A/N - I got a few requests to update so here ya go :) Hope this was up to your guys' liking. I guess I had a spare minute for some writing, and I have already updated my other stories recently so we doing go-o-o-o-o-o-o-d *insert the cool emoji with sunglasses*

Also I hate how you can't listen to the attached audio/video as you're reading it ruins the whole experience especially if there is a specific song !!! I dissapprove of the new W update!

Make sure to vote and comment, I am more likely to do updates then as that motivates me to write and lets me know that I am doing something right. :)

Thank you for votes and comment so far, you all have been very supportive across all of my stories. You guys are something else, truly :D

If you wish to follow me on instagram (cough cough, I post updates on there) : emberia_ (it's currently on private so simply request the follow or message on here if you wish :)))

Hope you all are having a nice weekend:)

- e.m.

{Our Fears are like Dragons Guarding our Most Precious Treasures}

Enjoy the reading x

#31

Wilder had this intricate air about him. A man with a short dark beard possessed several qualities of my interest.

One -- he had a glowing set of eyes. Similar to that of Owen's, but on the lively side.
Two -- Wilder was profusely the only one who refused to indulge on beverages presented. He politely declined anything offered and then just smiled faintly to the side.

"Giggle water?" Even his voice was as if laced with silk. I shuddered just at the brief masculine hitch. Caught in a trance I threw my head down at the filled mug between us.

"She doesn't drink." Owen entered our convo with a statement.

"But I'll take it." The Earth ruler grabbed onto the extended glass and downed it completely empty.

"Prick." I spit.

"I'm sorry?" Wilder assumed it was directed at him as I wouldn't break my gaze when really I was simply scolding Owen.

"Give us a minute. Please." Wilder was lost in the crowd within seconds, this gave me an opportunity to expose Owen for good.

"Eira." I turned to Owen that by now grasped both of my shoulders.

"You took my friend, you took my trust, you took my drink. What else do you want?"

"You--" He started, then shook his arms. "I want to help you."

"I have a bad habit of trusting people, and it's about time I dropped it." It was fair to leave Owen to think by himself, so I propped onto a bar seat at the extended wooden surface. My eyes naturally darted to the visitors of the place, I watched the morbid scenery before me. The effects of the substance in the air...or Wilder have worn off and I could see clearly in between the lines. Caught up in the observation I came upon a distinct gaze. A lightly drizzled in sapphires gaze at that. This individual with a cloaked hood tried to camouflage into filth-covered walls. I almost thought their obvious failure was on purpose until I realized that the figure had little experience in stalking.

"Would you like some giggle water with ice, my lady?" I averted my eyes to the bartender who stood juggling five transparent glasses at a time.

"Just ice, thanks." I nodded my head.

"Nothing but ice?" He arched an eyebrow in confusion but moved to fill a jar with ice cubes. I broke into a sweat watching as he swirled the ice cubes trying to get as many in as possible. The clinging sound made me swallow loudly. The bartender set the cold bundle in front of me. 

"There ya go."

His eyes widened when I stuck several ice cubes into my mouth and then inserted my palm into the jar itself. A few seconds passed until pain, one that seemed to numb my senses filled my brain. I grasped my head in a groan as the bartender began laughing. He immediately stopped when I spit each unmelted cube from my mouth. 

"What the hell..." I grunted shutting my eyes in unconcealed discomfort. There was a tap on the table and I looked up at the man serving drinks. "Haven't you ever experienced a brain freeze?" 

"I only brought it upon others." I acknowledged quietly under my breath.

"What?" 

"What?" I stared back, unblinking.

"Whereabouts are you from?" I flinched slightly at the curiosity in his tone, my head throbbing for the next good minutes. "Listen here..." I scanned the name tag on his grey shirt. "...Damien." I drawled, propping my clenched hands on the table as I leaned over slightly.

"You don't want to know who I am, or where I've been-"

"There you are!" Cried out a feminine voice, my words faltered as a hang circled around my shoulder and I was shoved into a chest. "My sister this is a bit cray-cray over here. Has little to no damn self-control when it comes to handsome men like yourself." The brunette gestured to Damien with a smile.

"That's alright, we get a fairly wild folk up here nevertheless." Damien shrugged it off with a smile in my direction. "And I must admit, I like a girl with a few tricks up her sleeve." If not for the tight grip on my shoulder blade I would have flown across the table and butchered Damien's face. 

"I'LL SHOW YOU-" I was pushed to the side. "See ya later, Damien!"I was dragged from the bar by practically the ends of my hair. The green-eyed lady stopped at nothing and no one even as several men stepped in our tracks. She waved them off as they came only with an aggressive. "Eat dirt."

"Forgot your attitude here, sister?" I gloated with a smile as Devina pushed me into a dark corner. We sat at a round table opposite each other. She passed me a harsh look and then folded her hands in front of us.

"I saw Light soldiers snooping about the Earth Lands." My smile dropped. "They were dangerously close to the camp, but I planted several misleading tracks."

"Was Ray there?" I frowned and Devina leaned closer. "No, but someone else was." She switched her eyes to a figure that was quickly approaching our table. "Len." She threw in under her breath, only so that I could hear. I turned my head sharply in her direction, my eyes wide.

"Have you cooled down?" Owen quivered lightly as he sat on the stool closest to me, then looked at Devina. "And what are you doing here?"

"This place serves nice drinks." She shrugged the question off, with no trace of a lie. On the other hand, I was slowly but surely drowning in panic. Has Len told them where I was? Was Owen aware of this? Did he bring me here to hide?

"Eira?" I blinked slowly. "Yes?" It came out hushed.

Owen gave me a long look before continuing. "A man here knows more about elemental powers than most do. He could know of something that would help you. The question is are you willing to share your story with him?" I hesitated for a moment, my thoughts drifting to what is my next move. Where will I go? How will I hide? I don't even admit to an answer as I once again zone out and Devine kicks me under the table. Will I share my story with Wilder? Will he be able to help me gain back ice?

  I frowned but replied. "I suppose."

"Alright, Owen, who's this that wishes my help?" I recognized this voice as it neared our table. His ego skyrocketed when I met his eyes, I could see he was amused.

"I should've known it was you, my lady." Damien sits next to Owen, the sleeves of his shirt are rolled up to expose sickly protruding veins. "You've already met?" The Earth ruler asked and I pushed my hand up to silence him.

"Can you actually get me my powers back?" I spoke, knowing I was running out of the damn time. 

"You have to be more specific than that." Damien was digging for further info, and I honestly couldn't blame him, so I pushed my primal instincts away and looked him straight in the eye. 

"What I am about to say to you, you will bring to your grave. Got it?" The bartender gave me an encouraging nod, his facial expression neutral.

***

"A necklace huh?" It took me a while to explain the situation without diving into the utmost details. There were certain things I wanted to keep to myself. It was hard to expose my vulnerability like that, but it was even harder to jump in and out of the conversation -- I kept my eyes on the cloaked figure at all times. This individual sat closer to our table, also hiding in the shadows. But I was attentive enough to spot the spy.

"You have two options." Damien began scratching the back of his head. "In the ideal world, you would retrieve that necklace. But you cannot so..." I narrowed my gaze. "So what?"

"So, you find yourself a dragon." This part came out in a whisper. It was clear that such information was forbidden to be shared. "A dragon?" Damien only nodded.

"And if I find it?" I asked, not wavering my gaze from his. I noticed Owen move uncomfortably to my left. Devina was sipping from her glass. The spy-

I looked sharply to my left, the cloaked figure was gone. It left my attention for just a mere second and I lost track of the figure. Damn it.

"Dragon's are very ancient beings. You need to form a bond with a creature of your element." Damien informed only for Owen to cut in. "Dragons of ice do not exist."

"Ruby is an ice dragon." Devina joined the argument. "Ruby is a red dragon. He must belong to Fire."

"Because he wants outsiders intimidated. Do you honestly think Fire dragons would be this friendly?" The green-eyed woman proposed only for Owen to roll his eyes. "Friendly? He tried to bite my leg off the other day!"

"He was only playing!" Damien slammed a palm against the table silencing the two and just about everyone around us. "Continue on fellas. Nothing to see here." He mentioned to the few men who weren't as drunk on giggle water and actually seemed mortified of the radiating glare coming from the server.

"Fire Dragons live inside the volcanoes and caves, fortunately for us." Damien spoke, lifting a glass of his own. "Their flaming breath destroys everything in its path. Ruby is definitely not a Fire dragon." Devina and Owen stared at their laps, not saying a word.

"How I know when someone is a dragon?" I asked placing a hand underneath my chin, but it wasn't Damien that answered. 

"Every dragon carries this." Devina lifted a pendant from her pocket, it had a symbol of ice on it. My mind stammered, and for a split second, even my jaw slammed to the floor. It wasn't the sight of this pendant that shocked me, but the realization that came with it.

"T-this.. shows that someone is a dragon?" I stuttered retracting back from the piece of jewelry. Devina handed me a wry look. "Yes. You've seen one like this before?"

I swallowed, blinking rapidly. "You could say that." There was bile in my throat. One thought continuously kept ringing and ringing in my mind.

Ash is a dragon.

ASH IS A DRAGON!

ASH. IS. A. DRAGON.

The pendant that I watched practically hit me in the face that very first day in the hallway. It was the confirmation for who he has. Maybe it was even a signature between dragons to demonstrate who was in their dragon cult and who wasn't a dragon.

"Why isn't Ruby turning into his human form?" I wanted to know and the two males at the table looked over to Devina.

"He can't, there are rules which he neglected..and now..now he's paying the consequences." Devina took a sip of her giggle water and exhaled looking slightly down. 

"Like what?" The brunette gave Owen a dry look.

"When a human that is able to take on the dragon form kills a humane soul, they break the Dragon's code." She tapped the glass in her palms almost to stop herself from saying much else. "And if the Dragon's code is broken, they remain in their dragon form for the rest of their life."

"Ruby isn't a nasty dragon, he rarely attacks -- and if he does, only for a good reason." At this point, Devina was lost in her deep thoughts. She swirled the liquid and then chugged the glass empty.

"Who did he kill?" Her dull forest eyes flitted to Damien.

"I wouldn't know, dragons don't talk." Devina stared off into the distance for a sliver of a second and then stood up. "I will go check on him, he needs his feed." With that, the female stalked off and left us in a trio, and the bartender turned to me.

"Could Ruby be the potential dragon?"I asked him. It was perfect, with Ruby being an ice elemental I could get my powers back to me quicker than I expected.

"That depends." Damien replied coyly. 

"On what?"

"On you." 

I darted my gaze to Owen for a moment, he was looking at me with a strange expression, one I couldn't label. "When you become bonded with a dragon of your element, they hand over their share of powers to you."

"To keep a hold of those powers you must do what one must do." Damien placed a lengthy dagger to the center of the table and nodded his head to it. "Slay the dragon."

"I won't kill Ruby." I shook my head, and Owen chirped in.  "There's got to be another way." I pushed the knife away but the bartender placed it on my lap. "There isn't." 

"I need some fresh air." I stood up from the stool and placed the dagger back on the table. "Eira." Owen called after me, rising too but Damien pushed him back into the seat. 

I made it outside, wanting to see where Devina and her red dragon have located to but couldn't find them. As I was strolling along, I felt a presence behind me. Someone was following my every step. I strolled further, before sharply hitting the cloaked individual to the ground.

"Why are you following me!?" I don't know who I was expecting, but I certainly was not expecting to see a girl, about my age possibly younger to stare back at me as I exposed her identity and pulled down the hood. It was perplexing in the least when she trembled up in terror and lifted her palms up in protests. "Please don't hurt me!"

"Why are you following me?" I demanded, pressing into her chest with the back of my foot, in order to make sure she stays on the ground. I was shaking myself, not because I was scared of hurting her but because her eyes --the colour of them specifically -- brought fear upon me. The retinas of cold, pale snow were staring back at me. An ice elemental. An elemental from my Kingdom. Possibly an ally too?

"Who are you here with?" I requested but the girl simply cowered in a ball of her own tears. "I'm alone." She sobbed quietly to herself and I let my gaze stare at her for a moment. A youngling with no home, no family. I felt the need to comfort her, to let her know it was all going to be fine but I restrained myself from doing so -- it was not my place. I removed my foot from her body, slowly but I still did. 

"Do you have a name?" I wanted to know and the girl with dark brown locks averted her eyes to me with a small nod. "My name is Frostine." She pushed herself from the ground and steadily rose to my level. I scanned her scratched hands which quickly pulled herself together, she rearranged her cloak and then sent me a tiny smile.

"I was looking to find you." Frostine said out of blue. I nodded my head, encouraging for her to keep talking she didn't. Instead, the girl glared at something behind me.

"Quite a show you pulled on back there." One of the tall scruffy men yelled over. "You buy drinks, you pay!" I looked at Frostine who gulped down nervously and then looked towards me with little to no hope. She was expecting me to get her out of this mess?! 

"Leave the girl alone." I commanded, but the older men simply chuckled. "Who is that there? Darling, you want a punishment too?" They were now fully emerged from the darkest corner of the place. Should I have seen there would be five against one...or maybe two I would have never said a thing. Should I have kept my mouth sealed shut we could have been running for our lives whilst they all tried to hunt us down. 

"Would you look at that boys, it doesn't only spits curses but also threatens!" One of the five called. "Can you throw a good punch too?"

"You are right." I admitted once I saw a familiar shadow outline on the wall. "You lot are definitely boys. Men would not be this vulgar." That ticked something off in not only one but several of them. So they leaped at us, only to get roared into their faces. I shoved Frostine to the ground as Ruby dropped onto the ground just in front of us. The men --sorry, boys -- gave out shrieks unbeknown to the world and quickly fled the scene. 

"I leave you for one minute and you get yourself in trouble." Devina arched an eyebrow while she slid down Ruby's scaly back. She landed before us, gracefully, and gave me a confident smirk. "I actually had that handled." I lied and helped Frostine back to her feet. She brushed her brown locks from her face and stood alarmed at Ruby's opened mouth. 

"He doesn't bite." I said just as Devina questioned. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Fros-"

"Frostine!" We turned to see Damien hurry to us, face erupting in fury. The girl at my side seemed to cower for a moment, her eyes widening for being spotted, but even if she seemed like she wanted to run she didn't.

"Hi, Damien." Frostine waved awkwardly whilst Devina and I watched the weird interaction. "Why is Kirt nagging me about you again? Haven't I told you not to come here?" The way he spoke to her made Frostine fluster for a hot minute. The girl was in daze missing everything Damien was telling her. "I'm sorry." She babbled on. "I wanted to see who came down tonight. It's not that big of a deal."

"Does Frost know you're here?" Damien sighed and at the mention of the name, Frostine's eyes turned to saucers. "What?! Off course he knows I'm here!" 

"Then he can come to pick you up." She practically latched onto Damien's sleeve. "I can walk back myself! Don't call him down, Damien please?" The bartender stared at the hand clutching his piece of clothing and let out another exasperated sigh. 

"Where is Owen?" I cut into the argument, noticing he didn't come outside. Damien shrugged, and a bald man with an apron rushed to our group.  "Damien, several Light soldiers entered a few minutes ago. They wish to make some sort of announcement." Devina and I exchanged worry with our eyes. 

She moved to my side and grabbed my shoulder. "Go with Ruby. I'll make sure the boy is fine." I shook my head but Devina pushed me to her dragon. "Go!"

I climbed onto Ruby's back and looked down to Damien. "Thank you for your help. I owe you." The bartender looked at Frostine then back at me. "Take Frostine with you, take her home, then your debt will be paid for." It was clear that Damien did not quite understand what was the danger about but he assumed that if it concerned me, then it must concern Frostine too. Any ice elemental at that.

I nodded to him with a small smile, and Frostine hesitantly climbed to sit behind me. "Go the other way, but be careful they're just behind that wall." Damien gestured to the side of the house and then disappeared with Devina into the bar. Ruby crawled on the ground, and if we were not in so much danger of being caught I would have probably laughed at how funny it was. Frostine was shaking behind me, especially when we neared the wall Damien mentioned.

"On behalf of King Ray's command. It appears that an Ice Royal has gone missing. We kindly ask that anyone that has seen or heard of  Elizabeth, arrange her travels. She is to be delivered to the Ice Kingdom immediately. Rewards to be discussed with the King!" A male voice roared. There was silence after the word 'reward' spread across the room.

"King Owen of Earth, you are required to attend matters with King of Ice, Ray." The sam soldier voiced, and I felt my stomach twist in knots. They wanted Owen out of the picture. Ray must have suspected my relations with him. I tried to remember how much I actually told that manipulative Light elemental of how I felt. It was sickening how he was the only one I genuinely tried to open my mind to --and that was my huge mistake. Opening to someone I could not trust. This stupid thing again -- trust -- a stupid accumulation of feelings, hope, and faith into absolutely nothing.

"I don't have time for that." I heard a muffled response, Owen sounded almost disinterested.

"King Ray mentioned you might say that. And wishes to add that he understands that you are in knowledge of the girl's whereabouts, so unless you attend, we do not change the command." I felt my stomach drop further. 

"What are you talking about?" Everyone was so silent, you could clearly hear Owen speak. I could only hope that the soldiers could not hear us on the other side of the wall.

"King Ray specifies that should you refuse to attend the meeting, the girl can be brought to the Ice Kingdom in any shape or form." They could bring me in dead that is how desperate Ray was.

Ruby plunged into the air, but I kept my gaze on the ground that got smaller and smaller the higher up we flew. 

***

We traveled south with a few confusing directions from Frostine who seemed a bit lost herself. Ruby had to edge closer to the forests, the girl behind was keen that it was the only way she could navigate us to her home..wherever that was. 

"So who is this Frost exactly?" I asked after a long silence. "Frost's my brother." I frowned and looked to her, she stared back. "Didn't you say you were alone?"

"In the bar I was." She admitted, and I narrowed my gaze contemplating on dropping the girl from the dragon. I discarded the thought instantly and just gazed straight ahead. 

"You also said you were looking for me, why is that?" I gloated, admiring the few of the trees beneath us. "It's quite a funny story actually." Frostine laughed nervously but I didn't, so she shut herself up immediately.

"So I was sitting on the lodge one day, thinking to myself how I should braid my hair-" I interrupted her out of annoyance. "Skip the epilogue, and the get to the story already."

"Um alright, so I was-"

Ruby suddenly gave out a displeased roar, a cry even. My eyes jumped to the multiple sharp weapons, all directed at the scaly skin of our friend. I yelled for the red dragon to land, or fly further away. I feared he would be hurt more so that us getting away. 

"STOP IT! WHY MUST HE ALWAYS DO THIS?!" Frostine was hollering at whoever was attacking us. But I tried my best to calm Ruby in his state of distress -- Devina will skin me for good, and wear my head as a trophy. 

We landed badly with me tumbling across into the bushes and Frostine scattering into the ground directly. I gave out a scream as my arm gave away and instantly felt the temperature drop.

It was a tick. A moment lasting milliseconds as wind currents picked up and I felt icy gashes of air hit my face. A mountain of ice formed before the possessor of the element made an appearance.

I came face to face with an incredibly pale male, who not only possessed the most azure and crystal looking eyes I had ever seen. But also one with a vicious frown to match. Having missed the snow, I stared at the ice elemental in awe. Only had I seen the pair of his eyes that he already sent a gash of snow at my face.

I fell backwards, and groaned as snow surrounded me. The force was smooth -- advanced even.

"Hi, Frost." It was Frostine whose voice was muffled against the solidified water, and I couldn't catch the response; I'm not sure there was one.

Who the hell was this guy?

A/N - I got a few requests to update so here ya go :) Hope this was up to your guys' liking. I guess I had a spare minute for some writing, and I have already updated my other stories recently so we doing go-o-o-o-o-o-o-d *insert the cool emoji with sunglasses* 

Make sure to vote and comment, I am more likely to do updates then as that motivates me to write and lets me know that I am doing something right. :)

Thank you for votes and comment so far, you all have been very supportive across all of my stories. You guys are something else, truly :D

If you wish to follow me on instagram (cough cough, I post updates on there) : emberia_   (it's currently on private so simply request the follow or message on here if you wish :)))

Hope you all are having a nice weekend:)

- e.m.

word count: 4380