A/N Yu-Gi-Oh's not mine... I'm just borrowing som characters and whatnot.
Yugikid: Oh hey, don't apologize for the long review. I rather enjoyed it. And I'm glad you enjoyed my last chapter so much.
Josephine Jekyl: I have to admit, your comment made me laugh. Is it weird that I can't picture Safiya pregnant? I guess not since she's a character that I created. I'm glad you like it so far.
Safiya had no chance to react. She had seen Atemu reaching out to touch the creature, but he was more experienced with these things than she was. She had not expected the beast to react so violently. She looked into the dragon's large eyes, sensing its need to protect her. Reaching her hand out to touch its nose, she laughed softly.
"I shall call you Asim, for you are my protector." At the sound of her voice, the creature visibly relaxed.
Atemu, still trapped under the intense weight of the creature's hind leg, struggled to free himself. Finally, he could take it no longer and whispered hoarsely, "I hate to spoil the moment, but can you, uh, please call your dragon off?"
Safiya laughed softly, seeing Atemu's plight. "Asim, this man is my husband." The dragon seemed to understand her, for it shifted its weight off the Pharaoh, releasing him. She began to stroke its nose as she continued. "He means you and me no harm. He is an extension of myself, and if you feel that he is in danger, you will protect him as you would protect me." The dragon lowered its head, nodding its consent.
Atemu rose from the sand, breathing hard. When he finally caught his breath, he came to stand beside Safiya. "Your guardian is very protective." As he spoke, the creature brought one large jade eye to within inches of his face, eyeing him menacingly. It then turned its head and began to sniff the Pharaoh. "Safiya? What exactly is your dragon doing?" He whispered nervously, making sure not to move a muscle.
She chuckled softly. "I think he's just getting to know you." With one final sniff, the creature exhaled forcefully, nearly knocking Atemu to the ground again.
Realizing that he had been holding his breath, Atemu exhaled deeply. "Am I safe now?"
The creature brought its head close to Safiya and gently nuzzled her body with its nose. "I think you're safer now than when we first entered this room, Atemu." With a smile in her eye, she added, "Just don't make Asim angry."
"Easier said than done," he muttered. Stepping back, he looked over the creature. "It's magnificent. I've never seen anything like it before."
Without warning, the great beast lowered itself to the ground, lying down before Safiya. It lifted its head and nudged her legs with its nose.
"I think Asim wants me to get on, what do you think?" She asked, laughing.
"I would agree, but please, be careful. Despite this creature's apparent affection for you, it still has the potential to be extremely dangerous."
As he spoke his words of warning, she moved to the side of the creature's head. "Asim," she whispered into its ear. "If I am to ride you, Atemu will come with me. I will not go alone."
Understanding her words clearly, the creature gently lifted its head over her and looked at Atemu. It then began to nudge him in the same way it had nudged her.
When Safiya climbed onto the dragon's back, it stopped nudging Atemu and turned its attention elsewhere. "They share some deep connection that was formed before either of them were created." Atemu whispered to himself. "And she doesn't ask it anything; she commands it, and the beast obeys her. If I were in her place, that dragon would terrify me. Yet she is without fear. They've only been together for an hour or so, and they are already closer than I am with my guardians, and we've been together for years. It's almost as though a power far greater than even Ra has placed them together for an unknown reason." His thoughts were interrupted by Safiya's shouting.
"Atemu! Are you coming?" He shook himself out of his reverie and walked to the creature's side, slowly climbing onto its back to join Safiya.
When the dragon was sure that both were settled in and secure, it rose to a standing position and stretched its enormous wings. With one powerful thrust of its wings, it rose into the air, slowly beginning its ascent to the ceiling.
"Atemu, where is Asim taking us? Isn't there a ceiling in this room?"
"There is indeed. All we can do is trust that your guardian knows what it is doing."
As they were talking, the dragon turned its head to look at them. Sensing their distress, it made a soft cooing noise to comfort them. It then turned its head back away from them and continued its powerful ascent.
The ceiling quickly came into view and Safiya suddenly became very nervous. She opened her mouth to scream, but the sound caught in her throat. She felt Atemu's strong arms wrap around her, holding her close as she shut her eyes in preparation for the impact.
