Chapter 30: Sahlos
"When will you tell them?"
Her voice was soft, almost inaudible as the fire continued to crackle and the crickets played their nightly tune.
He looked up from the flames, and stared at her face, she wasn't looking at him, she was looking up into the dark night sky; her eyes reflecting the millions of twinkling stars, she looked breathtaking a glow to her skin her hair down pooling around her shoulders onto the ground below her. He could see her jaw clenching and unclenching and her eyes brimming with emotion and in that moment, he didn't want to speak to say the words aloud made leaving her a reality.
She sighed and pinched her eyes shut, willing herself to look at him as they sat in silence. He looked tired, his hair slightly dishevelled, eyes red from lack of sleep, shoulders slumped as he hunched over picking at his nails. He was avoiding her questioning, she knew he didn't want to leave her behind, but she was accustomed to living alone and she knew Connors needed him more than her selfish wants. She cleared her throat, and stood quietly moving to stand beside him, holding out her hand as he moved to look at her.
"Come" she whispered softly enough for only his ears.
Nodding Jarvan stood up, casting a watchful eye over his sleeping companions his eyes settling briefly on Connors huddled under blankets, and he felt his heart clench and his head start to pound with the promise of a migraine. The soft warm hand of the dragoness bringing his attention back to the present as she moved her hand through his, slipping her fingers just out of his grasp.
"Where are we going?" he asked trying to whisper loud enough for the dragoness to hear him as she lead them slightly away from the camp.
She turned to look at him over her shoulder and gave him a small smile, her eyes alight in the darkness. "You will see, don't worry they will be fine"
He cast one last glance over his shoulder, wondering if he should have taken his armor and lance with him but snorted when he remembered if anything attacked them Shyvana could just roast it to death. The dragoness was moving slowly through the trees, the rays of moonlight giving her skin an ethereal glow, her ribbons of long violet hair dancing in the subtle breeze, her hips swaying back and forth as she moved, and he felt a blush tinge his cheeks as he snapped his attention away from her, hoping she couldn't see his face in the darkness.
The dragoness lead them into an open field, the grass swaying in the wind like waves on the ocean as the moon lit up the area. It was quiet here, no sounds of water lapping at the edge of the river, no crickets or fire crackling just Shyvana's soft breathing. She turned to face him a smile on her face, as she looked up at the stars, reaching a hand out as if to grab one.
"I always found night to be so beautiful, a darkness so vast it blankets everything it touches before giving birth to the stars, washing all of Runeterra with a soft glow" Shyvana said the smile slipping from her face as she moved her hand down to her side, a longing flashing through her eyes.
"Do all dragons love the stars?" Jarvan asked quietly a smirk on his face as he watched the dragoness gaze upward.
Shyvana gave him a serious look and nodded her hair falling into her eyes "Of course, we are the stars after all….Besides in the darkness of night my father comes alive it's the only time I can see him" she said turning away from Jarvan, her arms wrapping around herself protectively "I suppose he will always keep me company, even in death" she felt tears brimming her eyes and sniffed quickly wiping them away before whispering "even when no one else can"
"Shy…" he said moving towards the dragoness turning her around to face him, her bangs cast over her face. He gently tilted her chin upwards to look into her eyes that glowed with an unnatural light a fire that could never be quenched, brushing a lock of hair behind one of her horns "You can come to Demacia, finally have a place to call home…with me"
Shyvana closed her eyes and smiled sadly moving her palm to rest on the prince's chest, feeling his heart beat beneath her hand the steady rhythm increasing as he waited for her to say something.
"We both know, that I can't do that" she whispered her voice cracking as she moved her head the prince releasing her from his gentle touch.
She scolded herself for being weak, her human side taking over her emotions as she stood there with the only human she could ever care about, tears sliding down her cheeks, wishing she could go with him back to his homeland, back with all of her companions; but she knew she couldn't the blood of her father ran strong in her veins and without her revenge she feared she would always be incomplete. She sighed and clutched herself tightly as she put on a fake smile.
"Never mind the talk of leaving, let us just enjoy this night before morning takes you home" she said looking around the clearing nodding her head as she figured this would be an appropriate spot.
Jarvan nodded the hurt in his blue eyes quickly replaced with acceptance "Okay Shy"
The dragoness started undoing straps on her armor as she walked towards the edge of the field, mumbling incoherently to herself, placing the discarded armor into a neat pile next to a fallen tree out of the line of sight. Jarvan watched the dragoness confused as to why she was taking off her armor, coughing and turning around quickly as she hooked her fingers into the dragon scale body suit and started pulling it over her head revealing delicate pale skin.
Jarvan cleared his throat unsure of what to do with himself "Um Shyvana what are you doing?"
She laughed at his rigid posture, his hands held firmly at his side, eyes forward and rolled her eyes at the back of his head "Relax, I'm going to transform I don't want to destroy my mothers armor"
Jarvan released a breath and nodded to no one in particular, scratching his chin he peeked over his shoulder quickly to see the dragonesses backside as she began to glow a blinding light and her bones realigned and she expanded growing wings, her body covered in dark ebony scales that reflected the moonlight like glass. When she was finished he approached her as she swung her head to face him, her eyes glowing in the darkness.
"Why"
Shyvana pulled back her lips to reveal long white teeth in a dragonish grin before her voice rumbled from deep within her chest "come".
She lowered her body spreading out her large leathery wing for the prince to move onto her back, wiggling her shoulders as she adjusted to the weight of his body, before standing digging her long talons into the soft earth as she took off at a sprint. Her wings pumping to gain altitude as she neared the edge of the field and jumped soaring into the air, the breeze licking at her scales and ruffling her thick mane she felt alive and free. She didn't want to think of the morning, of leaving her friends behind, now she wanted to be free of her life and its woes and just enjoy being a dragon flying through the starry sky with someone she cared about. She continued to climb higher into the darkness with every stroke of her massive wings, propelling them upwards at an alarming speed, her pupils dilating to absorb the light of the stars to guide her.
Jarvan felt free atop the dragoness, the wind slicing through his hair as he gripped fistfuls of Shyvana's mane to keep from falling off, pure adrenaline pumping through his veins. It was amazing to witness the power of a dragon as she effortlessly glided through the air, the beat of her wings near silent, her body perfectly camouflaged with the darkness. He ran his hands over the smooth scales of her neck, feeling her muscles ripple beneath his fingertips as she stopped her ascension and began to glide. The view truly was breathtaking, from this height Jarvan could see in every direction for miles, the vast landscape before them a never-ending sea of trees, lit up by the light of the moon, a serenity washed over him, and he felt himself smiling as he leaned to look all around him. He could make out the silhouette of mountains in the distance, the peaks jutting up into the sky a reminder that the dragoness was heading there alone to face down her greatest rival and he wouldn't be there to aid her. He looked down at her long slender body, the ebony scales reflecting the stars like a mirror, from this angle she looked every bit the majesty of a celestial being, the moonlight hitting the scales of her body causing her to glow; he never noticed before but up close her scales shimmered a deep violet color, not just black but every color of the night sky as they shifted with her bodies movements. She was beautiful even in this form.
"I wanted to show you the stars, how a dragon sees them" her voice rumbled through the silence her long neck turning to look briefly over her shoulder at him.
Jarvan nodded and looked up appreciating the beauty of the night sky for the first time in a long time, the stars shining down brightly, a shooting star falling from the heavens as it rocketed out into the darkness leaving a shimmering trail behind it. He felt his mouth agape as he took in the scenery, it was amazing, and he wondered if Shyvana would always travel this way if she could. He sighed and leaned back stretching out on her back as he gazed at the stars, his thoughts drifting to home to Demacia and how he would find himself unable to spend moments like this. To be free, out in the wilds without responsibility and prying eyes to be not a prince but a man without money nor title.
Shyvana could feel him relax and she smiled inwardly to herself, if she could give him anything to remember her by when she was gone, it would be this fleeting moment between them, miles away from their lives just enjoying the beauty of the land. She tucked her wings inward and started diving towards the ever-approaching ground, the prince clutching her mane and squeezing her neck with his legs for dear life and she bellowed out a laugh as she twisted and contorted her body as they fell before opening her wings. The sudden gust of air leveled them out to quickly for her human companion and she could feel him raise off her back, and land in a heap his hands desperately grabbing for something to hold onto.
"Damn Shy, you almost threw me off" Jarvan huffed before breaking into a laugh himself as the dragoness shook her massive head at him.
"Hold on tighter next time" she chuckled, her voice changing octaves as she laughed.
Jarvan rolled his eyes at her and patted her neck, as they glided through the night sky. As they flew the landscape beneath them started to change, what was once trees gave way to open fields and the river lead to a large lake, undisturbed the water perfectly still. The dragoness began to descend toward the lake, inhaling deeply as they neared the ground. It smelled of earth, and water no predators lingered in this area while a dragon was soaring the skies.
She lazily glided above the lake, her talons dipping into the water creating small waves that rippled towards the shore as she glided closer to the ground, finally coming to a stop just at the waters edge, her hind legs in the water and she lowered herself to the ground for the prince to get off.
Jarvan slid off her back, at the edge of the lake and smiled at the dragoness, rubbing a hand affectionately over her large snout. "Why did we stop here?"
Shyvana snorted a billow of smoke surrounding the prince as she transformed quickly, jumping into the warm waters with a laugh "To swim of course"
Jarvan coughed and waved his hands in front of his face to clear the smoke watching the dragoness submerge herself in the water. He hesitated to wait for her to come up for air, sitting awkwardly at the edge of the lake.
Shyvana popped her head up for air and inhaled deeply, her body relaxing in the warm water. It was a colder night, but the lake still held onto the heat from the passing summer months, steam rising from the waters as it met the cold night air. She leaned back slightly attempting to float on her back, closing her eyes and sighing. She floated undisturbed for several minutes, waiting for the prince but she never heard him get in and she peeked an eye open and looked at him sitting at the edge of the water trying to look anywhere but at her. She rolled her eyes at his behavior
"Come on Jarvan I wont bite you" she teased
Jarvan cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck nervously "Umm, perhaps its better if I did not join you"
Shyvana rolled and swam towards him, her eyes peeking above the water line as she stared at him "Can you not swim"
Jarvan snorted "Of course I can"
"Then what's stopping you" she questioned, cocking her head to the side as she waded into the shallower water.
Jarvan blushed as the dragoness moved toward him unashamed of her nudity in front of him. "Shyvana your naked"
She laughed and blew a smoke ring out at him "I know I didn't bring clothes with me when I transformed, besides I hardly think swimming in clothes is logical, you'll be soaked for the flight back to camp"
He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, god this woman had no idea what she was doing to him.
"Shy, are you sure"
"Of course" she said, her eyes now draconian slits, glowing brilliantly in the darkness, her voice raspy and seductive.
The prince gulped as he stood, quickly discarding his clothing and wading into the water next to the dragoness a hiss escaping his clenched teeth at the chilly water.
"This is freezing cold" he complained as the dragoness rolled her eyes at him.
"Hardly, I find It refreshing" she commented laying back to float along the surface, giving him a playful glance.
Jarvan swam further out following the dragoness in the semi darkness "Well you are a dragon your body is always a hundred degrees" he mumbled as she splashed him with her foot.
Suddenly she dove underwater and re-emerged beside him her eyes hooded and a cat like smile on her face small pointed fangs peeking out from her full lips "Well then come here" she whispered pulling him into her warm embrace.