A sudden pain in his heart woke him up out of a dead sleep. He gasps, holding his chest as the pain throbbed for a moment, and then it was gone, leaving behind a headache.

He groans, rubbing his temples and squeezing his eyes shut as tight as he can. This always happens when one of the dragons pass on. He can feel their pain, feel when they have died or when a new one is born.

He was in touch with all of the dragons, so much so, he had built a large lair inside of a mountain. Tunnels leading to the outside and a large hole from the top of the mountain allowed more dragons to come and go as they please. Hongjoong rose from the fur pelts he made a makeshift bed with, and stretches his achy muscles.

Looking around at all of the different dragon breeds he's kept safe, made him feel guilty that he couldn't save that one that had just been slaughtered. The hunters, he will make them pay one day. But for now, he must keep the other safe and protected from them.

His favorite one, a white dragon with bright blue irises squawks loudly before landing by his feet. She was as big as a horse, still just a little one and hasn't grown into her adult scales yet. He smiles as he runs a hand down her muzzle, one of her velvet whiskers touch his cheek in greeting, "Hello Beauty."

The dragon chirps, before snorting and looking to the other dragons flying around. Some were still asleep, some were just sitting on their perches and lazily watching as the younger dragons flew around and played.

Hongjoong smiles, his hand strokes Beauty's ear softly, "Let's go visit a friend shall we? You'll love his pet dragon."

Beauty chirps again, allowing Hongjoong to climb on her back and settle before her strong wings hoist them in the air. Hongjoong smiles as they fly through the sky. He can feel the love and freedom Beauty feels as she flies through the clouds and over the tree tops.

Unfortunately, it all came to a crashing hault.

A larger black dragon, one Hongjoong knew well and knew wouldn't ever hurt a fly named Alton, charged after them in the sky. Beauty dodges his attack, spinning in the air to guard Hongjoong from the attack. Hongjoong tightened his grip on her whiskers, looking for what could possibly be the reason this once shy dragon is now trying to knock them out of the sky.

Something switched in Beauty, Hongjoong could feel her once calm demeanor now turned into a ball of stress and rage. She hisses, turning her head to snap at Hongjoong's legs.

"Beauty!" Hongjoong shouts, avoiding the sharp teeth of the dragon as she lunges for him. He backs away from her, noticing how they were close to the treetops and did the only thing he could think to do.

He jumped.

Bracing himself, he easily caught his weight on a strong tree limb, and crawled to hide in a bushel of leaves. Beauty and Alton screeched and roared as they circled above the tree line where they seen Hongjoong disappear, but they didn't stay for long. Instead, both dragons let their powerful wings take them West and away from their home.

Hongjoong's medallion in his neck began to glow slightly. It was once blue, and now began to have cracks of yellow and orange break the surface.

He frowns, "It can't be." He shakes his head, climbing down from the tree after locating the purple hue in the distance. He races toward it, fear coursing through his blood.

He must warn Yunho.

<<~*~>>

Written by JinJin0309