Chapter Five: A delightful Afternoon

Aaron looks up at the clouds as he lies on a bright green meadow outside of Lan-Se city limits. Folding his arms behind his head for a pillow. For a summer day, it is nice and cool. Compared to him anyway... The blazing heat of the desert is nothing like this. He doesn't miss it at all. Remember his first travel through the desert to the Orange Empire city of Dominus Sahara. The heat alone felt like his skin was going to set itself on fire. Even dragons struggle to keep cool underneath the sun.

His mind stops as a gentle breeze can be felt on his skin. He takes a deep breath in. Feeling sleepy as Iolene prescribes him a special tea to help him with his nightmares. Aaron is trained as an Iqosha soldier and can stay awake without sleep for at most two weeks. It is very taxing on his body as his muscles weaken with each sleepless day. Hunger disappears as nausea eventually takes over. But Aaron is taught to hide such weakness. With Mali's insistence, Aaron has been breaking the sleepless habit. In a small way the tea working, he is less restless as he sleeps. But his memories of Dominus Sahara remain. Which is why Aaron hated to sleep.

Aaron sighs as he finally has a moment to relax. Mali told him to piss off for a while leaving Aaron offended as he feels useless. Iolene got trapped in a magical mirror and almost lost her soul. Losing his only childhood friend, he couldn't bear to think of it. What would have happened if he didn't notice as quickly as he did? Then the explosion happened which led to war.

In a sudden jerk, he sits up and looks at the book next to him. Thinking about Iolene he needs to practice his reading. She asks Lei nicely to borrow his family collection of certain books. He says yes only in the condition that they don't get destroyed. Lexi chose the book for him as she tries not to laugh and told him to enjoy. Much to Aaron's confusion...

He opens the book and looks at the written words of the title. Saying out loud to grasp the words. "The E- Ex-Extraaaah- oh- r - din- nerry (Extraordinary) Love Affair: The erotic adven- tures of prince Yichen and Princess; I have no idea how to pronounce that (Xiaoshang)... What?" He whispers to himself with disbelief and takes a deep breath. Another cool breeze flows around his growing hair that can now blow with the wind.

A few chapters in Aaron begins to oddly enjoy the book. He couldn't help but feel his sexual emotions stir. He didn't know that books can make yourself feel this way. He felt himself harden as the book details princess Xiaoshang in complete detail as she makes love to Yichen. Experiences that Aaron wanted himself; Realising he hasn't had sex in months. It was under Aaron's behest that he and Lexi stop since Iolene ran away embarrassed.

Aaron reads his book in peace as it is quiet... Until a woman's scream can be heard.

Aaron looks around and stands up dropping the book. Someone is in trouble! He hears the scream again. He races toward the noise into the forest.

"HELP ME!" She screams.

Aaron manages to reach the old abandoned palace. He sees a young woman running for her life. Tattered and tired she trips over a rock as Aaron catches her in time. He carries her damsel style. She wraps her arms around his neck.

"Hey! Are you alright miss?" He questions her.

She looks up tears streaming down her face. She is a pretty young lady. Smooth skin Long black hair with beautiful brown eyes. "Will you please help me!?" She then grabs his collar and pulls on it.

"My father and brother are in trouble! Our home is under attack! Please help!" Her rapid breathing increases as she tries to hold everything together. "PLEASE HELP!" She yells.

"Show me where they are!" Aaron demands as the woman wriggles out of Aarons arms and begins to run away into the forest. He easily catches up to her. It was a while until they reach a small pig farm homestead. No noise can be heard it was silent. Not even pig noises can be heard.

Aaron's instincts went on defense mode. His heart begun to beat faster. Something is wrong... For a place that is under attack it is quiet. The woman stumbles into her house. Aaron follows her and unsheathes his great sword.

"COME ON OUT BOYS! WE HAVE ANOTHER!" She shouts as a group of men and dragons ambush Aaron. I KNEW IT!

"Give us your money!" One of the thugs shout.

"Money what's that?!" Aaron asks in return.

"Don't play smart ass boy! Get him!" A man shouts who must be the ring leader the tallest of them and is covered in blue dragon tattoos (A rare sight from the people of Lan-Se as they treasure pure skin).

One of the thugs, a small and thin man distanced away shoots an arrow at Aaron. He quickly swipes at the arrow cutting it in half. Everyone then begins to attack Aaron. The dragons use their mag abilities to try and grab Aaron. He jumps around as the woman turns around grabbing a dagger hidden in a strap on her leg.

"Sad it was such a beautiful morning..." Aaron says in frustration.

The blue dragons' roar as in turn they charge at Aaron. He jumps left and right thinking of what to do. It is clear they are bandits. A large group of them Aaron counting five dragons and five humans, perfect pairs. It's surprising they are so close to the city. They are only a small group. But war can bring all the trouble it brings...

The dragons are standard blue dragons all four-legged with long legs. Slim and lean they are bred for speed and balance. All have blue scales with various coloured designs.

Aaron building his adrenaline he then turns and races to a dragon and his rider. He kicks the dragons head as the rider and his spear fall over. Aaron retreats as another pair protect the fallen ones. Aaron is clearly outnumbered.

Another bandit grabs a rope and manages to snag Aaron's ankle and pulls him to the ground. The bandits including the dragons laugh as they begin to surround him. Aaron remaining calm cuts the rope with his sword and grabs it. He easily pulls the rider off with his strength.

The rider slams to the ground.

"Woah! This man is strong!" The leader shouts out. "What kind of freak is that!?"

Aaron holding his greatsword as a shield stands defensively as he is surrounded. He had no choice but to wait for their next move. And they did, a dragon mags him and he dodges trying to swipe at the dragon's neck with his sword. Barely missing as the dragon gets a scratch. Other dragons mag pull Aaron successfully from behind. Grabbing his limbs they lift him up in the air. Aaron uses all his strength trying to break free from the dragons magic grip.

The bandits laugh as a rider with a bow points an arrow right at his heart.

But before he could release the arrow Iymp and Beau storm into the area mag pushing the other dragons away. Beau being new to using this power barely had any effect. In an easier way he charges into them. Using his large head and raw strength he slams his whole weight onto the smaller blue dragon holding Aaron in the air.

The air gets knocked out of the dragon as it felt his ribs break. It shrieks in pain and collapses tipping his rider over.

Iymp mag pushes another dragon away where the mag grip dissipates. Aaron falls to the ground on his back.

"Ow..." He gasps as he landed badly. In a brief moment, he gets up. And grabs his sword.

Iymp and Beau trying their hardest to scare everyone away. However, the woman grabs her knife leaping onto the middle of Beau's backstabbing him repeatedly. Beau in urgency rolls shrieking in pain. For a little knife, he didn't realise it could be that painful. The woman rolls off as Iymp mag pushes her into a tree. She drops down motionless.

"BEAU!" Iymp roars at him. "Are you okay? Can you walk?!"

"Yer I can..." He growls Iymp as he slowly tries to get up. A dragon seeing Beau weakened leaps at him with his claws and teeth out. Iymp being a tall two-legged dragon jumps uses his front claws to severely injure the dragon. Scarring its shoulder blood began to wrap around the dragon's leg and limps away in defeat.

Its human rider then shouts at the injured dragon trying to force it to keep fighting. Shifting his saddle to turn it around. The dragon disobeys by turning around. The human screams at him in anger. He then unsheathes his spear and throws it at Iymp. All Iymp had to do was step aside. The throw was weak... Not a trained fighter Iymp quickly gathered. Pathetic... Iymp thinks to himself.

Aaron in the meantime is fighting another dragon. Using the pommel of his sword he knocks the rider out as he kicks the dragons head knocking it out.

The leader then freaks out as he calls the others to run away with him. And they did, taking the unconscious ones with them.

Aaron sheathes his swords as the battle is over. He looks at Iymp and Beau. "Thank you." He says sincerely.

"You're welcome!" Iymp Smarmily replies in human tongue.

"What are you dragons doing out here?" Aaron asks.

"Oh, you know... Running free. Beau wanted to show me what it was like. A meadow was perfect for that. It was nice... Out of the crowded city, away from the rice fields. Running where it feels it doesn't have an end... the wind on your face. But I admit... It's not the same without Lexi."

"What do mean?" Beau turns around in surprise. Aaron looks at him as he doesn't know what Beau is saying. For Beau doesn't speak the human tongue. But he is very expressive for a dragon Aaron notices.

"Lexi helps me to run faster... I feel her faith in me giving me strength. When she is not around I just don't feel the same. She should be almost healed. I'll take her to the meadow I think she will love it."

Beau did not understand what Iymp meant. He shrugs and looks at Aaron as he walks over to look at Beau's back. Blood is trickling down. Aaron strokes his back. Looking at his old scars closely, even his transformations can't hide them. Beau almost snaps at him by turning his head growling. He trusted Iolene the most to touch him. But Aaron was surprisingly gentle.

"She tried to paralyze you, by aiming at the chords in your spine," Aaron says sternly. "She was bad at it and missed the mark entirely. Here Iolene gave me this." Aaron then takes out a small clay pot from his satchel. Beau sniffing it, noticing it is Iolenes healing goop. Aaron gently rubs it into the wound.

It stung at first but felt a cooling relief soon afterwards. Aaron follows up with Iymp with his front claws.

"Thank you, Aaron". Iymp politely says.

Aaron turns to the small hut where the bandits hid. In curiosity, he wanted to check inside as he still felt uneasy. Opening the flap he looks into an empty place. A low wooden table flipped over with tankards littering the floor.

Then the smell hit them. A smell they are all to familiar with. Death...

Beau and Iymp stood at the doorway as the hut is to small for them to enter. Aaron looks around as he notices a wooden wardrobe. Opening it he sees a unforgettable sight. He swallows and closes his eyes.

Two corpses squeezed into a tiny space. A man and a woman an older couple, decomposition has clearly taken place. Their skin turning green with black bruises cover their bodies. Lips curled back revealing their teeth. Aaron concludes they must have been the original owners of the hut.

Aaron walks out of the hut and explains to the dragons what he has found. Spending the early afternoon Aaron collects twigs and dry branches. He burns the bodies and uses rocks to make a marker for them.

Aaron, Beau and Iymp stand side by side as they pay silent respect to the couple.

"We may not have known them, but we care. May they rest in eternal peace." Aaron then walks away back to the meadow. Picking up his small book. He then sits on the meadow silently. The dragons' rest next to him. It was early afternoon when they decide to return to the palace.