(picture made by Artie. My partner for the event. Artie's art piece is amazing!!!)

It was spoken in legends that dragons protected the land once, that their power was immense, and when bonded to a dragon, incredible things happened. However, since no one had seen one for centuries, people suspected it was only a fairytale. Only the religious priests seemed to think such a creature existed and they preached their religion to the people...

Vector let out a voluntary struggle, but it was to no avail. His hands and feet were tied up in weird bindings, and no matter how hard he tried, he stayed the same. He let out a groan. The cold altar hit his back and reminded Vector of the dreadful event. Things had started so innocently. He had woken up in his hut on the outskirts of the village. He was looked down upon and ridiculed because of his strange purple eyes and ginger hair. It just suited him better to live by himself. However, at that moment, he found three strange crystals at the doorstep, each in different colors. What called to him the most was the bright obsidian one. He couldn't help himself and picked it up. That had been a mistake. A slight burn could be felt in his hand, and it caused him to drop it. He did not notice the symbol that had burned itself into the palm of his hand. After many experiments, like poking the gems with a stick to see if they would burn further, Vector decided to go to the market to sell the crystals. He lacked funds for the upcoming winter; surely someone would know about them. That was his second mistake. The minute any vendor took a look at the crystals, people backed away and shunned him. They were doing the cursed sign. Vector did not think much of it, at first. People already disliked him. It was hard for him to do any bargaining sometimes. Then again, maybe if Vector was familiar with the village customs, he should have run away. But he decided to stick around and that was his final mistake. It was there that the priest had appeared. Two of their soldiers were holding him in place, while one of the priests took his hand in theirs. The scared expression and the religious sign made on the chest were shown. Vector was sure he heard some muttering of, "Is he trying to kill us all?" there too. It was here that Vector realized he was in big trouble. It only got confirmed when Vector was dragged to one of their temples. He was bathed, and given a feast of food, which was a small compensation for everything else that followed. Him being tied to the altar inside some grotto. A strange-sounding language could be heard followed by a weird ritual. Incense was thrown in his face along with spices. It tasted salty. Was he given as dinner to the dragon? They had after all told him about his importance in that deranged ritual. Not that Vector wanted any part of it.

Then lightning struck the sky, causing everyone to take cover, leaving Vector alone at the altar, cursing his fate. The priests had looked so frightened, and Vector wondered what was up. Was the dragon already here?

"What a pretty little thing you are,"

Vector let out a surprised jerk. Or as well as he could have considered that he was tied up. There was someone there! A man! Vector hadn't even noticed him there before he spoke. Had he always been there? He was very handsome even though he was dressed in what looked like a tattered dark cloak. His eyes were heterochronic. One red. The other is blue. Not to mention his extremely long hair. Long red bangs fell down the side of his face while the rest was in black/goldish color. Vector wondered if it was a trick of the light, but it almost looked like his normal humane skin was glowing. Recalling the words, the man had spoken earlier, Vector believed the man to be the beautiful one. Though he of course did not voice that. Instead, he asked:

"Who are you?"

The man had this knowingly smirk, but he did not say a word. Instead, he was staring at Vector with such intensity that it made Vector uncomfortable. A hand was also rubbing his cheek in an almost caring manner.

"Are you one of the priests?" Vector asked. The silence was getting to him.

"No, I am not" the man dismissed. His hand was roaming through Vector's hair.

"Then... are you here to rescue me?" Vector asked hopefully.

Maybe he was part of those people who went against the priest's regimes. Vector had heard the whisper of such throughout the land but had never seen them in action. It would certainly explain why the priests had run out on him earlier. That had the man chuckle slightly.

"Do you want me to?" the man asked rather cryptic.

Such a sentence should have alarm bells ring in Vector's head. After all, he did not know this man and therefore could not expect him to be any better than the priests capturing him. But then again, there was just something in that man's stare that called out to him. That, and considering the circumstances he was in, what did he have to lose?

"Yes..." he ended up replying.

The man sent him a melancholy smile, before placing a hand over his eyes, causing Vector to close them.

"Then sleep young one."

Time skip.

"Isn't he the cutest?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever Marin"

"Don't be all defensive, Nash. Just because he has a new..."

"I think he is waking up..."

Vector let out a groan as the voices can be heard around him. They almost felt nagging which was not something Vector was used to. He had been alone all his life. It was for those reasons that Vector opened his eyes. He blinked slightly as his sight cleared, showing two individuals, they could be twins, who were staring at him. It was a male and a female. Both were seemingly around his age. The boy had dark purple hair that looked like tentacles and was dressed in a purple jacket, a shirt underneath, and blue pants. His intense blue eyes frightened Vector a lot.

"Ah? Who are you?" he uttered and backed scared away.

The events with the priests were still fresh in his mind. Was he back at the temple? Had the ritual failed?

"So now he is afraid," the male huffed coldly. "He wasn't when the master claimed him."

Vector blinked slightly. He found himself inside what looked like a luxurious bedroom. He was sitting in a very comfortable bed, but he had backed away, hitting his back at the headboard.

"Claimed me? What are you talking about? Who are you people?" Vector uttered scared. Things were not making any sense.

"Shh, sweety. Calm down. You are safe. We won't hurt you," the female said reassuringly, patting his head.

Vector blinked in surprise. This girl with her bluish hair reminded Vector of smoothing waves. She was dressed in white: a white jacket, skirt, and shoes. Black stockings and a purple shirt underneath were the only difference to her white attire. Her pink eyes showed a fond kindness that made Vector calm down, just a little.

"You are in the dragon lord's domain" the male then said and ruined everything. "Our Master, Don Thousand brought you here."

"Nash!" the girl hissed back at him since Vector was no longer calm.

The events with the priests, the altar and him being a sacrifice were running through his head. It made Vector shiver. The man who had rescued him must have been working for the dragon.

"What? He would have had to know sometime. Why wait?" the boy, Nash, huffed.

"You could have explained the situation better," the female sighed. "No matter. My name is Marin, and this is my twin brother Nash. We are just like you."

"Just like me?" Vector quirked out confused.

"Sacrifices. Or well we were once" Nash mused thoughtfully. "Things are never what they seem to be. You better learn that quick, young..."

And for unknown reasons, Nash did not finish that sentence. He was suddenly staring out in the thin air.

"Ah don't mind him. He does that occasionally," Marin reassured and rubbed his hair in a caring fashion. Vector found it very weird.

"So, I am not given to the dragon for dinner?" Vector questioned.

"No. Things are not like those foolish priests think it is," Nash said, smirking.

Something was foreboding about that. Not that he had much time to think about that since Marin pulled him into an affectionate hug.

"Well, time is of the essence. The Master's dinner doesn't make itself. You know what you should do" Marin instructed after she had pulled away. She had gotten up and intended to leave the room. But at the doorstep, she turned her head around, sending Vector a beaming smile. "See you later, cutie pie."

Vector blinked in surprise at Marin's bold statement. Never in his life had he ever been called cute in any fashion. People usually disliked him for his appearance alone. To be noticed and cared for was a whole new experience for him.

"You are turning red," Nash pointed out, which made Vector blush even more profoundly. He chuckled at him. "Whatever. We need to prepare you for that dinner. We cannot let the Master wait, can we?"

"Dinner?" Vector questioned. He had heard Marin say something about that.

"Yeah, you are, after all, the dragon lord's guest," Nash proclaimed with a smirk but then got serious. "However, just as a warning. You must never tell our lord this..."

Then he leaned in and whispered him in the ear. Once again, Vector was very confused. What was wrong with asking him that?

"Promise me," Nash said firmly. "There will come a time when you feel the need to. Please ignore it. No matter what happens."

"I promise."

Time skip.

Vector felt confused. He felt baffled indeed. To start, he had never been this much pampered before, or at a dinner. He had never been pampered before in his entire life, to be honest. That was why he felt so confused. They had given him an outfit, consisting of black pants, a purple shirt, a black with a white fur jacket, and purple shoes, which was ten times better than the white rope the priests had given him, but it was also way out of his comfort zone. Then he was led to this impressive dining hall, with meat, nuts, and fruits waiting for him at this big, impressive dinner table. The man who had rescued him, later revealed to be Don Thousand the dragon lord, was at the table end waiting for him. It caused everything to be even more uncomfortable. Who dines with a dragon lord when you are not on the menu?

"What is wrong, Vector? Dig in," Don Thousand encouraged. He grabbed the biggest meat piece and began chewing down dignifiedly.

"I am not hungry," he mused which was indeed true.

The priests gave him a big feast before he was sacrificed. He had no clue how long time had passed before he woke up. Vector was just too afraid to ask. How long had he been unconscious? Was it days? Months? Years? It couldn't be a long time since he didn't feel hungry, he deduced with himself.

"I see. If you ever change your mind, Marin and Nash will provide," Don Thousand replied, dabbing his cheek with the napkin.

Vector blinked slightly at the display in front of him. He was not pressured to do anything. Why? Wasn't he given to the dragon as a sacrifice? Or in this case the dragon lord.

"What... what do you want with me?" Vector quirked out while at the same time trying to disappear into the chair he was sitting at. Don Thousand, who had been about to eat one of the fruits, a pear, paused, with a thoughtful expression.

"Company," Don Thousand said stoically. "My kind is down to 3 dragons. Myself included and we do not get along. I am lonely, Vector."

"Company? Is that all?" Vector said confused. "But you have Nash and Marin..."

"Yes, but they are not like you," Don Thousand said.

"Like me?" Vector quirked out. Don Thousand nodded.

"I have been watching you. So have my brothers. It is a tradition we do every 7 years," the dragon lord mused. "We sent gifts, hoping the chosen one would choose them."

Vector blinked surprised. He remembered the three crystals at the door but...

"You chose me, which I am eternally grateful for," the dragon lord said, showing him the mark in his palm. "Not many choose my crystal..."

The gaze he was sending Vector held so much pain that the boy could not help himself and took his hand in his.

"Are Nash and Marin the only sacrifices given to you?" Vector asked.

"No, there were others. However, we did not get along. Not all humans get along with a dragon lord," Don Thousand claimed. He squeezed Vector's hand a little. "You, on the other hand, I feel pleasantly drawn to. Do you feel the same, Vector?"

Vector opened his mouth to respond. Then he closed it again. What was he supposed to say? That he was drawn to him too? A man he had not known before he got... Kidnapped? Vector was uncertain. Was he kidnapped? It was not like he was going to miss his home but... would this man send him home if he asked? However, at the same time, Vector knew what this man, Don Thousand, meant by being drawn to him. He was feeling the same, which weirded him out completely. How was he drawn to this man when they hadn't spent that much time together? Was this magic?

"I... I don't know..." Vector admitted slowly. "There is this feeling. This fire, but I hardly know you. How can I trust someone I just met?"

He jerked slightly in fear when Don Thousand rose from his seat. The traumatic event ran on repeat inside his head. Besides, the one he was talking to was supposed to be a dragon. Dragons were ferocious beasts. They could kill him without a second glance. Had he made him mad? Was he going to kill him?

"You are right," Don Thousand stated.

"Huh? I am?" Vector questioned puzzled.

"Of course. You should never trust someone you just met. It would be illogical," Don Thousand replied with a stoical smile. "You don't know me and therefore your hesitation. I understand."

"You... you do? But you said you were pleasantly drawn to me?"

"Yes, and I did not lie. I am a dragon. We have certain instincts. You are a human. I cannot expect you to abide by my standards. To my choices," He was holding out a hand for Vector to take. "Instead, what about this? Let me provide for you Vector, just for a little while. Give this place and me a chance. If it is not to your liking, I will return you, the same way I had the other humans."

Vector lifted eyebrows at that. The offer, as genuine as it sounded, something was once again foreboding. It was like you should read between the lines. To Vector, however, things were different. He felt drawn in somehow. That the dragons' promises were the real deal and not empty promises, his hand touched his minutes later.

"I agree," he said.

Time passed and Vector did not regret his decision. Don Thousand, though being a bit misunderstood, did his best to make his stay here more comfortable. Besides providing clothes and food, several sweet moments were granted. They read books together. Don Thousand had quite the collection of artifacts and anything that glittered. Vector figured it was because Don Thousand was a dragon. Didn't dragons horde piles of treasures? In one of the books he read, that did seem to be the case. However, Don Thousand did call that book a sham so Vector couldn't exactly be sure. They also went stargazing which made Vector realize that they might not be on Earth any longer. He did not recognize any of the star constellations and it would explain so much because no human had seen a dragon in ages, besides the priests that is. Don Thousand confirmed this when Vector asked, which made everything much more mysterious and exciting. They were in a different dimension the dragon had created himself. Who knew?! They even went picnicking outside. Don Thousand had held him so close way back then. Vector still did not understand why and when he asked about it, Don Thousand had just replied that he should humor him and go along with it. Vector did. Why would he complain when the hugs given to him were so comfortable? The dragon was so warm, even in human form. Now thinking about it, it was never cold here in this dimension. Considering the location of this huge castle they were staying at, why was it never cold or had any fires in the fireplaces he had seen in some of the rooms? Not to mention that it had been a while since Vector had seen Marin or Nash around. Don Thousand did claim that they were somewhere in the castle, and Vector agreed that the place was big enough to get lost in. It was not like he needed those two servants anyway, but it did make him wonder.

Another issue had come up too. Vector still remembers the warning Nash had given him. The words Nash didn't want him to tell their lord Don Thousand and that there would come a time when he would feel the need to. That time was now. Vector couldn't explain why. Or maybe he did. He could see a lot of people asking that. He just didn't understand why he was not allowed to say that. However, for a time, he honored Nash's wish and kept the question at bay. Or at least tried. It was getting difficult not to. Especially, since the days went on and on. They were repeating themselves. Or to Vector that was at least how they felt. It was so long since he had seen anything else than this castle...

"Can't we go someplace else? I am bored. I wanna see what this dimension holds."

There he said it. Vector felt so relieved. Like a stone, he finally had lifted after nagging his feet too long. He was not sure what would happen now that he had said it, but it couldn't be as bad as Nash had made it out to be. Don Thousand, who had been sitting at the dining table, sighed and leaned in. His face was millimeters away and Vector could see the sadness radiating in Don Thousand's heterochronic eyes.

"Oh, my dear Vector, you said it," Don Thousand rumbled. "I had hoped we could be together longer."

His hand was placed over Vector's eyes. A buzzing feeling ran through his system and when he opened his eyes again, he was someplace else. He was inside this giant cave, sitting on the ground, with this bewildered look.

"Welcome to the crystal cave," Don Thousand greeted, making Vector staring around in awe.

Crystal Cave was indeed a proper name for it. There were crystals all over the place. However, Vector could not understand what had just happened. Had Don Thousand teleported him here? The castle had disappeared so suddenly, and then there was this heat. Were they close to a volcano?

"Huh? Why did you bring me here? I did say I wanted to see something else but... " Vector's eyes widened when he noticed... "Wait, are there people inside?!"

Everywhere Vector looked there were people kept inside the crystals. It was like they were preserved for all eternity.

"Oh, my sweet. You don't understand what you have unleashed by asking me that question, do you?" the dragon said and took his hand in his. "Up until now, everything you experienced, has been an illusion. My dragon magic has kept you safe and sound, while you stayed here with me in this cave. You've never been anywhere else."

"Huh wait, an illusion, but, but, but the castle and Nash and Marin and... " Vector uttered scared.

"Never existed in the first place," the dragon replied. "I conjured it up to ease you into this Vector. To keep you oblivious, until you... " The dragon sighed deeply. "It does not matter. You are going to join the others very soon."

Vector gasped in shock at that news. Don Thousand was going to... was he going inside one of the crystals as well? Was that what happened to the sacrifices given to the dragon lord? This crystallization. It would explain why no one on Earth knew what happened to them, but this was unreal.

"Everything was an illusion."

That was hard to handle. Was everything he had been doing here with Don Thousand an illusion? Had the dragon been truthful in anything? Did it even care about him? The obvious answer would be no. If he had, he would have told him the truth. Vector could have handled it. If Don Thousand had just...

"I know it is a lot to take in. Your whole reality got wrapped... "

That was putting it likely. Vector felt like he couldn't trust anything again.

"Why are you doing this? You... those people need to be free!" He needed answers.

"They are. They don't have to worry about anything. They will not age or go hungry. They won't die..." Don Thousand's voice hesitated at the last sentence. He had let go of Vector's hand a while ago and now it was lingering at the biggest crystal in here.

"They are safe..." the dragon continued.

Vector's eyes widened in horror, and he instantly took a step backward. There, inside the crystal was Nash. The same Nash who had helped him on occasions as a servant. Now Don Thousand's sentence that they were not like Vector made sense. They weren't alive! Don Thousand conjured up Nash and Marin to... but why? Vector let out a little gasp as his foot touched something soft. Something that wasn't the sturdy ground of the cavern. A well-made leafy bed was kept in the shadows of the cave. Vector had noticed that he in fear had walked further and further backward. It was big enough for two people at least and was interestingly enough the warmest place in the entire grotto. The wall behind it was warm, but not enough that it burned. Vector believed they were close to the magma of this volcano, but not enough that they were in any danger. Was this the place he had been sleeping? Don Thousand said everything had been an illusion but still. Vector had touched the books Don Thousand brought and eaten the food given to him. He was not the least bit hungry. Those things must have been real. Now that he thought about it, everything Don Thousand had told him, wasn't exactly a lie. His answers were cryptic, but nothing he had said was a lie either. He had said if this place were not to Vector's liking, he would return him the same way he had the other humans. That was this place. The words this other Nash had warned him about, had been some trigger. There was no doubt about that. Vector didn't know why. He took a step forward.

"Why... why is Nash in there?" Vector needed to know. He had a feeling it was important. He was not sure how Don Thousand's magic worked, but if he had taken the time to conjure Nash up through magic, it must have been important. He took another step. "I... I don't understand any of this." He pointed at the crystals.

"In a time before your birth, dragons bonded with humans. The rituals conjured up by those priests, had never been sacrificial. It was once a bond between humans and dragons, united as one," Don Thousand explained. He sounded sad. "However, humankind used those bonds to cause war between humans and dragons, causing our dragon kind to diminish to 3. We, as dragons forsake the humans, leaving only a tiny rift to open to fulfill our need for a bond."

"That was how the sacrifice rituals began?" Vector questioned. Don Thousand nodded. His hand rubbed the surface of the crystal.

"Nash was mine once. My most treasured human," Don Thousand rumbled. "There had been others before him of course. Human life spans are a whiff of a candle to dragons. It made me realize life is fleeting in comparison". The dragon huffed at that.

"However, Nash was something special. He let himself try one of my spells that let us share life spans. He was no longer aging, and my fear of death companions could finally be put to rest. Or so I thought..." Don Thousand let out a deep sigh. "In this atrocious war, my brother Eliphas injured him beyond belief. No dragon magic could save him. But I could not let him die. Not my Nash. I instead preserved his body in this crystal in hopes of finding a cure..."

Vector was staring. How could he not after such a tale? By the sounds of it, Don Thousand never did find a cure and had to move on. If the other crystals were any indication, he did try, but... Had he crystalized all these other people because he was afraid of losing them too like he did Nash, or was there something else behind it? Maybe it had started that way, but now it had turned into this creepy obsession. Had Don Thousand even tried to bond with them before they were crystalized?

"Now it is your turn Vector," Don Thousand said and got Vector out of his daydream.

The dragon had walked over to an empty crystal and made it glow. An interesting spiral was shown, and Vector felt it could gain strength and pull him in there somehow through force if needed. It made him gulp inside.

"I... I don't want to..." which was indeed the truth. Who in their right mind would choose to be crystalized by their free will?

"Oh, my sweet Vector," Don Thousand sighed. "You do not want to be with me. People have said so before, but the moment they see my true form, they willingly choose to be in the crystal and so will you."

"Oh yeah? Then show me your true form," Vector challenged.

In retrospect, Vector should have seen it coming. The cave was massive and was near a volcano. Someone, of equal strength and size, has had to build it, but still, nothing could prepare him for the dragon lord's true form. He was gigantic! Vector felt like a mouse in comparison. Not to mention his wingspan was even bigger. He could squash Vector to practically nothing. Now he suddenly understood why the other sacrifices wanted to be crystalized so badly. Living with a dragon that creates those kind of illusions... Something dawned on him.

"Is that your true form or an illusion?" Vector quirked out. "Stop playing games Don Thousand! You need more to scare the likes of me."

Then he took a step forward. Then another and another. The closer he got, the less threatening the dragon seemed. Yes, when Vector reached him, he was still taller and bigger than a herd of horses, not to mention had this impressive wingspan ever seen, but Vector could still reach up to touch his snout. Though it was because Don Thousand had moved his snake-like neck so Vector could touch him. His scales were soft and comfortable warm. His long tail with a forklike edge was twisting ferociously. In some way, he looked very majestic on all 4. His clawed dragon-like feet hit the ground with a deep rumble, though Vector had a feeling Don Thousand could walk on two legs as well. He just didn't want to scare Vector further.

"I still choose to be with you," Vector said, staring into Don Thousand's heterochromia eyes. He could see the pain radiating there. "You cannot trick me to Not be with you. I want to bond with you regardless. Do you hear?"

"Vector..."

"I might not be like your beloved Nash, but how can I leave you when you are in so much pain?" Vector said and hugged the dragon like there was no tomorrow. "I chose your crystal so please give me a chance to be with you in your true form."

"Vector..." the dragon rumbled again.

"You can always place me in the crystal later if I am not to your satisfaction."

The dragon wrapped its tail carefully around him. His head was nuzzling him.

"You already are Vector."