Before Takashi and Hikari left, Takashi started to teach Kotone how to ride and care for the hippogriffs, but with his fellow clansman Hotaka with them as well. Hotaka had been furious, which had been mildly entertaining to watch, when he found out Takashi took Bramble and let Kotone not only ride her, but fly her, even accidentally.
Kotone watched both Takashi and Hotaka with the hippogriffs. Hotaka knew more about them and how to care for them, but he let Takashi take the lead out of respect for his rank as the son of his clan leaders and monarchs. When Hotaka took her aside when Takashi was out of ear shot and told her would take her on as an apprentice after Takashi left if she would like that. Her neck ached a little bit after she nodded vigorously in consent.
Izo had hovered with them too, but not for the entire time. He had admitted to her that he had lost in flying and riding the hippogriffs when he learned how to fly on his ice dragon. That made her ask him if they could fly together on his dragon. He promised he would another time.
The evening after Takashi and Hikari had left, Izo had made good on his promise. He took her out to the yard where the the hippogriffs were trained, and summoned up his ice dragon as big at it could get. Kotone studied the creature in awe, its translucent, yet corporeal form. Coldness rolled off of it in puffy clouds and waves. She found it fascinating. And powerful. Izo clamored over its back and mounted it with ease and grace, looking every bit like an ice knight.
Without Izo doing or saying anything, the ice dragon knelt down to the ground and he held his hand out to her. She took it with little hesitation and let him guide her up and over top his ice dragon. She was situated right in front of him. The cold of the dragon beneath seemed to seeped into her bones, but it was pleasant feeling to feel so cold after so long. Alaric was a bit too warm for her taste. The cold made her feel alive.
She turned her head to look behind her at Izo. His long, teal blue hair was braided down his back. He was stronger than she had ever seen him, defined muscles noticeable under his long sleeved shirt. He had physically recovered and then some from their imprisonment.
He spooked her at first when he leaned forward over her, but not going for a kiss or anything like that. He leaned forward just enough to reach his hands down in front of her to rest on his ice dragon's neck. He no reins or saddle to speak of, yet this was a beast he could control with his mind as it was extension of himself.
The ice dragon took off at lurch, climbing up into the air with ease. Kotone's stomach lurched right along with it. The ice dragon flew higher, faster, and farther than she had experienced with the hippogriffs so far. It grew colder the high the ice dragon flew, but she liked it, even as she gripped tightly to the beast's neck in front of her. Her hands rested on the inside of Izo's hands. When they busted through the clouds, Kotone felt panic cut through her stomach because she could not see for a seconds. The panic turned to enjoyment when they came up and out of the cloud bank.
It was so cold up here that her breath came in smoky wisps, but it was the perfect temperature. She leaned back against Izo, surveying the sky above the land far below. If they fell, it would mean certain death from this height. They would not fall though, Izo would make sure of that.
When Izo grew weary, they flew back to the castle, landing in the yard. She was shocked when they landed and the ice dragon simply disappeared beneath her. She landed on the ground clumsily on her the balls of her feet and the palms of her hands in a crouching position. She heard Izo chuckle behind her. She turned and looked back at him, watching him smile down at her coyly. She felt like she would never deserve him, but she felt a desire for him stirring up in her. She wanted to bite him, then and there.
Yet not out here, in the open. She stood up and turned to him, smiling demurely. "We should get some sleep," she sign-spoke with her gloves. "I have to be up early. To learn about taking care of the hippogriffs with Hotaka."
Izo stepped closer to her, making her eyes widen and her heart race to be that close to him so suddenly. "Agreed," he said as he breezed past her with a teasing grin.
She watched him saunter away, thinking to herself, 'tonight.'
She did not act on her blossoming desire in the evening, keeping it to herself for fear Hiei, Izo's father, might catch on to what she intended with his telepathy and put a stop to it. He had warned her not to toy with Izo, even though she had serious intentions on her mind after tonight; if they both wanted it.
When everyone headed to bed, Izo walked her to her room next door to his. He lingered there with her, but she did not give into the temptation of kissing him or inviting him in, not just yet.
After bidding him good night without so much as a touch, she slipped into her room and shut the door behind her. She tried to think calming thoughts. She would go to his room in an hour. When he was asleep. So he would be surprised. And hopefully so no one else would hear them.
She showered by herself, desiring to be as clean as possible. The cold water that flowed from the tap awakened her senses and felt refreshing. After that, she dress in a comfortable set of pajamas, waited in her room, and restlessly puttered about. She tried to find something else to focus on. She thought about Koji, healthy and growing stronger everyday. He had no idea the death they dodged. She tried not to dwell on that, as it would bring grief and depression back into the forefront of her mind.
She thought about the hippogriffs and how excited Hotaka had been at the prospect of making her his apprentice in caring for them. Had she never been assaulted, she never would have ended up here with the opportunity to learn how to rear and care for these beautiful, half wild creatures.
When an hour was finally up, she left her gloves laying safely on her nightstand, so not to risk damaging them. She tiptoed out of her room and went to Izo's door. She opened his door as silently as possible, grateful it did not creak. She turned and shut the door softly. It almost sounded like the click of the door shutting echoed throughout the whole bedroom.
She turned and looked over at Izo sleeping in his bed. His window at the left side of the room was open, allowing the cool night air to billow in. The room was comfortable to her. Izo lay on his bed on his back under one thin blanket. His long hair fanned out loose around him. One bare arm lay under the blanket, while the other laid over top the blanket. She could tell he was sleeping shirtless. She felt herself flush.
This was not a mistake, she knew it. Yet if she did this, there would be no going back. There was no going back anyway. She would die if she went back to her sisters. So would Koji. If she went anywhere else, she would never be welcomed as well or treated as well anywhere else.
She wanted him, not just the chance at a better life she offered him. She wanted him, wanted to bite him. Wanted to taste his blood again. He loved her, this ice knight. She wanted to love him back. Surely his father would not find fault in her motivations?
She stole silently across the room towards the bed. He still laid there, asleep. She debated how best to wake him up. She moved to bend down and kiss him, but he woke up as she loomed over him.
He sat up in a flash, his ice dragon in a small form around his neck rolled down his right arm. He paused after that, blinking. He face went from fierce to confused in an instant.
'Kotone,' he signed her name as his ice dragon went back to rest underneath the skin of his neck and shoulders. When he sat up, he had exposed his bare torso. The sight of him made her heart beat faster.
She stole herself down and sat upon his lap sideways. Her legs dangled off the edge the edge of the bed and his thighs. She threw her arms around him and kissed him. In that moment, she wished she still had her tongue as she opened her mouth in the desire to deepen this kiss.
Izo was quick to respond in time with her. His one hand went to her thighs to pull her closer while the other buried its way in her hair behind her head. His tongue slipped into her mouth. She flinched for just a second before yielding to him. Internally, she reminded herself that she was safe here, safe with him. She kept telling herself she was safe.
Izo moved first, pulling mouth away from hers. She moved her mouth down to his neck, but barely grazed it with her teeth when he rolled over to lay down on the other side of his bed on her back. He looked down at her, studying her face cautiously as he loomed over her. She was safe, she had no reason to be afraid.
She felt her desire to bite him overwhelming her. She pulled him down to her, encouraging him to lay down on top of her. He only lay his upper body on hers though. When she went for his neck, his mouth intervened. His reconnected with hers, in a clumsy, rushed manner. She pushed on his shoulders, so he pulled away. She pushed him to lay on his back beside her. She looked him over, noticing how well sculpted his upper body was. Not all demons were liked that. He was strong. It made her ache deep inside, for than just his blood.
She laid her upper body down over top of his, kissing him on the mouth because he seemed to really enjoy that. She did not let him do that for long though. She finally managed to kiss her mouth down to his neck and kissed him there.
When she brought her teeth down upon his flesh and bit, he gasped softly. She had yet to break his skin. When she bit harder, he moaned louder.
"Are you trying to claim me?" he asked in a voice half panicked.
Annoyed, she pulled her mouth from his neck and brought her face up to his eye line. His eyes sparkled in a way that told her if she wanted to, he would not stop her.
'No,' she signed. She held up one finger and then signed 'bite.'
He looked up at her, a mix of desire and fright coloring his face. She wanted to bite him so must she thought she would scream in response.
He desired her still. She slid herself over his torso, straddling him. His hands came to her hips, clenching them. His hands shook. The realization hit her suddenly. He was untouched. He had never been with a woman before, much to her surprise. Someone who looked liked that, was strong like that, was a virgin.
Both of them would need to be handled gently by the other. She drew a deep breath in and out. Her hands came down to the bottom of her sleep shirt, pulling it up and over her head. He gasped at the site of her uncovered, while his hand held fast to her hips. She took them gently in her hands, bringing them up to her mouth to kiss them. She then place them back down on the bed on either side of her legs. It did not take long for his to come and grip her calves in turn.
'Do you want me?' she signed down to him, partially unsure what his answer would be. He nodded, even as he panted. She noticed that his eyes never seemed to leave her face. 'For one bite,' she bargained.
He raised his right hand up and touched his neck. He shook his head. She slumped, disappointed. Then he moved his hand over to his shoulder and nodded.
She brought herself off of him in order to slip off her sleep pants and panties underneath. This had her too nervous to even look at him. She could not look him in the face for nerves as she saw he was busy stripping his own pants and boxers off. She dared not look anywhere but his stomach at this point.
She was safe, she reminded herself. She was safe here and in the present. She turned sideways to face him, meeting his soft, wet lips without realizing how close he was to her. He rolled over top of her, but stayed still. His hand came up to gently caress her face.
She wanted to panic when he was on top of her, but she breathed through it. She was here, she was safe, she wanted him. Wanted to bite him most of all.
She pulled him down to her, but went for his shoulder rather than his mouth. She lined her eye teeth up with the outer end of his collar bone and forced her jaw to close. He tore loose a rugged scream and nearly pulled away from her.
She pushed him away, pushed him to get on his back on the bed. He lay there, wincing and panting. She went to the puncture wound she had created, sucking on it without a care. She could hardly taste much anymore with the remnant of tongue left to her, but the power and thrill that washed over her made it worth it. Made it all worth it.
She pulled away from the wound, kissing it. She felt stronger, braver, more sure of herself. She wanted him now, in a whole other way. Nervously, she pulled him to climb over top of her. He kept his torso erect, but he brought his hands down to rest on her hips. She smiled up at him, nodding.
Instead of sliding inside of her as she expected, he reached over to his nightstand, pulling out a small square package. She watch him open, fingers fumbling. He pulled out a smaller translucent circle from it. He carefully slipped it onto his member.
When he finished, he signed to her, 'protection.' As if that was all he needed to explain. She puzzled about it for the few seconds before he entered her.
Next, he brought his hand down to his member, shoving it unpracticed inside of her. She winced, nearly screaming. It hurt. She tried not to compare it to who else had hurt her like this once. She snuck her mouth back to his wounded shoulder, sucking on it. He moaned at this. It distracted her from the pain.
He kept moving inside of her, in what seemed to be intentionally gentle. She felt like her core was burning, first from a stabbing pain, then a more pleasant heat flowed over her. She almost found it enjoyable.
When he pulled off of her, she was almost surprised. He kissed her softly. He rose off of her, pulling the circle off of his member. He tied the end of it and tossed it into the trash can by his bed.
Next, he laid down on the bed on his back, pulling her over to him. She laid her head down on his shoulder. She watched as he raised his hand over his chest, signing the word, 'mine.'
She nipped his shoulder with teeth, drawing his attention to her face. She mouthed the word, 'mine,' right back to him.