Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.
Okay, please don't hate me, but Nikolias' past is officially going to be 3 parts. Sorry! It's just a lot of fun to write about and it keeps ending up longer than anticipated. But I swear it will only be 3 parts and then we'll be back to the Fairy Tail gang!
Thanks for the understanding! Enjoy Nikolias' past Part 2!
Fairy Tail—The Master and the Dragon
Chapter 13
AGE 20
"Ungrateful assholes," Nikolias grumbled as Chloe wiped off the last of the tomatoes from his clothes.
"I can see things didn't go well," Grego said with a small smile. He was now much taller and his muscles were far more defined than they had been in the past. Ever since he went through the Dragon Spirit ritual with Weisslo at age 14, he had definitely gotten much stronger.
"Ya think?"
"What happened?" Chloe asked as she brushed off the tomato seeds and skin from her hands.
"As soon as I offered my help to move their goddamn furniture, they started pelting me with fruits and vegetables. Took a fucking potato to the head," Nikolias said as he rubbed the back of his head.
As part of an effort to develop better relations with the humans, Dagor ordered all Half-Dragons to offer assistance to the humans with hopes to improve the quality of life of the civilians. Unfortunately, most of the humans feared the Half-Dragons and did their best to keep them away.
"Aww, my poor guy," Chloe sympathized, giving him a peck on the cheek. Growing up paid off for Chloe. She had gone through the Dragon Spirit ritual when she was 15 and ever since, she had been drawing a lot of attention—male attention. Her body was perfectly shaped and toned and her clothes snuggly clung to her hourglass figure and her now D-cup breasts. Her straight hair was now down to her shoulder blades. She had grown a couple of inches, but she was still one of the shorter Half-Dragons. She was truly beautiful.
"Thanks, Chloe. Where would I be without you?"
Chloe smiled and giggled. "You'd be covered in food. Well, I have training with Grandeeyus soon. I'll see you later guys."
"See ya, Chloe," Nikolias said with a wave as she ran off. She had been working her ass off for the past five years to improve her skills. When she became a Half-Dragon, she had a lot of trouble adjusting. It took a whole year for her to figure out how to run and jump with her newfound power. Nikolias made sure to tell her how proud he was of her progress and abilities constantly because honestly, he was proud. Also, he wanted to make sure that she kept working hard.
"I have to say Nikolias, I never expected you two to have such a strong relationship," Grego said.
"Why's that?"
"I guess I just never thought you were interested in Chloe. At least, in that way."
Nikolias smiled. "Honestly, I didn't see it coming either."
"Really? Do tell."
Nikolias sat on the ground and leaned back on his arms. "When I decided to choose Chloe to be my Queen, I was 13 and not even considering romance. But when she kissed me after I asked her…I don't know, things changed. I saw her differently. I don't think either of us are thinking too far ahead, but I'm seriously considering marrying her soon."
"So you love her?"
Nikolias sighed. "It's human love for sure. Unfortunately it's not dragon love, if I'm correctly understanding what father has told me, but no one said that I couldn't fall in love this way either, so there's that."
"Well I'm happy for you guys. You two are actually a great match."
"Thanks," Nikolias said as he blushed and scratched the back of his head.
"So how long have you two been together anyway?"
"Since I asked her to be my Queen, so over seven years."
"Fantastic."
"You really are supportive, aren't you?"
"Well I am your best friend."
Nikolias leapt up to his feet and stretched. "Well I should get back to father. He'll want a report from today."
"Alright see you later then."
Nikolias nodded and allowed his wings and tail to emerge from his backside. He jumped into the air and flew off towards his father's chambers.
The fly over took a couple of minutes and as soon as he landed, he retracted his wings and his tail. He walked through the Grand Hall of Dragons to the back room where Dagor ruled. He flung open the doors and walked up to his father.
Dagor was currently in a meeting with Grandeeyus the Wind Dragon, Ignais the Fire Dragon, Metalico the Iron Dragon, and Sheek the Ice Dragon. He looked up to see his son walk in. "Ah Nikolias. Good to see you, my boy. What can I do for you?"
"Sorry father, I didn't realize you were in a meeting. I just wanted to give you my report from Shile."
"It is alright. Speak your mind. This is important information."
"Yes sir. Well, I went to Shile and saw people struggling with furniture. I walked over and kindly offered assistance, but they knew I was a Half-Dragon and they got scared. I was called 'monster' and 'creature' by a few people, but I think the potato to the skull hurt more than their words."
"Did you end up assisting them, Prince?" Metalico asked.
"I'm sorry, but I couldn't even get close. They were clearly afraid and it was my belief that helping them without their consent would've only further hurt relations."
"I see. Well, this is disappointing for sure, but I am glad to see you thinking before you act. You truly are a King in the making," Dagor said.
"Thank you, father. I tried to act as you would."
"Well done. Now, if you do not mind, we would like privacy to finish our meeting."
He bowed. "Of course, father."
"I have training with Chloe soon, so I will join you, Nikolias," Grandeeyus said as she rose from her seated position.
"I would appreciate the company, Grandeeyus. Thank you."
The two walked out of Dagor's chambers and into the wide halls.
"So have you seen Chloe at all today?" Grandeeyus asked.
"Yeah, she was kind enough to clean me up after the attack of the fruit."
Grandeeyus snickered. "She is a sweet girl."
"Yeah, I love her."
Grandeeyus stopped in her tracks. "Really?"
Nikolias then realized his slip and blushed a deep red. "Well I mean…yeah. I love her."
"Is this human love or dragon love?"
"Human love, but that doesn't mean it's not strong."
"I understand that and I am truly happy. My Chloe is a lucky girl."
"Trust me, I'm the lucky one."
The two exited the Grand Hall of Dragons and Nikolias hopped onto Grandeeyus' back. "What are you doing, Nikolias?"
"If you don't mind, I'd like to watch Chloe train. I'd love to see the techniques she's learning that have made her so strong."
Grandeeyus bowed her head. "As you wish." She spread her wings and took to the skies. "However, if Chloe becomes distracted, I will ask you to leave. I need her focused today."
"I understand and accept your terms."
After a few minutes, the two arrived at Grandeeyus' training field where they saw Chloe waiting. As soon as Chloe saw Nikolias, the smile she already had widened and she ran over to him.
"Nikolias!" she shouted as she threw herself into his arms. "What are you doing here?"
He smiled and kissed her on the lips. "I wanted to see you train, if that's alright."
"Of course it is!"
"Great, but no getting distracted alright? Otherwise, I have to leave. Grandeeyus' orders."
"I swear I'll focus."
He winked at her. "Good luck then."
She giggled. "Oh please, you're not that irresistible."
"Hey, that hurt."
She pulled him in for another kiss. He felt her tongue poking at his lips for entrance and he obliged, letting her tongue explore his mouth.
"Alright you two. Enough for now. Chloe, it is time to train."
Chloe moaned and reluctantly pulled away. "Yes, mother."
"Grandeeyus, when have you ever been a party pooper?"
"Nikolias, I told you that you could watch as long as Chloe was not distracted."
He threw his hands in the air. "Alright, I'll step back. Good luck, Chloe."
"Thanks," she said as she ran over to Grandeeyus.
For the next two hours, Nikolias watched Chloe train with Grandeeyus and marveled at the transformation he saw. And he didn't just mean the literal Half-Dragon transformations (even though he was astounded by how beautiful she looked in her dragon forms); he meant the transformation in character brought on by this training. Nikolias got to see first-hand what made Chloe go from a shy little girl who was only ever adept at healing to this confident young woman who clearly had a lot of spirit and fighting ability. He was blown away as he watched her maneuvers and techniques. For the entire two hours, he sat in silence with a big smile on his face, completely entranced by Chloe, his future Queen. Her movements were swift, deliberate, graceful, and forceful. He was impressed.
"Enough, Chloe. You have done well today. You have the rest of the day off," Grandeeyus said.
Chloe panted and smiled up at her mother. "Thanks, mother." Grandeeyus flew off and Chloe walked over to where Nikolias was sitting and smiling at her. "So how was I?"
"I can't believe how much stronger you're getting," Nikolias said as he looked up at her.
Chloe blushed. "Thanks, Nikolias." The next thing she knew, Nikolias was pulling on her arm until she was lying on top of him, her blush deepening. "What are you doing?"
He reached up and stroked her cheek. "Nothing."
She raised her eyebrow at him and smiled. "Really? It doesn't look like nothing."
He shrugged. "Appearances can be deceiving, you know."
She giggled and leaned down, capturing his lips. "You know, you are the cutest thing."
He gave her a big grin. "I try my best!"
"How did I get to be so lucky?"
"You aren't the lucky one." He sat up, positioned Chloe on his lap, and leaned forward to kiss her again.
"Hey love birds!"
Chloe and Nikolias turned their heads to the side and saw Kate waving excitedly with Alec, Grego, and Baron walking behind her.
Baron was Metalico the Iron Dragon's son. Like Nikolias, he was orphaned before he turned one and had to be taken care of by a foster facility. However, he never grew attached to anyone while he was there. At the age of six, he left the foster facility and went wandering where he was found by Metalico. Although he bonded with Metalico and performed the Dragon Spirit ritual at 14 and was friends with all of the dragon children, he was a man of few words and rarely spoke.
'Cock-blocked,' Nikolias thought as he groaned. "Hey guys. To what do we owe the pleasure?"
"Sorry, did we ruin your romantic moment?" Kate asked with a wink.
Chloe stood up with a light blush staining her face. "It's alright."
"Speak for yourself," Nikolias mumbled. "So seriously, why are you out here?"
"How friendly," Alec said with a smirk. "Were you two about to get it on?"
"I will pound you," Nikolias threatened.
"We apologize for interrupting you two, but we were asked to inform you of a meeting at the Grand Hall of Dragons tomorrow," Grego said. "It's at 10 AM. Dagor says he has an assignment for the Half-Dragons."
"Assignment?"
"Yeah, something about a request from the humans for assistance. He believes it's a great chance to improve the relationship."
"Huh, well alright then, we'll be there," Nikolias said. "Thanks for the heads up."
"I should go see what Grandeeyus can tell me about it and if I need special supplies," Chloe said as she leaned down and kissed Nikolias' forehead. "I'll see you guys later."
Nikolias watched her run off before shooting his friends a deadpanned look. "I don't think any of you understand how much I hate you."
"Hey, we apologized!" Kate exclaimed with her hands on her hips.
Nikolias sighed and stood. "Well it's late, so I'll head home." His wings shot out of his back and he jumped into the air. "Talk to you later, assholes."
"We apologized!" Kate called after him.
Nikolias flew home, sighing at the moment he almost had with Chloe. He knew he wasn't going to sleep at all tonight.
The next morning, Nikolias flew to the Grand Hall of Dragons, still tweaked about last night. Of course, that could be because he barely slept at all. 'Today is gonna be so much fun.' He landed and retracted his wings before entering the building. Aside from being interrupted last night, he also lost sleep trying to determine what kind of request would require aid from all 26 of the Half-Dragons. One Half-Dragon had incredible strength alone, so what could require the power of a 100,000 man army? He couldn't come up with a thing, which unfortunately would allow his mind to wander back to Chloe.
He walked through the doors to Dagor's chambers and saw that he was the last to arrive. He silently took his place beside Chloe and Grego and waited for Dagor to arrive.
Chloe nudged him in the arm. "Sorry that I took off last night. I got a bit embarrassed. Are you mad?"
"Not at you, so don't worry," he said with a tired smile.
"Oh. I don't want you mad at anyone, though."
"Too late."
She sighed. "Tell you what; when we get back from this assignment, why don't you come by my place and we can…spend the night together?"
Nikolias was suddenly awake and bright red. He turned to look at Chloe and saw that she, too, was bright red and looking at the floor. He smiled and leaned over to kiss the top of her head. "It's a date."
She looked at him, returned his smile, and took hold of his hand. "I love you."
"I love you, too."
Moments later, an enormous gust of wind forced its way in from the ceiling. Nikolias shielded his face and looked up, barely making out the shape of three dragons. The dragons landed and the wind died down, allowing Nikolias to see that Dagor, Grandeeyus, and Sheek had arrived.
"Thank you all for arriving so promptly," Dagor began. "I have fantastic news for those who have not heard. The humans have given us the opportunity to show that we are not a threat. We have a chance to help them. Now, before I go into detail, I want to ensure that all are here." He turned to Sheek. "Perform roll call."
Sheek nodded and began. "Alec, son of Ignais the Fire Dragon."
"Present."
"Baron, son of Metalico the Iron Dragon."
"Present."
"Chloe, daughter of Grandeeyus the Wind Dragon."
"Present."
"Donner, son of Feyus the Clone Dragon."
"Present."
"Elena, daughter of Lefiathon the Wood Dragon."
"Present."
"Faye, daughter of Canas the Heart Dragon."
"Present."
"Grego, son of Weisslo the Light Dragon."
"Present."
"Henrietta, daughter of Serpaine the Water Dragon."
"Present."
"Izaaic, son of Clou the Weather Dragon."
"Present."
"Juliette, daughter of Ruvie the Crystal Dragon."
"Present."
"Kate, daughter of Sheek the Ice Dragon."
"Present!"
"Liza, daughter of Lurbek the Blitz Dragon."
"Present."
"Marie, daughter of Frish the Phantom Dragon."
"Present."
"Prince Nikolias, son of King Dagor the Shadow Dragon."
"Present." He sighed to himself. 'Was it really necessary to call me Prince?'
"Orzack, son of Melbod the Lava Dragon."
"Present."
"Pamier, son of Bogr the Stone Dragon."
"Present."
"Quincy, son of Vibravo the Earth Dragon."
"Present."
"Rayzor, son of Portro the Blade Dragon."
"Present."
"Shane, son of Sash the Ash Dragon."
"Present."
"Tamie, daughter of Jayyis the Sound Dragon."
"Present."
"Umbra, daughter of Blenras the Camouflage Dragon."
"Present."
"Vexon, daughter of Hisstem the Poison Dragon."
"Present."
"Wix, daughter of Albyus the Psychic Dragon."
"Present."
"Xeva, daughter of Elya the Explosion Dragon."
"Present."
"Yor, son of Chaist the Vision Dragon."
"Present."
"Zephyr, son of Zyph the Lighting Dragon."
"Present."
Sheek turned to Dagor. "All Half-Dragons are present, my King."
Dagor nodded to her. "Thank you, Sheek. Now that I am aware that all are present, I shall continue. A scientist who calls himself Dr. Gorn has asked that all Half-Dragons be present in helping him move boxes of a new medicine he designed for humans. He believes this medicine will greatly increase the human life span and help with illness. This is a golden opportunity to show the humans that we are not a threat to them and that we look to aid them whenever we can. You shall all head to Shile Town immediately and locate this Gorn person. Once you do, perform the tasks asked of you. That is all. You are all dismissed."
"YES, KING DAGOR!" shouted all of the Half-Dragons. Everyone called out their wings and flew through the ceiling to head to Shile Town.
All of the Half-Dragons landed outside of Shile and retracted their wings to avoid causing unnecessary panic in town. They walked through the streets until they all arrived at a large building. Nikolias walked up to the door and knocked loudly.
A tall, black-haired, middle aged man wearing a white lab coat answered the door. For a scientist, he was oddly fit. "Ah, you must be the Half-Dragons! I am Dr. Gorn. Thank you so much for coming. The storage room is this way. Please, follow me."
"Yes sir," Nikolias said with a small bow as he followed Dr. Gorn into the building. All the other Half-Dragons followed behind.
"I realize that it's odd to ask for the help of all of you, but understand that there are a lot of boxes and I need to send out this medicine as soon as possible," Dr. Gorn said as he led them all down the halls.
Nikolias nodded, but was too lost in thought to verbally respond. 'Something isn't right. But what? What's this feeling I'm getting from this place?'
Chloe lightly put her hand on Nikolias' shoulder and he turned to look at her. He saw a look of concern on her face. "Are you feeling okay?" she whispered.
He took her hand and smiled. "Yeah." He didn't want to worry her because he was feeling paranoid. Nevertheless, he needed to run things by someone. He turned back around and, while holding Chloe's hand, poked Grego's shoulder. He turned to face Nikolias with a questioning look. "Hey Grego, do you feel anything weird here?"
Grego shook his head. "No. Why? Do you feel something?"
Nikolias shook his head. "It's gotta be nothing if I'm the only one feeling it. I must be tired, that's all." Still, he couldn't shake this foreboding feeling he had.
"Here we are," Dr. Gorn said as he stopped in front of a door. He took out a key from his pocket and unlocked the door. "Please follow this hallway. At the end, there's another door that's unlocked and leads to the supply room. The light is on the far wall, so as soon as you open the door, just walk straight and you'll easily find the light switch."
Again, a wave of danger flowed through Nikolias' body. 'There it is again. Could it just be that I don't trust this guy? Or is there more to it? Why can't I figure this out?'
Grego saw Nikolias wasn't paying attention so he quickly spoke on his behalf. "Thank you, Dr. Gorn."
Dr. Gorn bowed. "You have no idea how much this means to me. Just start bringing the boxes out here and begin piling them. Once that's done, I'll show you where to bring them from there. I'll join you as soon as I make a few important calls to buyers."
Grego bowed as Dr. Gorn walked off. "Alright everyone, let's get this done so we have something positive to report back to King Dagor."
Everyone nodded and followed Grego in; everyone except Nikolias.
Nikolias was too focused on his thoughts to even notice that everyone had left. 'Something is wrong. But what? Why do I feel this way?'
"Nikolias?"
The soft voice snapped Nikolias from his mind. He looked up to see Chloe looking at him with concern. "Oh, sorry Chloe. I spaced out, I guess."
"Nikolias, talk to me. I know you and I know when something is bothering you. Tell me what's wrong."
He smiled at her. "You really are the greatest." He walked up to her and kissed her passionately. After breaking the kiss, he stroked her cheek. "I wish I could tell you what was bothering me, but I can't figure it out. Let's just do this job and get home. I'm sure that'll put me at ease."
Chloe gave a small smile. "Okay, let's do it then." She took his hand and dragged him along to catch up to the others. They caught up just as Grego opened the second door.
"Long hallway," Alec snorted. "Thought we'd never reach the end."
Grego turned the doorknob and pushed on the door. It creaked as it opened, revealing a pitch black room. Grego cautiously took a step forward and, once he found solid ground, started heading for the opposite wall where the light switch supposedly was. "Be careful, everyone. There's very little light in here, so it'll take time for our eyes to adjust."
Once everyone was in the room, Nikolias felt that foreboding feeling again. However, this time it was much stronger. 'What the hell is this?'
And then he got his answer.
The door they had just walked through, swung closed and locked in place.
"What the hell?" Nikolias said as he pulled on the door knob. "It's locked!"
"What do you mean 'it's locked'?" Alec asked.
"I mean it won't open because the locking mechanism is active," Nikolias threw back at him.
"Nikolias, what's going on?" Chloe asked.
"I don't know, I don't know!" Panic was starting to take over his body as he continued to pull on the door. This was it. This was the foreboding feeling.
"What do we do?"
Nikolias released the door knob. "Grego! We could use some light."
"There's no switch! I can't find a switch! Goddamn it. Alright, everyone, close your eyes. LIGHT DRAGON BRILLIANT FLASH!"
Everyone closed their eyes, but no flash came.
"Grego, where's the flash?" Alec asked.
"I…I don't know. My power isn't working," he said, confusion and panic evident in his tone.
"Damn it!" Nikolias swore as he kicked at the door. He kicked and kicked, but he couldn't make any progress. "I can't get this door open!"
"Hello in there! How do you all like my dragon-proof room?"
"That voice…it's Dr. Gorn," Nikolias said as a growl escaped his throat. "I knew I couldn't trust that guy. Where are you?"
"Oh I assure you that I'm safe in another room where I can see and talk to you. Thank you for being so concerned, oh great and powerful Prince."
"What is this, Gorn? Why can't we get out?"
"An excellent question. Do you mind if I tell you a story to answer your question?"
"As long as the question is answered," Baron said calmly.
"Oh goody, well then here we go! As a scientist and an all around philanthropist, I have sworn a sacred oath that I will find a way to improve the human quality of life. And I have! I have found a way to not only improve human health, but I have also found a way to eradicate the greatest threat to the human race; the Half-Dragons!"
"So that's why you called us out here? Because you think you can kill us?" Alec growled.
"Please don't interrupt. It's just rude. Now, shall I start from the beginning? You see, a couple of years ago, I was approached by a large group of concerned citizens. They asked me, as the only scientist in town, if I could find a way to exterminate the Half-Dragons. I, of course, obliged to their request. It took four years of trial and error before I developed the most perfect virus in the history of the world; the Red Eye virus. In humans, it acts as a steroid of sorts, enhancing bodily functions to help fight disease and injury, significantly improving muscle growth, and drastically increasing the lifespan. But wait, here's the best part! This same Red Eye virus is extremely lethal to dragons, literally destroying them from the inside out!"
"That's sick!" Kate exclaimed.
"We're not a threat to humans!" Nikolias shouted at the voice.
"Now, why don't I believe you? I think it's only a matter of time before you all mature and destroy the human race. No, I won't sit idly by and allow that to happen! So I coated this room in the thickest metal to prevent you from using your strength to escape and there is a faint frequency echoing through the room that is interfering with your ability to use your dragon techniques. Now, let the extermination commence!"
Suddenly, small spikes shot out of the floor, impaling everyone's feet through their thin shoes.
"AHH, damn it!" Alec shouted. "What the fuck was that?"
Just as suddenly as the spikes appeared, they vanished.
"Did you enjoy my little invention? I call it the Needle Floor. Each needle sent the Red Eye virus into your systems. I figured that it was the best way to inject you all with the Red Eye simultaneously. If I didn't, I could only infect one of you and that just wouldn't do. So I concocted a plan to lock you all in this room so that I could infect you all with the virus. And cue the pain! In 3…2…1…SHOWTIME!"
And sure enough, the pain began.
Nikolias' body felt like it was breaking apart. He screamed in pain as blood shot out of his mouth, eyes, nose, and ears. Tears in his skin started appearing as if he were being cut over and over by a sharp, invisible blade. With every new tear, blood would shoot out and his screams would intensify. The pain was too much and he soon collapsed on the ground.
He could hear all around him that his friends were experiencing the same pain, but he couldn't see them. He tried to call out to Chloe, to be there to comfort her through this, but he couldn't even manage the first syllable as blood was pooling in his mouth. He couldn't see anything, but he knew he was starting to black out.
'This can't be happening. This pain…I've never felt anything like this before. Chloe…Chloe, where are you? Grego? Alec? Kate? Please, everyone be all right.' Tears in his skin kept appearing, but he was becoming numb to the pain and his screams were dying away. 'I feel so…cold. I…I can't feel…anything. Is this…the end?' Blood was flowing out of all of his wounds and was pooling on the ground beneath him. He coughed weakly, forcing the blood in his mouth to shoot out into the air. His breathing was staggered and was slowing down with every second. 'So this is…how I…die. This is…how…we die. Inside…a dark…room of a…fucked in the head…human.' His eyes were glazing over. His breathing was dangerously shallow. He couldn't hear anything anymore. He couldn't feel anything anymore.
And then he thought about his friends, his father, Chloe. 'No, this isn't the end. Fuck the pain. I will live.' His fingers twitched slightly and his teeth grit together. 'I'm gonna live through this. I'm gonna spend the night with Chloe. I'm gonna marry her. I'm gonna rule by her side. We'll be happy. I need to live through this so that I can be with her forever.' He let out an enormous roar, a roar that showed his pain, his sorrow, his anger, and his determination. 'I WILL LIVE!'
And then there was nothing but darkness.
Nikolias opened his eyes slowly. He could barely see, darkness overwhelming his vision. He tried to move, but found it painful to even lift a finger. He forced himself to sit up and screamed as pain ripped through his entire body.
"Why did that hurt?"
He looked down at his hands and his eyes went wide. There was blood all over his hands, forearms, biceps…
It was then that he realized that he was sitting in a pool of his own blood. His eyes scanned the situation, fear beginning to take over. He was covered in blood, he was in immense pain, he was sitting in his own blood…what the hell happened to him?
He forced himself to his feet, nearly slipping multiple times from the blood-stained floor and from lack of strength. He tried to straighten up as much as he could, but the pain had him doubled-over constantly.
He wanted to get an idea of where he was so he tried to see through the darkness. His eyes were slowly adjusting and he began to see people lying around him.
"Hey, are you guys awake? Do you know what happened? Where are we? Why am I cov…" He stopped as his eyes fully adjusted and his eyes once again widened with fear.
All around him were corpses. All of them were lying in their own blood. All of them were staring at him with lifeless eyes.
"No…no…no, no, no, NO!" he cried, tears washing away the blood and staining his cheeks before falling to the floor. He felt sorrow take over the fear as he took in the sight before him. "How could this happen? I don't…I don't understand! Why are you…why are you all dead? What happened to you?" The tears were falling faster and faster.
And then he remembered what happened. Getting trapped in this room by Gorn, being injected with the virus, the immense pain; all of it came rushing back to him.
He looked over and saw Grego, Alec, Kate, Baron, everyone lying dead at his feet.
"Why? Why was I the only one who lived?" And then his heart sank even lower. "Chloe…CHLOE!" He attempted to run to her but fell from lack of strength. He needed to get to her, so he started dragging his body along the bloody floor and around the bodies of his dear friends. He cried in pain with each movement, but he was determined to reach her.
It took what felt like an eternity, but he eventually reached Chloe's body. Dried tears were stuck to her face, her lifeless eyes looking to where Nikolias had once been. Nikolias' eyes filled with tears and his body began to tremble as he slowly lifted Chloe's lifeless and bloody body into his arms.
"Chloe," he whispered. "Chloe, please wake up." He slowly began rocking her in his arms as his tears hit her face. "I never got to tell you how much I loved you. Please wake up and smile at me with that beautiful smile."
He got no response.
"I wanted to ask you something." His throat was beginning to tighten as sorrow was consuming him. "I was going to ask you tonight. Chloe, I wanted to marry you. I was going to ask you to marry me. I love you, Chloe. I will always love you." And then the tears became uncontrollable. He held her body close to him and wept for what felt like hours.
Once the tears stopped, he leaned down and tenderly kissed her cold lips for the last time. He gently placed her back on the ground and stood. He had gained more strength in his legs, so he could stand, albeit wobbly. He looked around at all of his friends. "Everyone…I'm so sorry. I couldn't help you. I should have died along side you. Please forgive me."
Suddenly, rage began to overtake the sorrow.
"Why did you all have to die? We weren't a threat. We just wanted peace. Why? Why would the humans want us dead? Were they that afraid of us? And Gorn…I will find you and I will tear you apart." His body began to tremble with pure rage this time. "They want something to be afraid of? Fine. I'll give them something to fear in their last moments alive!"
And then everything went red.
Nikolias' irises turned bright red and glowed in the darkness of the room. A deep, murderous growl escaped his lips. And then he released a deafening roar that shook the entire building. "I'll kill them all. I'll kill them all! They're all guilty. Their cowardice led to this. I will make them pay for what they've done!" Shadows violently danced around his body and slammed against the walls and doors, cracking them before eventually breaking them down completely. He slowly walked out of the now open doorway, the shadows still swarming around him. His lips were curled back in a snarl, revealing his sharp dragon teeth. As he walked, he growled, waiting to find someone to destroy.
He eventually reached the front door and, with an angry cry, he destroyed the door with a ball of shadow, sending massive pieces of wood out in every direction. He walked through the hole he created and looked around. He could see multiple people in the area, looking on with terror.
"Gorn said he killed them all!" one man said.
"He lied?" a woman asked.
"Maybe he didn't know?" another woman offered.
"Don't be absurd!" the first man exclaimed.
Nikolias couldn't actually hear their words, for one thought was so loud in his head that he was deaf to the world; 'DIE!'
Nikolias let out a massive, blood curdling roar and then suddenly disappeared into a pillar of shadows.
There was panic in the streets. "Run! He's going to kill us all! The Half-Dragon will kill us all!"
And then the pillar of shadow exploded, sending many helpless citizens into buildings and killing them upon impact. Where the pillar once stood was a shadowy mist that was quickly blown away by massive black wings. People ran even faster after seeing what now stood in their town.
Nikolias was now a massive black dragon. He let out a massive roar that shook the very ground and caused some people to collapse on the ground in pain while they covered their ears. He looked around the town, his red eyes glowing angrily.
'I will make all of you pay for what you've done!'
He stretched his head forward and released a jet of black flames down one street, burning alive all citizens in its path. He released the fire and allowed it to spread and set the town ablaze. He began to roam the streets, devouring anyone who he could reach, and destroying buildings with a simple swing of his tail. From time to time, he would release more black flames, lighting multiple homes on fire and allowing them to crumble.
The anger within Nikolias was steadily growing. 'None of them survived, so none of you will either!' He spread his wings, knocking over even more buildings, and leapt into the air, sending powerful gusts of wind down the streets and further spreading the fire. He flew higher and higher before disappearing into the clouds and stopping to hover. He glared down at the town of Shile through the haze. He roared once more before releasing black fireball after black fireball down upon the town at a rapid pace. Each fireball collided with the ground with incredible force, destroying buildings, shattering vendor stands, and disintegrating anyone in its path. Nikolias made sure that every inch of the town was in fire. Once he was satisfied with his destruction, he flew back down at high speed. As soon as he hit the ground, a massive wave of black fire crashed over the entire town, engulfing it in even more flames.
Nikolias stood among the death, destruction, and black fire. He let loose a massive roar of anger and victory. Convinced that all in the area had died, he flew off, searching for anyone who managed to escape. He scanned the area, looking everywhere for survivors, but saw no one.
And then the anger began to subside.
Suddenly overcome with fatigue, he fell to the ground and transformed back to his human form. He lay there for a few minutes, completely motionless, before he finally began to stir.
He groaned as he pushed himself off the ground, his hand immediately going to his aching head. "Ah, what the hell happened?" He could feel an intense heat on his skin and he looked up to see the town of Shile on fire. And then he remembered. "I did this," he whispered. "I have to get home. I have to tell father what happened here." He called out his wings and flew as fast as his tired body would allow him.
He eventually reached the Grand Hall of Dragons. He ran through the halls and threw open the doors to his father's chambers.
But it was empty. No one was around.
"What the hell? Where is everyone? Father! Grandeeyus! Ignais! ANYONE!"
But no one answered.
Nikolias collapsed to his knees. "They're gone. Where did they go?" he whispered. Sorrow once again took over.
His friends were dead. His love was dead. His father vanished.
He was alone again.
With nothing left for him, Nikolias rose to his feet and left the Grand Hall of Dragons, never to return.
And so he wandered the world with no purpose and no one to return to.
AGE 347
"Sir?"
Nikolias looked up at the young woman who stood over him. "Yes?"
"I'm sorry, but my father is hoping that you'll move somewhere else. He feels like you're scaring away potential customers."
Nikolias looked around the woman to see a stern looking man standing behind his clothes stand with his arms crossed, glaring daggers at him. He stood from his seat on the bench and brushed off his ratty and torn clothes. "My apologies. It was not my intent to harm your father's business. I will relocate."
The woman looked at him with concern. "Are you alright?"
He gave her a small smile. "Not at all." With that, he turned and continued his aimless walk.
It had been over 300 years since the dragons vanished, Nikolias' friends were murdered, and the town of Shile was burned to the ground by Nikolias' rage. Unfortunately for Nikolias, time was not healing the wounds. Each day, he would wake up, feeling like the horrors of that day had just happened yesterday. Almost every night, he would wake up in a sweat after reliving the entire scene. He spent his life wandering the world with no destination in mind and with no intention of settling down, moving from town to town and sleeping out in the wilderness. He couldn't see the point in staying anywhere.
While this time didn't heal him, it did give him the opportunity to think about what had happened to him.
Despite his heavy heart, Nikolias was still able to keep track of the years. He knew he was 347 years old. However, his overall physical appearance hadn't changed since that day. Other than a more muscular body and slightly longer hair, he still looked like he did when he was 20 years old. Nikolias recalled what Gorn said that day about the Red Eye virus; it enhances bodily functions to help fight disease and injury, it significantly improves muscle growth, and it drastically increases one's lifespan. That would explain why he had no scars from the virus' assault on his body and that would also explain why he looked no different. Being a Half-Dragon already greatly increased his lifespan, but by adding the Red Eye's effect to that, his lifespan had stretched even further and thus slowed his physical aging. At least, that was the theory he had decided upon.
He couldn't, however, figure out what came over him all those years ago. When he saw his friends dead, he remembered being incredibly sad, but then something happened. It was as if another side of him took over, a side of him that he didn't recognize. This side of him was pure rage fueled by the loss of those dear to him. Still, his memory of the whole thing was foggy. He remembered apologizing to his friends and then feeling a white hot anger rising in him and then his mind got fuzzy. He could remember bits and pieces of what happened when he was angry, which is how he knew he was responsible for Shile, but most of it was blocked from his mind. It was as if he wasn't actually himself when it happened and he was just watching the destruction through sleepy eyes. However, trying to think about what happened to him only further reminded him of what he lost, so he didn't put too much thought into it. The only consolation he had was that Gorn either died in his rampage or died of old age years ago.
What constantly pushed itself to the forefront of his thoughts was where Dagor and the other dragons went. He wasn't sure how long he was in Shile, but it still didn't explain where his father went. Why would he leave? Where would he go? He racked his brain for years, but never came up with a suitable answer that could possibly explain the sudden disappearance. He never gave up thinking about it, but he never made progress, either.
As he walked, he looked up at the sun. 'Father, where are you? Why did you leave? After everything that's happened, I need you now more than ever.'
"Sir!"
Nikolias turned back around to see the young woman running up to him. "Do you need something else?"
She stopped in front of him, panting, and handed him a package. "Here."
"What's this?"
"New clothes. I felt bad forcing you to leave and you look like you could use some new clothes, so here."
"I appreciate the thought. Thank you." He took the package from her and gave her the best smile that he could manage.
She smiled back. "You're welcome!" She waved as she ran back to her father's shop.
He sighed as he looked at the package in his hand and decided he'd change once he was out of town. He gripped the package tightly as he made his way to the town border.
Nikolias, now in his new clothes, arrived in another town a day later. He looked around at the town, taking in the sights as best he could. It seemed like a very active place for such a small town. The streets were packed with people shopping, walking around and talking, eating, even kids playing games.
He noticed a sign that read Argon Town, so at least he knew where he was. "A very happening place, it seems," Nikolias whispered to himself as he pushed himself through the masses. He received a lot of unkind words, yet oddly, as soon as the people spoke, they immediately shut up and ducked away. "Odd." However, he decided not to think about it because frankly, he didn't care. He didn't care about anyone anymore. What was the point?
He found his way to the center of town and looked around. "Alright, which way to go to find the other exit?" he thought out loud. Suddenly, his attention was grabbed by loud talking to his right. He turned his head and saw a mass of people surrounding something. "What the hell are they doing?" And then the object of their attention pushed through the crowd.
It was a beautiful young woman. She was a little shorter than him, so approximately 5 feet 10 inches. She had long and slightly wavy brunette hair that reached halfway down her back. She wore a white dress that clung to her perfect figure and her fairly large breasts. A bright red ribbon was tied around her waist and she wore flat brown shoes that granted her mobility. She had light brown eyes that seemed to sparkle in the light and her smile was kind, comforting, captivating. Nikolias stared in disbelief at the sight before him. He couldn't comprehend the beauty of this woman.
He took a deep breath and that's when his nose picked up the scent of the woman. It was as if he was in a meadow with freshly blooming flowers surrounding him and a gentle breeze blowing pollen through the air. The scent relaxed him. It was as if all of his troubles had vanished. For the first time in over 300 years, he felt at peace. The scent was calling to him. It was begging him to come closer. And he was not about to disappoint it. As if in a trance, Nikolias walked towards the woman.
"Please everyone, I have shopping to do," the young woman said as she attempted to escape the crowd surrounding her.
"You heard the lady, give her space!" one of the men shouted. "She can help us later."
"Yes, I will help you all later. Come by my house in a few hours, okay?"
Everyone cheered and thanked her before dispersing.
She giggled before heading off to her errands—until she saw Nikolias walking towards her.
She couldn't believe her eyes. Here was a man she had never seen before walking closer to her, looking right at her, and she felt heat and excitement flow through her body. This man was incredibly handsome and extremely muscular. His strong arms and chest pushed against the tight white shirt he had on and his long, powerful legs were contained by black slacks. His hair was untidy and long, but it didn't hide his flawless, kind face and his hypnotic golden brown eyes. She felt her face flush as the man stepped closer and closer.
Nikolias stopped a few feet in front of the woman, her scent overpowering his senses. He smiled at the woman. "Hi there. My name is Nikolias. And yours?"
The woman looked into his eyes. "Michelle. I'm the local doctor here in town."
"Really? That's quite an important job. Anyway, I couldn't help but overhear that you had errands to run. Would you like some company?"
Michelle nodded. "I'd like that."
He smiled at her; the first honest and pain-free smile he had given anyone since Chloe. "Good. Then lead the way."
A few weeks had passed since Nikolias first met Michelle and since that day, they could barely be seen apart. Whenever Michelle had errands to run, Nikolias was always right by her side, helping her carry her bags. It was more than just being drawn to her scent; he enjoyed being around her, talking to her, hearing her laugh. She even gave him a haircut, which he definitely appreciated.
Nikolias was helping Michelle unpack her groceries when Michelle paused. "Nikolias?"
He stopped and looked at her. "Yeah, what's up?"
"Where do you go at night?"
He raised an eyebrow. "I…don't think I understand the question."
"Well during the day, you're usually with me, but then at night, you vanish. I was just wondering where you go."
"Outside the town."
She looked at him with surprise. "Where outside the town?"
"The woods."
"Why?"
"It's where I sleep."
"Why do you sleep in the woods?"
He chuckled. "Well, where else am I supposed to sleep? I don't have any money for a hotel."
She blushed. "Well you could…sleep here."
Nikolias smiled. "Really? Well, thank you. Your couch looks a lot more comfortable than the ground."
Her face blushed more. "You could sleep on the couch or…you could always sleep in the bed…with me."
Now it was Nikolias' turn to turn a deep shade of red. "You…you want me to share a bed with you?"
She nodded slowly. "Ever since I saw you, I felt something. Even though I didn't know you, I wanted to be close to you."
"R…Really?"
"Mhm."
He smiled. "I did, too."
Her eyes filled with tears. "You did?"
He nodded. "Before I met you, I never stayed in a town for more than a couple of hours. I never felt like there was a point to settling down. I wandered this world aimlessly and then I met you. And everything changed. I felt happiness again and I felt the need to be with you."
She leapt at Nikolias, wrapped her arms around his head, and captured his lips with hers. He was taken aback, but then her scent hit his nose and he became lost in it. He gripped her slender waist with his strong hands and kissed her back with even more force. He poked at her bottom lip for entrance. She parted her lips and he shot his tongue into her mouth, exploring it and battling her tongue for dominance. She moaned into his mouth and the sound drove him crazy. In response to the moans, a growl escaped from his throat and he could feel her body shiver in his hands. The longer they kept at it, the more Nikolias could feel his dragon instincts starting to take over.
And then Nikolias pulled away. He looked at Michelle, the both of them panting from the passion. She locked eyes with him and he could see a questioning and slightly hurt look on her face. He smiled at her and stroked her cheek. "Michelle, I feel like I need to be honest with you about who I am. It's not fair to you for me to keep hiding it, especially since I feel the way I do about you."
She smiled at him. "You can tell me anything."
He took a deep breath. "I'm not entirely human. I'm a Half-Dragon." He braced himself for the look of fear in her eyes, the names, the panic. And yet, there was nothing. She looked at him, her smile unwavering, before she stepped towards him and took his hand. "Michelle?"
"I don't care. I don't care if you are part dragon. I know what kind of person you are. You're kind, understanding, caring, funny, and you make me feel safe. That's why I love you."
Nikolias' eyes widened. 'She…She loves me?' He couldn't believe how happy he felt when she said that. A wide grin appeared on his face. "You love me, huh? After just a few weeks?"
She looked away and puffed out her flushed cheeks. "Don't make fun of me."
He laughed. "I would never, especially since I love you, too."
Her eyes widened in surprise from his words before she shot him a sideways smile. "After just a few weeks?"
He thought back to Chloe. They were together for seven years before he started to consider making things serious with her. And now she was gone, before she even understood how much he loved her and wanted to be with her. He always regretted that and he didn't want that to happen again, especially since he was so sure about how he felt. He stroked Michelle's cheek. "That's dragon love for ya."
"Dragon love?"
"When dragons find the one that we wish to spend the rest of our lives with, we become attracted to the scent of that person. It apparently drives us crazy. I never experienced it until the second I saw you and picked up your scent. That's how I'm sure that it's dragon love, an affection that's even stronger than human love."
Her eyes shone as she looked at him. "You love me that much?"
"Absolutely."
She giggled. "Are we crazy for moving so fast?"
"I think it's crazy to go slow."
"I agree. By the way, why did you decide now was the time to tell me?"
He laughed nervously as he scratched the back of his head. "Well I could feel my dragon instincts taking over while we were kissing, so before I did anything I would regret, I wanted you to understand what I am."
"So you didn't want to take advantage?"
"In a sense, yes. Basically, if I didn't stop, my dragon side would have taken things too far out of desire."
She gave him a mischievous grin. "Really?"
He raised an eyebrow. "What's with that look?"
She leaned in close and whispered in his ear, "Who said that I wouldn't have enjoyed being ravaged by a sexy dragon?"
Never in a million years had he ever expected her to say that. He laughed to hide his intense blush. "You're full of surprises, Michelle."
"Oh, I'm the one who's full of surprises, dragon boy?"
"Touché." He then looked at her seriously. "Michelle?"
"Yes?"
"I wanna do this right. So how would you like to go out to dinner tonight?"
She smiled. "I'd love to."
For the next month, Nikolias and Michelle dated. He revealed everything to her, every little detail about his past. He told her how he grew up, how Dagor found and raised him, how he became a Half-Dragon, how he was expected to rule the dragons one day, how he dated Chloe and intended to marry her, how all of his friends were murdered and he somehow survived, how the infection turned him into a monster, how he destroyed the town he grew up with and everyone in it, how his father and all of the dragons vanished, and how he wandered the world for over 300 years until he found her. He told her everything and, despite his fears, she stayed by his side.
He slept in her bed, but other than the occasional kissing, he behaved himself. His dragon instincts were making it difficult, though. They were calling for him to take her as his mate. But he was determined to do this right. Michelle wasn't a dragon, so she deserved to be treated like a human.
So Nikolias came up with a plan that started with dinner.
"I really enjoyed that meal," Michelle said. She was dolled up for the night, wearing a light blue dress that came down to her knees and clung tightly to her figure with a white wrap around her shoulders. Her hair was loose and fell down her back in silky waves. She had lipstick and a little blush on, but for the most part, she didn't need makeup. She didn't have any perfume, though, since Nikolias kept telling her that her natural scent was intoxicating.
"I'm glad," Nikolias replied with a smile. He wore the same white shirt and black slacks, but they were clean since he had the opportunity to wash them. He felt like he wasn't as nicely dressed as Michelle, but he didn't have enough money for new clothes. He had gotten a job in a store, but all of his pay tended to go towards taking Michelle out to eat.
The couple walked the streets on their way back home, Michelle's arm wrapped around Nikolias' arm and her head resting on his shoulder. The brisk night air gave Michelle chills and she snuggled closer to Nikolias' warm body.
"Michelle!"
The couple stopped and turned to see three young men running towards her.
"Ah, good evening Darius, Samuel, Walter. How are you all?"
"We're well, Michelle," Darius said with a smile, which vanished as soon as he saw Michelle's arm clinging to Nikolias' arm. "And who is this?"
"Nikolias," he said with a smile and offered his free hand. All three men just glared at him, so he withdrew it.
"Is there something I can help you with?" Michelle spoke up.
"We saw you walking by and thought you might enjoy an evening about the town," Samuel spoke, his eyes never leaving Nikolias.
"That is a very kind offer, but as you can see, I'm busy tonight. My apologies. Thank you for thinking of me, though." She gave them all a sweet smile.
Walter stepped forward. "Michelle, do you mind if we ask you a medical question in private?"
"Of course." She turned to Nikolias and smiled. "I'll only be a minute."
He smiled and nodded, releasing Michelle from his arm and walking away from the conversation.
"So what is your question, Walter?"
He leaned in close. "Listen Michelle. You know that the entire town loves you. That's why we want to warn you about that Nikolias guy. None of us get a good vibe from him. He's dangerous, so you really should keep your distance."
She smiled sweetly. "Nikolias isn't dangerous. He's very kind. You should get to know him and I'm sure that you'd like him as much as I do."
"Michelle, please think about this," Darius begged. "This guy appears out of nowhere and attaches himself to you. He's only going to hurt you."
Her smile never left. "Oh, don't worry. I can take care of myself. Besides, Nikolias would never hurt me."
Walter spoke up again. "Michelle, we're not kidding around. If you keep hanging around that guy, you're going to be in serious trouble. We all believe that if you tell him to leave you alone then he'll leave this town and never return."
"I have no intention of saying anything of the kind to Nikolias. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to return to my date." She waved to them and walked back to where Nikolias was standing. However, she was surprised to see him standing there with his hands over his ears and making noises. She giggled and lightly tapped his shoulder. He turned to see her and smiled, removing his hands from his ears. "Nikolias, what were you doing?"
"I could hear your conversation because of my dragon hearing, so I wanted to give you privacy."
"You're so sweet." Then she got a bad feeling. "Wait, you heard? How much?"
His smile faded a bit. "Apparently, you should keep your distance from me. I'm dangerous."
She looked at the ground. "I don't believe them."
"I am a Half-Dragon, though. You don't think I'd eat you in the middle of the night?"
"You shouldn't joke about that," she whispered. "I love you with all my heart and nothing they say will change that." Suddenly, she felt Nikolias' arms wrap around her and his face buried in the crook of her neck.
"I love you with all my heart as well, but I don't want you to feel unsafe. If you ask it of me, I will stay away."
She hugged him tightly. "Don't pay attention to their words. Honestly, I think they're just jealous. They all have expressed interest in courting me. Nikolias, there is no one in this world I feel safer around than you, so please stay by my side."
"I will."
"Why are you so down on yourself?"
His grip tightened. "You know why."
She didn't respond. She just hugged him in silence. She wished that there was something that she could do to help him.
"I know what you're thinking," Nikolias finally spoke.
"What are you talking about?"
"You wish you could help me, right? Make me feel better?"
"Maybe…"
He chuckled warmly and pulled away from the hug. He grasped her hand and walked her home. "You know, you've already done so much for me."
"I have?"
He looked at her and smiled. "You've stayed by my side despite what I am and showed me that I could be happy. You showed me that it was possible to open up and love someone again. For over 300 years, I never thought any of that was possible for me."
She blushed. "I'm glad you're happy. I just wish I could do more."
He stopped walking, for they had arrived outside of Michelle's house. He turned to face her. "Maybe you can." And then he got down on one knee.
Michelle's eyes widened. "What are you doing?"
"Michelle, I love you with all of my heart. Before I met you, I thought I was destined to live alone, this cursed virus coursing through my veins to forever remind me that happiness is for others and not me. But you showed me how wrong I was. You showed me happiness, love, and a future and I don't plan on letting that escape me."
"Nikolias…" Tears began filling her eyes.
"Michelle Deyanora, will you marry me?"
Tears began pouring down her face as she tackled Nikolias to the ground. "Yes!"
