because they miss their family and friends. Especially for a half-baked ceremony." He explained.

"I'm sorry."

 

[Perplexia]

Alex sat there for a moment as all the pieces began to fit together, virgin, white dress, celebration oaths. She then began to laugh hysterically for a couple minutes before she could speak clearly.

"Nothing like being married without know it" she began to laugh again. "all our lives they prepare us for our potential duty, and then have us repeat words in a language we don't know. Then send us up a mountain, but never tell us what our fate is to be. We talk for years with questions... will he eat us, will we be part of some pagan ritual, and all along we're being married." she giggled a bit more before rising out of the tub and pulling the drain. Taking a white robe from the back of the door she came out to find him still there.

"There is no need to apologize Jack, it is simply the fact i was ignorant." she smiled and left the room to go to her own to redress.

 

[TheRPGuru]

Jack still felt bad about her unknowingness. It would explain several of the girls who came to him incredibly angry. Apparently the village was sending these girls to him without expressing exactly what was happening. It angered him, as even he thought it was unfair on top of the pact he already enforced with the village.

He frowned and shook his head, "Your story would shed a lot of light on some of the previous girls and why they had been so upset with me. The village hiding the truth from you was never part of the deal."

He sighed and shook his head, then smiled. "On the bright side you smell lovely now." He said brushing his fingers across her cheek. "What will you do tonight? Draw more? Read?"