A scream shattered the silence of the night. “Help! Help! I’m bleeding!” The voice was mine, yet unfamiliar. I was ensnared within a dream, a dream that dissipated like smoke as I awoke. Struggling to regain composure, I endeavored to drift back into sleep, yet a lingering sense of terror haunted my thoughts. I must have screamed again, for I felt a gentle shake. It was Freya, who had scaled up to my hammock, her eyes filled with concern. Her silent presence was enough to ground me in reality, assuring me that I was awake and safe.

“Well hello there. Something wrong?” I managed to croak out. She nodded, “You were screaming in your sleep.” I felt a flush of embarrassment, “Really? Sorry. I didn’t mean to.” But the feeling of dread remained, its icy grip unyielding. Sensing my discomfort, she inquired, “Were you having a nightmare or something?” I shrugged and replied, “I don’t know. I don’t remember anything. I might have.” Suddenly, a surge of pain lanced through my head and neck. I gasped and clutched my throat, wondering if this was still a dream or some form of curse.

“What hurts?” she asked. “My head and neck, especially my neck,” I answered. She examined me carefully and assured, “There’s nothing. Your neck looks fine.” I said, “I don’t understand why, but it hurts.” She hypothesized, “Maybe it’s some residual pain from today. Your neck looked terrible.” Puzzled, I asked, “I don’t remember that. What happened?” She seemed surprised, “You don’t remember?” I shook my head, “Not really. What happened today after I lost the duel?” She recounted the events of the previous day, explaining how Vexus had saved me from certain death and how I had behaved like a drunken lover with Siveth, oblivious to my actions and words. It was a disheartening tale, and guilt washed over me for causing her discomfort. She forgave me, but I found it hard to forgive myself, until I realized that it wasn’t entirely my fault. I was under Erebus’ influence, which had messed with my mind in an attempt to unlock some hidden power within me.

A violent storm raged through the night, unleashing its fury on the land. Then, as abruptly as it had started, it ceased, leaving a chilling silence in its wake. The air was significantly colder than before, but I barely noticed. I was accustomed to harsher climates. I was on the verge of falling asleep again when a faint sound, like footsteps in the dark, caught my attention. I tensed up and held my breath, hoping it was nothing. But then a shadow loomed over me, and I blurted out, “Who’s there?”

“It’s me, Freya,” a familiar voice whispered. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

I relaxed slightly and responded, “Oh hi! It’s okay. I heard you approaching and woke up. Did I scream again in my sleep and wake you up too?”

She shook her head and moved closer to me. “No, you were quiet this time.”

I noticed she was shivering and asked, “Is something wrong? You look cold.”

She nodded, “I’m freezing. I don’t know why. It’s not even as cold as home.”

Feeling sorry for her, I offered, “Do you want some more blankets from me? I can handle the temperature.”

She hesitated before replying, “I don’t think that would be enough. Can I sleep with you?”

I was taken aback by her request, but I didn’t mind. “I think we’d be a bit tight, but yeah.”

With a childlike eagerness, she climbed into the hammock, seeking the comfort of my warmth. But the space was too cramped for both of us, and I tossed and turned restlessly. “I have an idea,” I said. “Can you get out for a moment?” She looked at me with a puzzled expression and agreed, “Sure, sorry.” Once she climbed out of the hammock, I quickly shifted my shape into that of an Earth Dragon and offered, “There. Now you can sleep on me if you like.” She didn’t hesitate to curl up on my chest, and I couldn’t help but smile. “You’re not afraid of me in this form anymore, huh?” I asked. She giggled and replied, “No, I can tell it’s you now.” I felt a warm glow in my heart and expressed, “Thank you. I’m happy that you’re here with me.”

She tried to wrap one of the blankets around us, but it proved too small. I suggested using my wings to keep her warm, but they were too short. She noticed and said, “Nah, those wings won’t do much.” I responded, “Wait, I have another idea.”

With a mere thought, I altered the shape and texture of my wings. One transformed into a soft plume of white feathers, while the other morphed into a scaly membrane of dark leather. I asked her, “Which do you prefer? Angel wings or dragon wings?” She looked at me with a smile and chose, “I think I’ll take the angel wings.” I obliged and reshaped both of my wings to meet her preference.

Then, in a gentle whisper, I said, “As you wish, my little queen,” and enveloped her in a warm embrace under my now feathery wings.

Her heartbeat echoed in her chest, a maelstrom of fear and excitement pumping through her veins. Sensing her emotions with uncanny precision, I asked gently, “Are you afraid? Do you not trust me?” She shook her head, a feeble attempt to mask her anxiety. “No, I’m fine,” she lied. I could see the truth in her wide, apprehensive eyes. Looking at her with my enormous orbs, I said mournfully, “But you are afraid. I can see it.” She bit her lip, then admitted, “Maybe a little. I’m sorry.” I reached out to stroke her gently, soothing her nerves. She relaxed, and then, with a playful glint in her eye, she said, “Oh, you’re so kind.” I smiled, grateful for her words. “Thank you. I appreciate that. You are very kind as well.”

She leaned in, her breath tickling my face as she whispered, “You are so exposed in this position. I could slice your throat with one swift motion.” I countered, “That’s an odd thing to hear from someone who is held in my embrace and has no escape unless I allow it.” Her words hung in the air, and I softened my tone. “I’m only teasing. You have nothing to fear from me. You are safe under my wings.” She smiled and said, “I know I am. That’s why I adore you so much, Nox.” I felt a surge of affection and humor, and I said, “I feel the same way. Even though I could devour you whole like this,” and I moved my head closer to hers, giving her a sideways glance with one of my eyes to emphasize my size.

Our heads were mismatched in size, and I feared that my fangs might pierce her soft lips. It was a clumsy, awkward kiss, but it was filled with our love. She loved me even when I was in this dragon form. Even though it wasn’t my true one. She didn’t mind anymore. We broke our kiss, and I flicked my tongue in the air, savoring her scent. I said, “I can taste you, even without touching you.” She giggled and said, “Ahahha, me too.”

She shivered in my embrace, then relaxed. She was no longer cold and distant. She was warm and tender.

I wrapped my arms around her and held her close, feeling her warmth and heartbeat. I whispered in her ear, “You’re my favorite fruit. Your flavor is unlike any other.” She smiled and kissed my cheek, saying, “I know, you can’t find another like me. And I can’t find another like you either. I’m one of a kind.” As she spoke and we were neck-to-neck, I felt a surge of affection for her. She was so small, yet so curious and adventurous. “What are you doing?” I asked, amused by her attempts to mimic me. “Nothing, just checking if I can pierce your scales,” she answered, looking at me with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Oh, oh, you’re so wild,” I exclaimed, caressing her. “You started this. You’re wild,” she retorted, nuzzling my neck. She had a very weak point, so I chuckled and said, “Guess you’re right, ahah.”

Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder. She had scratched me with her claws, drawing blood. Before I could react, she pressed her lips to the wound, kissing it gently. I gasped and said, “Oh, you’re like a little vampire. Do you really like my blood?” She lifted her head and smiled at me sweetly. “I like you for everything,” she said, then moved away from me, leaving me puzzled and intrigued by her actions. I watched her silently, wondering what she was up to next.

She nestled next to me. Her body curled around my head, and she peered over my shoulder. “Do you know that you’ve got some new marks here?” she asked, pointing at something I couldn’t see. “What? No, I can’t see behind there,” I said, puzzled. “You got more marks like the one under your eye, more V, and my same mark, again. Also, there’s a third one. I think it’s the mark of Akira,” she explained. “What? Why would I have her same mark?” I wondered aloud. “I don’t know. It’s just there,” she shrugged. She beat me to the punch as I was trying to hypothesize and said, “Maybe it’s something related to her using the light sword on you?” I nodded. “You know? That could actually make sense.” She attempted to remove it. I felt her claws prying at my scales, and I protested, “No, please don't remove them. Leave them where they are.” But she ignored me. She sliced off the whole area, but then it grew back as before. The mark was still there. She sighed. “Oh well, I tried to remove it. It looks like I can’t help you with that.”

With a playful leap, she landed on my head without harming herself, then rolled back onto my chest. She looked at me with a weary smile and said, “Ok, I’m tired now. Is there anything else you want to do before we try to sleep?” I shook my head and said, “I’m good. How about you?” She sighed and said, “I don’t have anything left to give. I just want to sleep with you.” I said, “Alright, then let me help you.” I wrapped her in my wings again and felt her relax in my embrace. In less than five minutes, she drifted off to sleep, but not before whispering, “I love you. Nox.” I didn’t say anything back but gently stroked her head. I was exhausted too, and I soon followed her into the realm of dreams.

The rest of the night was uneventful.

I was jolted awake by a strange noise in the early morning. So was she. She lay on top of me, feeling my heartbeat quicken and my breath grow ragged. I winced as a sharp pain shot through my head and neck, just as it had before. She looked at me with concern and whispered, “Are you scared of a little sound in the night, you big thing?” I tried to sound brave, but my voice trembled. “No, maybe not. It’s just this pain. It won’t go away.” She searched my eyes for a moment, then turned her attention to the noise outside. It sounded like footsteps getting closer to us. She tensed up and said, “Shh, be quiet.” I obeyed and held my breath for what seemed like an eternity. It was actually a whole minute without air. She breathed softly and peered through a gap in my wing feathers, scanning the surroundings. The noise stopped. She relaxed and said, “I think it’s gone now, whatever it was.” I asked her, “What do you think it was, so close to our village in the middle of the night?” She shrugged and said, “I don’t know. Maybe it was Canine or Siveth, one of them who woke up early.” I nodded and said, “That makes sense. It’s getting light outside. Morning is near.” We were both exhausted from the night of pain, love, and mystery. I drifted back to sleep as she murmured something in my ear. She soon followed me into slumber.