A Dragon's Heart – Chapter 4
The day never got better.
His grandfather and uncle acted like it was his fault that the hunter and scientists showed up in their territory. Because of that, they made him waste most of his day warning the clan and upgrading security on the clan's estate. He also took some time out to check the kids who were flying that morning.
Until the Hotaru's new security sensors were in place, everything that could fly was grounded. For the young ones it didn't really matter because they were still too badly shaken to even want to fly. Especially little Youichi.
The little guy tried to act tough and made several boasts about how he didn't need rescuing, and how he could have taken care of himself, but the kid was practically quaking when he said it. His alice power allowed him to summon spirits for protection and regardless of whatever false bravado he was trying to show, spirits kept popping out of nowhere to comfort him.
Natsume couldn't help but feel for the kid. He probably felt so grown up this morning being allowed to fly with the others. Only to have it ruined by being attacked and almost stolen away. Not only would the kid feel terrified, but frustrated too, because there was no way that anyone would let him fly now.
After Natsume had made the appropriate comments about how brave all the kids were and how well they managed to get themselves to safety without causing more problems he tried to leave. He was eager to see the sea dragon and see if she had improved. Damn his grandfather and uncle for finding a way to keep him away from her all day!
He was about to leave when Youichi latched onto his arm and shone enormous green eyes at him. The red dragon hid his frustration and tried to excuse himself saying he had other business to attend to, but he couldn't break away from the little silver. The runt was attached to him like a barnacle and nothing short of leaving his arm, or dragging the kid with him was going to get him out of that room.
"Yes Youichi?" he asked trying to hide his irritation at the delay.
"Is it true there was a sea dragon with you?" Youichi asked quietly. Natsume suddenly found himself the centre of dozens of curious stares. Damn. He realized too late how careless he had been. If the kids knew, that meant the whole clan knew.
It wasn't that he was trying to hide her presence on the clan's estate, it was just a sort of standard for he and his select group to keep their business (meaning Natsume's) to themselves and not bother to tell his arsehole of a grandfather. Since it was his people that were the ones to collect the sea dragon, he just figured that they would be able to conceal her like they did with everything else that related to him.
He should have known the canny son of a bitch would never let a secret like this be kept from him. Hell, he probably knew she was here before Natsume had even reported the attempted kidnapping. Now all these delays made sense. They were probably meant to keep him as far away from her as possible.
He had to get back to her now.
Of course he needed his arm first. "Yes actually there was, but she was badly hurt. I was going to go see how she was doing. Would you like to come?" he asked in that voice that adults always used on children, while trying not to gnash his teeth for the delay.
The little silver nodded enthusiastically and remained clung to his arm. At that point Anna, who was watching over the kids at the time, ran up to them. "Here you can take these to her You-chan." She said then handed him the flowers that had been sitting in a vase on her desk. To Natsume she quickly whispered. "Be careful with him Natsume, he's had a terrible scare and he's always looked up to you. Don't let him do anything reckless just to try and impress you okay?"
Without another word, Natsume and Youichi left. They got about thirty paces before the red's patience snapped. Irritated at the boy's shorter legs and obviously slower pace, Natsume grabbed Youichi and flung him onto his back piggy back style, forcing Youichi to let go of his arm and grip his neck and shoulders. "Hold on." he warned gruffly before using his dragon speed to make the twenty minute walk across the estate compound in a little over two minutes.
As he neared the small house that Dr. Imai used as a small clinic, he knew his suspicions were right. His grandfather's bodyguards were positioned all around the small house-like structure.
Instantly, he felt the overwhelming urge to snarl and attack, but before he could, he felt Youichi's small form tense up against him and his magical energy quiver anxiously. Because they were in direct physical contact, Natsume could easily pick up the kid's anxiety and it was enough to give him the strength to gain control over his baser emotions.
What the hell was wrong with him today? The raging lust was bad enough, but homicidal possessiveness? It was almost a blessing that the kid was there because he had stopped him from doing something incredibly stupid.
No matter how much he hated the old man, there was no way he could attack his grandfather. Not yet anyway. As long as the bastard still wore the clan's ring of succession Natsume was still only the second most powerful dragon in the clan. The old man would remain the strongest dragon until his health deteriorated to a point where ring's power amplification would no longer be of help. And when that day came… When that day came he would take the bastard down and free those in the clan who had been suffering under the old man's miserable rule.
As calmly as he could, Natsume walked up to the clinic with barely a glance at the guards stationed around it. They knew better than to interfere with him unless he was directly endangering their master.
Upon entering the building, his uncle Persona and Imai stepped out of the treatment room. "Natsume. Quite a find you have. Pity about the condition she's in."
"Uncle Serio." He growled in a barely civil tone. "I was just coming to check her condition, and Youichi here wanted to give her some flowers."
His uncle's eyes flicked distastefully at the child as if he were a lower life form then nodded absently at him.
Just behind him, Dr. Imai's expression was stony but his eyes were conveying strong hints of anger at the intruders in his clinic and apology to Natsume for being powerless to stop them.
Dismissing his uncle's existence, he set Youichi on the ground and strode purposefully at the treatment room. He didn't even manage to get one full step into the room before he lost it again. And this time he really lost it.
One glance and all the anger and energy he'd barely kept controlled flared and lashed out to sting everyone in the clinic. Youichi yelped and even Imai and Persona appeared uncomfortable but he couldn't bring himself to care. He couldn't have controlled it even if he wanted to. His grandfather -bastard that he was- was sitting in a chair next to the bed, touching his sea dragon.
Get your filthy, disgusting, evil, bastard hands off her! His mind screamed violently while heat started pouring off of him in waves causing the very air around him to shimmer. Somewhere in the back of his mind the rational part of him was screaming that if he didn't gain control of himself he would start shooting fire. And that would be a very bad thing.
Unfortunately, it was the more primal part of him that was in control now. He could vaguely grasp that what he was doing was dangerous to everyone he cared about, but he couldn't see the way back to his sanity. All he could see was the person he loathed most tucking a lock of hair behind the ear of his sea dragon and caressing her cheek with the backs of his fingers while he was at it.
I'm going to roast you alive.
Again, Youichi saved him. Spirits started coming out of everywhere and covered the sea dragon in a hazy protective blanket. The odd sight managed to kick a few of his brain cells back into working mode enough so he could realize that if he continued to lose his temper, the first casualty would probably be the woman lying unconscious on the bed and the second would be the boy protecting her.
Gritting his teeth fiercely and clenching his fists he beat down his rage like it was a living thing. Man this day really was crap. How many times had he lost control so far? Probably more times than he had in the past year. Two years even.
Throughout the whole thing, his grandfather had remained completely impassive. Only when the young red had regained control over himself did the old man give him a disdainful sniff. "Really Natsume, barging in here and flinging your energy about like some sort of caveman with a club? How uncouth. Even your mother had better manners."
Natsume stiffened at the insult to both him and his mother. Both stung badly but he didn't have the luxury of retaliating. He'd already behaved atrociously. If he said anything wrong now there would be serious consequences. The kind that the people close to him would have to pay for.
The two red dragons eyed each other coldly for several long moments with an intensity that forced the others watching into uncomfortable silence. Once he was convinced that Natsume wasn't rising to the bait, his grandfather returned his gaze to the woman on the bed.
It was almost a tiny bit of relief that she looked no better than she did that morning. Her hair was ratty and matted with blood; there were still puffy bruises and cuts running up and down the length of her. She was certainly no beauty queen. If she had been attractive the old man would definitely have tried claiming her for himself.
"You've been quite rough here with our guest." The old man commented.
Shit. That one comment sent all his hopes that the sea dragon was too unattractive to interest the old man down the sewer.
Although there had been no inflection or emphasis in the statement, a cold chill ran up Natsume's spine. He knew the word 'our' actually meant 'mine'. That meant the bastard was still going to try and take her.
Quickly his mind calculated the damage that would be caused if he forced his own claim on the woman. He would be risking all of the people under his care. Was their safety worth someone he had never really met? Perhaps she might even wake up and decide on her own that she likes the old bastard.
Natsume hated to admit it, but despite being in his nineties, his grandfather had the look of a handsome man in his late thirties. A lot of women in their clan found him very attractive and were more than willing to indulge him in a few nights of entertainment. Natsume could be worrying about protecting this girl for nothing.
And yet, even as he thought it, something didn't feel right. She didn't feel like his grandfather's kind of girl.
She felt like his kind of girl.
He wanted her to be his kind of girl.
God, he hoped she was his kind of girl.
Never before has he responded to a female like he has responded to her. Never before has he touched a woman and felt that basic and very primal stirring deep within his dragon core.
Despite his cold attitude, he cared very deeply for the people in his special group. Aoi, Luka, the Imais, Kokoro, Youichi and all the others, they were his family and he would die to protect them. And yet, he didn't think he could let this woman go any more than he could let any of them go.
It was still too early to say what he felt about her. Heck, the woman had yet to wake up and meet him! But deep in that dragon core of his, in a soul he had long thought was dead there were now whispers that hinted that the woman before him could be in his future.
That meant he couldn't let his grandfather have her.
"Yes she was heavily injured while trying to help me. So I thought that the least I could do would be to treat her wounds and offer her my hospitality." He answered the man with a slight emphasis on 'my hospitality'.
The old man caught the hint and for just a fraction of a second, his nostrils flared and something dark swirled in his eyes. Whatever it was, it was gone before the young red could identify it. "Indeed." He said coldly. "Well then, when she is healed up and better you must bring her to the main house for dinner. In the mean time, do take good care of our guest."
tbc
Author's Notes: I just wanted to take some time to answer a very good point made by SeraphMia. Why would Luka and Hotaru come in human form to aid Natsume? Well there are a couple of reasons. One reason I guess I've not explained well enough and one I have yet to explain. The first point, dragons are large and graceful in the air, but are about as graceful as a turtle on its back in the water. They also have extremely sharp claws. Any mistake they make in grabbing someone from the water, and they run the risk of drowning themselves or shredding their passenger. I had hoped I had shown this with Natsume's attempted rescue where he ended up in the water too, but I guess I should have added more detail. I'm sorry this wasn't explained well enough.
For the other point, I was going to get to the other part in the next chapter, but I guess it doesn't change anything if I discuss it now. Some of you may have noticed that when dragons transform they keep their clothes rather than appear naked. Yes, this means they can extend their transformation magic to keep them on (sorry no accidental naked Natsume here). The magic however is limited. They might be able to carry a wallet or cash in their pockets but too many extra items like a first aid kit and they would have to be in a bag tied off to a limb. In dragon form, that bag would be visible, but relatively useless to the dragon unless until they change to their human form.
As an odd side note, some of you may have issues with the whole Ruka/Luka spelling thing. I know that the L/R sound can be a little vague and almost interchangeable at times in Japanese but I decided to go with the L rather than the R. Why? Because Luka's mother is European and 'Luka' is a genuine European name with the L spelling. It would be how his mother would spell it.
Does anyone have any other questions? I'll do my best to answer them.