Nearly a week had passed since Iona and Cilas went their own ways. Iona had neither seen nor heard from him, and she constantly wondered where he wandered off to and what he was doing. Despite every part of her telling her to go looking for him, she fought the urge. He did not need her, and she would not burden him with her presence. She missed him greatly, as most of her thoughts were consumed by him. But all he wanted from her was to join him on the long journey to Iria, which she had fulfilled. Now, there was nothing left to bind them with each other, no reason to remain by each other’s sides. What could she do? If she returned to him, and if he would take her back, she would only bring more misfortune to his life, embarrass herself, and cause more work for him. She supposed it was a blessing for him to be free of her. It was the only thing that kept her where she was, the only reasoning she could give herself that she seemed to listen to. It made her chest ache each time. But, she wished him well. She wished him success with every goal and dream he chases. And she wished him happiness.

Thanks to Cilas and his teaching, Iona had since found shelter. Sleeping outdoors was lovely in her eyes, for she could hear the night critters and feel the moon and stars watching over her. But it was not ideal within a city, or even when the weather decides not to play nice. So, she got her first taste of the comfort and warmth a bed offers at an inn. She had no money aside from the bag of scales Cilas left with her, and it would certainly help her pay for the room she was so graciously given, for a while. It would help with new clothing as well, and whatever material things she might need. But it would not last forever. Currency was very important, it seems, and running low can cause major issues. A job was in order, so that she searched for next. Luckily she did not have to look far. The owner of the inn was kind and offered her a place among his staff to wait tables in their bar. She was taught by one of the many ladies that shared the same duty. And, she did well. There had been but a single night when their customers were rather rowdy and the crowds were thick. It was overwhelming, for she had only been a few days without Cilas and was not yet accustomed to faring on her own. Somehow she managed, and she was relieved to see things died down the next day.

She even managed to make a friend only two days after she arrived in Iria. His name was Harvin. He had come to Iria shortly after she had to stay with some of his relatives. He was a friendly male, very chipper and loved to smile. It was him that helped her find her way through the city and obtain a room at the inn, and it was his negotiating skills that got her the job as a waitress. He explained that it was not the best paying job a woman could get, but it was a decent start that would give her experience with other people. Since then, he visited often to check on her, make sure everything was well. His favorite time to come was under the cloak of night, when the men come to drink and gamble. And, it was him that put a lot more attention on her than she desired. All it took was the one time he overheard her humming to herself while she worked, then he encouraged her to sing for the customers. She agreed just the one time, but when the owner of the inn heard, he wanted her to sing every night, claiming it brought more customers if a beautiful woman such as her could sing well and catch attention.

Again, she was expected to sing before the eyes of the drunken men. It was a difficult feat for her to accomplish, for she knew not one song that might be popular among the people. All she had were the strange melodies that echoed in her thoughts, and the words would come on their own. No one seemed to care what sort of tune she played, not joyous nor sad, not loud nor quiet. This one, she chose due to Feeorin Forest being so close to the city. She’d heard tales of the Faeries there causing mischief, and a song of a similar tale came to her:

“Where dips the rocky highland
Of sleuth wood in the lake
There lies a leafy island
Where flapping herons wake
The drowsy water rats
There we've hid our fairy vats
Full of berries
And of reddest stolen cherries.

Come away oh human child
To the waters and the wild
With a faery hand in hand
For the world's more full of weeping
Than you can understand

Where the wave of moonlight glosses
The dim grey sands with light
By far off furthest roses
We foot it all the night
Weaving olden dances
Mingling hands and mingling glances
Till the moon has taken flight
To and fro we leap
And chase the frothy bubbles
Whilst the world is full of troubles
And is anxious in its sleep.

Come away oh human child
To the waters and the wild
With a faery hand in hand
For the world's more full of weeping
Than you can understand”

A man sitting by a wall was playing along to her song with a lute. He always filled the room with beautiful music, but whenever she sang he changed the tune to fit her own melody. How he always knew what to play and how to play it, Iona didn’t know, but she loved hearing his fingers make magic with the instrument. But even as she performed, she did not neglect her duties. She moved from table to table, weaving through with quiet and graceful steps and motions. Once she would complete an order, she would return to the bar where more was given to her, and then go back out to give the men their meals and ale. All the while she sang, keeping her voice raised to reach even the ears in the furthest corners of the room. She was uncomfortable being watched by so many eyes, some of which made her feel uneasy. But whenever she spotted Harvin, and was greeted with an encouraging smile, she would force herself to continue:

“Where the wandering water gushes
From the hills above glen car
In pools among the rushes
That scarce could bathe a star
We seek for slumbering trout
And whispering in their ears
Give them unquiet dreams
Leaning softly out
From ferns that drop their tears
Over the young streams

Come away oh human child
To the waters and the wild
With a faery hand in hand
For the world's more full of weeping
Than you can understand
Away with us he's going

The solemned eyed
He'll hear no more the lowing
Of the calves on the warm hillside
Or the kettle on the hob
Sing peace unto his breast
Or see the brown mice bob
Round and round the oatmeal chest.

For he comes, the human child
To the waters and the wild
With a faery hand in hand
For the world's more full of weeping
Than you can understand.”

Finally, the song had ended, and so did her shift. She released a sigh of relief once she was in the comfort of her own bedroom. She pulled off her apron and hung it in the wardrobe, the dress she wore followed suit. It was replaced with her nightgown: it was a simple thing of dark blue, weaved from silk. It was modest, as it fell to her calves in length and above her breasts along the top. Paler blue ruffles sprouted from the bottom seems, while a floral design of lace matching in color coated the entire gown. Unfortunately she had not learned how to plait her hair to prevent it from becoming unruly during the hours of the night, so it was left down. When she was fully dressed and prepared to lay down to rest, there was a knock at the door. With a lifted brow, she approached the only entrance to her room and slowly opened it. There, three men stood in waiting. They each wore clothing of strong fabrics, with weapons strapped to any part of them that they could manage. The sight of them was unnerving, and she raised her eyes to the middle man cautiously. “May I help you?” She asked kindly.

“Yes,” the man replied, his thin lips curving into a smirk. She did not like the look in his dark eyes. “We are looking for a dragon. We are told that you know one.” Iona’s brow creased with thought. A dragon… that was what Cilas had transformed into. That massive creature of silver and majesty. The beautiful beast that killed for her, saved her, and showed astounding tenderness despite its power. But, she did not know where Cilas was, and even if she had, she did not trust these men enough to give them the information. Cilas had told her that there are people who hunt dragons, hence why he kept his true form secret. She shook her head, “I am sorry, but I cannot help you.” Not a lie, but it was deceitful. Since she was unable to tell lies, she learned that twisting the truth and choosing her words wisely can be just as effective.

She started to shut the door, but the man stepped forward and forced it back open. She stumbled back with wide eyes. Every part of her screamed “danger”. “When we were traveling through the Valley of Vada, we heard of a recent encounter from the tribe, an encounter with a dragon. They also told us that he was traveling with an exceptionally beautiful young woman with skin as pale as snow, and hair as silver as the moon,” the man said, stepping into her bedroom. With each step he took towards her, she equaled it with a step back. The other two men followed him in, and shut the door behind them. Iona’s heart raced, and fear quickly crept up on her until her stomach turned with it. “You, my dear, fit the bill,” he added, the sweep his eyes made over her body making her want to cover herself. “You have no proof,” she countered weakly, struggling to keep her fear under control.

“Let us find out, shall we?” The man reached out and took her arm swiftly before she could escape his grasp. Then, horror struck her as he pulled out a Spirit Opal from his pocket. He pressed the beautiful stone against her breast, and a blue glow emanated from beneath her gown. “You see, we were also told that the woman was possessed by a spirit, and her “spiritual energy” would react to this rock,” he explained. Her heart dropped into her stomach. He continued, “But, it is not you we are after. We just want your dragon friend. Tell us where he is, and we will let you go unharmed.”

Iona’s breath was caught in her throat, but she forced herself to meet his dark gaze. “What do you want with him?” She inquired. “To kill him, of course. Dragons are nothing but a waste of life. They are horrible beasts that know nothing but death and destruction,” he snarled. Iona whimpered as his grip tightened painfully on her arm. She could understand why he would think such things about dragons, and she could not speak for the race. But she knew Cilas, and knew that he was none of those things. All he ever did was help her, and now, he was in danger. She wouldn’t tell them where he is, not only because she didn’t know, but because she would not be able to forgive herself if he was harmed. Perhaps she could stall them, make them think she knows something even though she doesn’t. It would waste their time on her rather than searching for him. “I cannot tell you,” she replied.

“That’s unfortunate. We will have try something else then.” Suddenly, he pressed a piece of cloth over her nose and mouth, holding her head firmly against it. She struggled and squealed, the sounds muffled and almost unheard. Then, sleep came like a heavy weight, forcing her eyes to close.

Cilas gazed at the scrolls before him that laid sprawled haphazardly on the table. Few containing information about blood magic rituals, others containing information about what creatures were more keen to use the sanguine art. All of these laid upon a large detailed map of Parvpora, one that Cilas himself had drawn out over the years that he had lived upon the world. He was no official cartographer, but it was detailed enough for him to get a general idea of where he needed to go. His eyes flashed from one passage in a scroll to an area south of the cradle, his actual true home.

”So that is where they decided to build their hidden temple. Interesting…I believe there are secrets of this forbidden art waiting to be found there. Perhaps something that will cause people to accept it more readily.”

The dragon sat back down at his seat when a wave of smells washed over him. Lavender and a hint of pine, like the surrounding flora of a lakeside view. His hand grabbed the hem of his cloak and he brought it up closer to his nose and closed his eyes again to take in the smells. His face turned from an adventurous smile to sad one. His heart ached and his mind started to wander again. How long had it been since the two of them had parted ways in Iria? Was it close to a week? It was not like he did not want to go see her, he had just been lost again in his work and his tomes. He let out a depressed sigh and stared at the map again, releasing the grasp he had on his cloak.

”I hope…I hope the city is treating you well Iona. I haven’t heard you call out for me, so it must be.” His sad words were spoken silently. The city was large, and he doubted that he would be able to hear them anyway. Those words he told were to comfort, but in the back of his mind, he hoped that he would hear them all the same. He shook his head and to try and get the sadness away from his mind. It is then when he caught the dark sky through the window. ”It already has got that late has it? Well time to call it a night.” He started to roll up the scrolls that he borrowed from the shelves and place them back.

“That song was beautiful, wasn't it? Just like the Maiden.”

“Her silver hair shone like the moon, I was entranced by it and her sweet voice.”

Cilas stopped halfway pushing the scroll into his spot to listen to the folks' talk. Silver hair just like the moon? He only knew one person with such hair. So she was doing fine for herself, it brightened Cilas’ mood just to hear that. He turned to the door of the study he was borrowing. ”Where was this maiden at you speak of?”

“Oh? Just a few blocks down the road. I doubt she will be signing again, it seemed like she was just a waitress that took the opportunity though. Didn’t know what type of woman interested you Cilas.”

The dragon rolled his eyes at his colleagues poking fun at him and quickly put the stuff away. It did not take him long to leave the building. She was close by all the time, and never once did he bother to even go and visit her. Perhaps he could tell her that he loved her this time. The dragon shook his head. No that would be too stupid, to not speak to each other for all this time and then out of the blue say his true feelings. He got to the door of the building and looked at it, he felt his heart racing again. Go in you dolt. He told himself and pushed the door slowly as he stepped in.

A small few people were at the bar finishing their last drinks. His eyes scanned around to see if he could see her moonlight silver hair, yet there was nothing. Perhaps she had already gone to where she called home. One of the barmaids walked near him.

”Uh excuse me miss, is there a maiden with silver hair working at this place?”

The barmaid let out a small laugh. “Oh my, it seems like her singing really brought in some fans. But yes, I just had three other men as the same question. Her room is up the stairs there, but it is late so she might be sleeping.”

Cilas smiled and nodded. ”Thank you.” He followed her instructions and went to the room that Iona had been renting out. He knocked on the door, as to not barge in just in case she was indeed sleeping. There was no answer, he tried again and nothing that time as well. His hand hovered over the door handle. He closed his eyes and withdrew his hand. She was on her own now it would be rude for him to barge in, this was her place of living after all. He let out a small sigh and turned to head back down the stairs. He might as well grab a drink since he made it all this way.

He sat down at a table and the same maid came up to him. ”Don’t think she was there, but I will take tea if you would please.”

As the night went on, Harvin remained at the inn, watching. His part in the plan was not over yet. He had been watching Iona, keeping an eye out for her dragon friend if he ever came by to see her. She talked about him often, and it was clear how upset she was from their parting, no matter how much she tried to hide it. If they had been so close, then it would have been logical for the dragon to come visit her. But, he never did. So, Erin gave the orders to move in. Harvin already knew she was clueless as to where the dragon was, but Erin wanted to be sure by attempting to threaten the truth out of her. She didn’t speak, so they went directly to their second plan Hervin had seen coming. He wasn’t fond of them kidnapping her, as he’d witnessed for himself how innocent and kind she was. All she ever thought about was others, and the happiness of her friend, despite how unhappy she truly was. Such selflessness should not exist. But, he was ensured they wouldn’t harm her so long as her friend showed to get her.

That was his second and final part. In Iria, word travels fast should someone go missing, especially a beautiful attention grabber such as Iona. If her friend truly cares, he should come searching for her, asking people what they know. And the inn was the logical and best place for him to start. Harvin would keep an eye out for this person, seated close to the door so he sees every new face entering. It was far enough from the crowd that he could easily eavesdrop on nearby conversations as well. If he does indeed come for her, then Harvin was ordered to lead him to her, straight into their waiting hands. This was his first mission as a dragon hunter, and despite being driven by his hatred towards the race that needlessly killed his parents, he was nervous. Iona was the one he worried for the most. Should they really drag in an innocent woman?

Eventually, a tall blond man walked into the inn. He was cloaked and clad in silver and red, the style suggesting a mage. Nothing unusual, with the mage academy and all. But his silver eyes caught Harvin’s interest. They matched the small piece of physical description Iona had given him. He waited and watched, keeping his head low so it wasn’t obvious. The man immediately asked for Iona, no hesitation. Harvin nearly beamed inside. He must be the one. The waitress gave him directions to Iona’s room, and he followed them. Harvin knew the man would arrive at an empty room. Erin, Ches, and Solis had already taken her away, far off to the edge of the city where being sighted wasn’t likely. His heart squeezed as he wondered what they had done to her within the privacy of the cabin. But he shook the thought away before it could build up any doubt. He needed to pull through. The dragons needed to pay for the innocent lives they’d taken.

Minutes went by, and the man returned. He took a seat at a table of his own, luckily near enough for Harvin to listen to what was passed between the man and the waitress. She appeared surprised to hear Iona was not in her room, “She wasn’t? That’s odd.” She crossed her arms over her breast with a thoughtful hum. “She’s usually in her room by now, and I didn’t see her come back down. Who knows, perhaps those men managed to charm her,” she chuckled with a light shake of her head, moving her hands to her hips and shrugging lightly. “I’ve been telling her she needs to get her head out of the clouds and stop thinking about that man who left her. Maybe she finally decided to take my advice.” She laughed again as she walked away to get his drink, saying something to herself about prying the juicy details from Iona in the morning. Harvin’s face twisted a little, but then almost found himself amused as well. Erin was a looker, a tall man with a handsome tan and gorgeous dark hair. He could see any woman swooning over him. But Ches and Solis? Not in a million years. Harvin knew he wasn’t a dream boat either with his ordinary looks, but he was at least aware he was better looking than those two.

The woman returned with the man’s tea and set it upon his table. “Don’t worry, honey, you’ll only get your heart broken with pretty ones like her. I suggest you look for a different kind of girl, one that can give you what you need,” she said suggestively with a wink. Then, she left again. This was Harvin’s chance. He stood from his seat and slipped away, slowly approaching the man while constantly looking over his shoulders. It made him appear uneasy, as if he was afraid of being seen talking to the man. Once he was standing directly behind him, he tapped his shoulder and spoke quietly, “You’re looking for the silver-haired girl, right?” Before he continued, he moved around the table and sunk into the seat at the other end, making it look like he was a friend joining the other for a drink. He looked around for extra to make it look more convincing. Then, he leaned forward to speak quietly, fidgeting his hands to display nervousness. “I’m a friend of hers. I…I’m not sure it’s safe to be telling you this, but she’s not in her room. I saw her being dragged away by three men. They took her out the window at the end of the hall upstairs,” he shook his head, summoning all of his worry for her so it would show and be more convincing. “I wanted to do something, but… they were big men, and covered in weapons, like hunters. I stood no chance against them. So I followed them. They took her to an abandoned house near the edge of the city. I would have called for help, but I was afraid no one would believe me with alcohol on my breath.”

The man who had left her? Had Iona been talking about Cilas all this time and he did not even know? It made his heart swell, but the fact that she wasn’t there and three other men came to see her still darkened his spirits. ”Perhaps she was, it is always nice to have some companionship.” he replies to the maid who left to fetch his drink. There was a slight sense of irony as the man who had left Iona was the one sitting and talking to the other barmaid. He wondered how she would react if he spoke out and said it was him.

She returned with the tea that he ordered, an unusual request in a bar, in no time. He chuckled a little and wrapped his hands around the steaming cup, it warmed them up well. The cup was rough though not like the smooth and soft skin of Iona’s hand. ”Perhaps, but sometimes it is worth chasing the moonlight..” his whispered as the bar maid left him. He saw the wink and the hidden intention of her words, and if it wasn’t for the fact that he only wanted to see Iona again he probably would have spent the night with the maid. Women had always came to him for pleasure, wooed by his looks. Dragons in general in their human form were the epitome of the golden ratio. It had been a while since he had the pleasure of a woman’s body.

His thoughts were interrupted as he was taking a drink. A simple tap on the shoulder. A man’s voice spoke out asking if he was looking for the silver haired maiden. He couldn’t answer the man before he moved around the table and took a seat across from Cilas. He was shrouded in a cloak, but Cilas could easily see his face. He was glancing about, as if he was trying to spot someone, before he leaned in. The words that he spoke were lined with nervousness and worry. At first Cilas was going to ignore him, but once he said Iona was taken through the top story window is when his gut dropped. He took another drink of the tea as he continued to listen to the man's words. Hunters, Iona Taken through the window, dragon hunters was the only explanation. They had got to her to get to Cilas.

This man had followed them though, yet he spoke the truth about the alcohol on his breath. He didn’t know if the man could describe his path and he didn’t want a drunkard to show him the way. Perhaps he could point on a map. ”I believe you, and if you are a friend of hers, then you have my trust. Please wait here, just in case you were spotted, I will return in due haste.” Cilas spoke and quickly got up and ran out of the building.

He finally returned minutes later with a large scroll in his hand. He was out of breathe as he had ran to the academy and back. Taking a moment to catch his breath he entered the tavern again. The first sight he saw when he entered was the barmaid from early, pale as a sheet of paper looking towards where Cilas had been originally sitting. Cilas looked over and the man who was sitting there had already lost whatever was in his stomach all over the floor. A sack sat on the table top and in the shimmer of blood in the candle light shone around it. The dragon approached it as the barmaid started to sob uncontrollably behind him and ran off.

His gut was in his throat, and he reached out to open the sack. He only needed to take a quick glance before he fell to his knees. One hand covering his mouth as to not throw up like the man beside him. It was a part of Iona, one though that he had not expected to be removed. They had cut of her breasts of all things to send Cilas a message. Tears formed in his eyes as he looked at the sack, the tears quickly turned into rage. He grabbed the mans cloak who had been sitting there and threw him against the wall, his knife pressed up against his throat. Cilas other arm pushing hard into the mans chest. The man had genuine fear and sorrow in his eyes.

”If you cared, anything for her you would’ve risked life and limb. Even while drunk…so who are you and what the he’ll do you want from me?!.” Cilas would not be fooled by this man. This man was working with the dragon hunters he just knew it.

Iona woke to the light of burning fire. Her eyes widened when memories of what happened came to her, and she looked around frantically. She was in a bedroom, but not her own. A fire burned in the fireplace to her left, while a few lanterns dotted the room. And she was not alone. At the very least, five men were seated together at a round table, seemingly playing a game of some kind. “You’re awake,” a deep voice sounded next to her. She turned her head to see another man sitting in a chair beside her. It was then that she noticed she was atop a bed, her arms and legs spread and strapped to the posts of the bed frame. Her heartbeat quickened, eyes wide with fear. “Where am I?” She asked, trying to keep calm, but failing. She recognized the man as the one that came to her room; even now he wore the same unnerving grin. “Somewhere,” he replied simply. Then, he slowly stood and sat on the edge of the bed, pulling a dagger from his hip. Her eyes locked onto the deadly weapon. The other men turned their attention to her.

“I will ask you again,” he said, voice smooth but threatening. “All I want is the dragon. You don’t have to get hurt, you just need to tell us where he is.” Iona didn’t believe his words. If they truly meant her no harm, then why would they take her? Her instinct told her to yell for Cilas, to scream for help, but she couldn’t. Revealing his name would reveal his location. And no matter how much she feared them, nor what they do to her, she could not allow them to find Cilas.
She shook her head, but didn’t speak. She couldn’t lie, and she couldn’t tell him the truth, so she said nothing. He clicked his tongue as his eyes slid down her body. A new fear washed over her. “I suppose it doesn’t matter if you tell us for not. He will soon learn of your vanishment, and if he cares about you, he will come walking right into our hands.” Her heart stopped and blood froze with horror and fear. She was bait. They were using her to lead him into a trap! “Why?” She blurted outright. “He has done nothing to deserve death. Why do you hunt him?”

The man inhaled deeply and released it slowly, as if he were holding back the rising anger she saw in his eyes. “Since the beginning, dragons have only harmed people. They kill without thought of who they were and who might suffer from their deaths. They are a powerful race, but they abuse their strengths to instill fear in the hearts of men,” he turned his gaze to the men at the table with a nod to draw her attention there, “Those men were raised in the same village that was destroyed by a dragon. Their families and friends were all killed, and they were never given a reason why.” He looked back down at Iona and lifted a hand towards her. She flinched as his callused fingers touched her cheek, caressing her as if he truly cared. “My wife and unborn child were killed by a dragon who envied my happiness.” Iona’s brow furrowed, and she jerked her head away from his touch. He laughed lightly. “Do you want pity from me? To turn me against him?” She asked sternly, voice somehow steady. “I cannot simply trust your word when I have seen no proof for myself. He has only helped me, never once has he caused me any harm. Whenever he has killed, it was to protect me, not for sport.” His brows raised, “Ah, but is that what you really want? Can you live with the burden of knowing he’s taken lives for your own?”

Iona paused. She knew it was a trick to make her doubt her loyalty and feelings for Cilas. But…it made her realize the truth. She didn’t want him to kill for her. Not her insignificant life, while those he killed might have had family and friends. When she didn’t reply, he laughed again and moved the blade of his dagger to press threateningly against her dainty neck. She froze, eyes widening. Even if Cilas had taken lives for her, they were not innocent. There was a difference between these men and the dragon she knew. They kill for revenge, out of selfishness, Cilas kills to protect. Her body trembled with fear; she knew that if she didn’t tell them where Cilas was, she would suffer for it. But she was willing. He had saved her, guided her, protected her. But most of all, he cared, he listened and comforted. He cared. She recalled their first and only embrace on the airship. Her body trembled, but she smiled softly at the memory of his warmth, and the tenderness of his touch.

“Do with me as you wish,” she spoke quietly. “I will not tell you where he is. I owe him my life.” Her eyes met his, full of fear, but also defiant. He seemed to contemplate for a moment, but she knew better than to hope he would let her go. No, the look in his eyes told her that something horrible lay before her. She will suffer for her silence, and she will suffer greatly. Please, Cilas, do not come for me, she begged internally. Despite what might happen to her, she feared his fate the most. This was all a trap to lure him to his death. She hoped he would not come for her, even if it meant that he didn’t care after all… that he didn’t love her. The man gave her a serpentine smile, and his eyes dropped to his dagger, “So be it.” The blade slowly slid down her collarbone, where he adjusted it to slip under the top of her gown. Her heart started beating harder, her breathing quickening.

No…

“I suppose there’s nothing left for us to do. Luckily for us, you are a damn fine woman. So, allow us to… entertain ourselves some.” The other men rose from their seats and approached the foot of the bed, each of their eyes planting more fear within her. She shook her head lightly with wide eyes, “Please.” The knife started cutting her gown, and he slowly slid it down her body. The sharp edge did not touch her trembling flesh; instead, it exposed it. She pulled against her restraints, as if there was any chance she could break free. But they were too tight, causing the rope to only scratch and scrape her skin. Her gown split open and fell down her sides, revealing her bare breasts. She shut her eyes tightly, holding back a sob. “Please, stop,” she begged poorly. Shame and humiliation washed over her again and again, until she began inwardly apologizing to Cilas for being seen, and begging for forgiveness. She tried to follow his teachings and warning, to never allow herself to be seen or touched. Yet, what was she supposed to do in this situation? The blade moved down her stomach and between her legs.

Stop!

Even with her eyes closed, she knew when her gown had been cut entirely open, as the soft fabric caressed her body on its way down the sides. The air made her shiver. Then, the knife’s tip was lightly pressed on the sensitive spot between her legs. She whimpered, her body fighting to curl up on itself and hide, but the ropes would not allow it. She couldn’t hide anything from them. “Come now, you should be used to this already. Don’t act so modest, dragon whore,” one of the men spoke. Her eyes slowly opened, as if curious to know which one it was. The dark haired man was sitting between her legs, looking up at her with pure malice. “Please, stop this,” she begged, her lip quivering as she fought back another sob. He didn’t respond. Instead, his eyes turned back down to her undergarments. The blade slid up her tender spot and rounded to her hip, where he then cut the fabric. He cut the other side, and it fell. She was completely naked, with no way to hide.

Her eyes clamped shut again, her body instinctively trying to fight. Her legs tried to pull her knees together, to cut them off from access, but it was another futile attempt. She heard one of the men whistle, while others chuckled. Shut them out, shut them out! The shame was overwhelming, as well as the fear. She wanted to call for Cilas more than ever, remembering his words on the airship. He promised to be there, to protect her from any danger. But, she couldn’t do it. He would die if she did, and she couldn’t do that to him. Tears began falling down the sides of her face, her breathing shaky with a sick feeling in her stomach. So many things were going through her head, while her emotions were all over the place, each one screaming at her. It was confusing and overwhelming. She didn’t know what to do.

She ignored the sound of movement and the feeling of the bed shuffling beneath her as the man between her legs did… something—she didn’t know what. Then, very abruptly, a long and hard object was plunged into her. Iona screamed as her unused skin stretched too far too fast and tore. The painful sting was intense, and a stream of blood soon followed. The object pulled back, then plunged in again. A rhythm was made, hard, fast. It was uncomfortable inside her, scraping her dry skin to the point where it became painful. She yelped and whimpered with each thrust, the tears coming at full force. Her hands balled into fists, her nails pressing hard into her palms. Her body squirmed, still trying to fight. “Stop, please!” She cried, then screamed again when the reply was a more vicious thrust.

It hurts! It hurts!

Her sobbing never ceased, nor her please, nor her screams and cries. She hated being touched, and didn’t understand why so many people enjoy such things. The experience made sex seem like a horrible thing. She didn’t want it—none of it. When it was finally over, she was given a moment to breath. Her body ached terribly all the way up into her lower stomach, a pain far more intense than any monthly cramps she’s had before. But she wasn’t fortunate enough for it to end entirely, for another similar object was thrust back into her. No matter how tightly she shut her eyes and how hard she tried shutting it out, it didn’t work. The pain was too great, the shame and embarrassment overwhelming.

Eventually, after so many objects had been plunged into her, it finally ended. She was left a sobbing mess, visibly trembling and bleeding. She could hear the men speaking among themselves, some laughing. What kind of cruel person did it take to do that to someone and laugh about it? They knew they had harmed her—it was intentional—they enjoyed it. Her tear filled eyes didn’t open until she sensed someone beside her. It was the dark haired man again, grinning like he really enjoyed himself. He was looking over her naked body, saying nothing as she spotted one of the other men place himself between her legs. She shook her head lightly, eyes begging, “Please, no more.” But he wasn’t stopped. She cried when he started touching her with his hands, feeling every part of her and playing roughly. He penetrated her with his fingers, adding more after several violent thrusts until it seemed like his whole hand was inside. It stretched her further, worsening the tear her skin was already given. She cried louder.

“Don’t think you’re so innocent,” the man beside her spoke. “Letting yourself be fucked by a dragon is a sin against humanity. I suppose you don’t understand where your loyalties should lie, considering you’re wearing a stolen body.” Iona shook her head once more, her mind struggling to figure out whether to listen to his words or focus on the pain the other man was causing between her legs. “He never touched me,” she sobbed, the words barely understandable through her crying. His brow lifted for a moment, then he smirked when his eyes lay on her bare breasts.

No more, please, no more!

“Well then, we should prevent that from happening.” Her climbed on top of the bed and straddled her waist. The other man stopped his painful playing and moved away from her. Her eyes gazed up at the dark haired one, and he groped a single breast. She whimpered. “There won’t be anything left for him to touch,” said the man. He drew his dagger from his hip and pressed the sharp edge against the base of the small mound of flesh. Her eyes widened with horror as a new wave of fear washed over her. “No, no! Please-” her plea was stopped short when the blade dug into her skin. She screamed, struggling against the ropes from the pain. Blood poured from her chest, the knife cutting deeper and deeper. Until, her breast was removed. Some of the men’s faces turned pale, other had glanced away as if to ignore what was being done to her. And others—they were grinning.

He moved to her other breast, hear screams becoming the only thing she could hear as it was removed as well. By the end, she was left with two gaping wounds, the blood streaking down her sides and soaking the bed beneath her. The cold air stung the exposed inner flesh. Her stomach threatened to bring up her most recent meal. She choked on her sobs.

“What was that for?” One of the men questioned him. He took her breasts and removed himself from the bed, shrugging lightly, “I like them bigger. They were an eyesore.” He then handed them to another one of the men, one who wore a nasty smirk. “Take them to her dragon friend as a message, at the tavern she worked at,” he ordered. The other lifted a brow, “The tavern, sir?” Their leader nodded, “Whether or not he’s there already doesn’t matter. When he catches wind that she’s missing and a woman’s breasts were sent to her workplace, he’ll figure out it’s too much to be a coincidence.” The man nodded, then left the room with the bloody flesh.

Iona’s body was weakening, growing colder by the minute as the blood kept spilling. The pain was too great. But, she had heard every word clearly. Her thoughts were still on Cilas, despite her condition. They weren’t going to stop the bleeding to save her. No, they were going to led her bleed to death, if only to get to Cilas. They hated dragon too much to care what they do to innocents, so long as it harms the one they despised. But she didn’t care. Cilas was happy elsewhere. She silently hoped he was too far for word of her death to reach, finding happiness so he would never think of her again, so that he wouldn’t know what happened to her and come looking.

Please, let him be alright. I don’t care what happens to me, just don’t hurt him. Let him live happily.

Soon enough, she was left alone in the bedroom, with the words “dragon whore” painted on her inner thighs in case Cilas finds her. The fire burned itself out as time ticked on, her body growing weaker and weaker. Until, eventually, she was too weak to hold her eyes open any longer. Her sobs stopped filling the room, her tears ceasing their descent. She was so cold. An image flashed in her mind, an image of a beautiful dragon with a wonderful heart. He kindly reached out to a lonely Wisp and took her on a magnificent journey. His eyes filled her heart with warmth, and his smile gifted her with such joy. At the end of their journey, he granted her with a warm embrace. The only feeling she had left was from that image, as her body went numb. She wished she could have seen him smile one last time, so she would know that he truly was happy. Then, she would be able to leave in peace.

Cilas, I hope you found the happiness you desire. But, no matter what distance stands between us, know that my heart will forever belong to you. She wished she had spoken those words before their parting, if only to let him know what he meant to her. And as she drew in her final breath, she used it to speak one finally word that would forever be unheard by the one she loved most:

“Farewell.”

Harvin was pleased that the man was convinced by his act. When he was told to wait for the man’s return, he simply nodded and watched his retreating form. He waited only minutes, keeping his head low. “May I get you a drink as well?” He looked up to see the same barmaid from before, smiling down at him with one hand on her hip. He smiled a little sheepishly, “Tea, please.” She nodded and left to get the drink. Then, movement from the door caught his eye. He thought the man had returned, but what he saw instead was a suspicious figure cloaked in black. A mask hid the man’s face, but Harvin sensed their gazes meet. The man began his approach. It was the sound of liquid hitting the floor that drew Harvin’s eyes downward to the man’s hand. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of the sack, blood dripping from the soaked bottom. “A message, for him,” the main said, his voice deep. He placed the sack onto the table, then left. Harvin was frozen, wide eyes staring at the blood soaked sack. When the woman returned, she gasped, “What is that?” He gulped.

There was no way… it couldn’t be from Iona. It couldn’t! Ever so slowly, he reached up and opened it, a mistake he instantly regretted. The barmaid screamed and retreated several steps, drawing the attention of all others in the tavern. Harvin lost everything in his stomach, releasing it onto the floor. A few drunkards were driven by curiosity and dared to look, only to have the same reaction or they passed out. The rest stayed frozen, too fearful to know what was happening. How could they do that to her?!

Before he knew it, the man had returned. Harvin glanced weakly at him, silently begging him not to look in the sack. But he couldn’t speak. The horror captured his voice. He couldn’t stop the man from making the same mistake. He fell to his knees with tears in his eyes, sending a dagger to Harvin’s heart. Then, the tears vanished when anger rose. In an instant, Harvin was pushed against the wall. His body trembled from the sickness he felt, eyes wide with fear and guilt and regret and sorrow. His head shook weakly, eyes tearing away from the man’s furious silver pools to look back at the sack. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” he began, making no attempt to fight the man. He had every right to be angry. Iona didn’t deserve that. “We only wanted her as bait to lure you into a trap, and then we would let her go. S-she wasn’t supposed to get hurt. They swore to me that she wouldn’t be harmed.”

They lied.

It was then that Harvin was beginning to see who the real monsters were. His parents had been killed mercilessly my a dragon, and he hated them for it. But he would not stoop to their level by harming those they cared about. Iona had done nothing wrong. She was a kind woman, so selfless and compassionate. All she ever gave was love. This was not what he wanted—he didn’t sign up for it. And the fact that they had chosen her breasts, rather than fingers or other such parts, meant that it the men were sexually driven. They most likely defiled her as well, or even tortured her… The final thought almost made him throw up again. But, like the dragon before him, all emotions were replaced by anger. He eyed the sack with a vicious snarl, “Those bastards will pay. Revenge isn’t worth losing our humanity for. It’s not worth harming innocents.” His eyes turned back to the dragon, and he grabbed the arm that held the knife to his throat. “They’re hiding out in a cabin in the west, only a few miles from the wall. It’s next to a lake. There’s no other buildings around; you can’t miss it.” His eyes softened with sorrow once more, and tears started blurring his vision. “They are likely waiting to ambush you, so keep an eye out. I will call the guards to outnumber them. There are only sixteen men in total. The last I saw, ten patrolled the grounds outside from every angle, while five remain inside. They’ll have traps set to catch you, and they have many weapons in their arsenal.”

Cilas watched as the man’s emotions turned from fear and sorrow to anger, but that just fueled Cilas’ rage even more than before. He let the man speak as he grabbed ahold of the dragon’s arm, trying to remove the sharpened blade from his throat. He spoke of not losing his humanity, of seeing who the true monsters were. Cilas cared not for his excuses, his pleas the only piece of information that he wanted was the location, even as he tried to warn the dragon that there would be an ambush waiting for him. Cilas let go of the man, but grabbed the man’s hand on his arm and ripped it away from him, he did not want to be touched by this coward.

”You speak of monsters, of losing humanity…all these damned bullshit words. You know why the hordes and feral dragons attack humanity, because we fear your kind. Warmongering, selfish individuals who dare wear our skins to protect your weak,” He paused and he squeezed the man’s wrist tighter and tighter until he felt the bones break the unflinching from the man’s cry, ” Frail bodies. You will get the guards as suggested…but only for them to see the blood bath and for you to turn yourself in. I have no need of your help.” Cilas spoke and finally let the man crumble to the floor.

It did not take Cilas long to find the secluded cabin that the man at the tavern described. ”Who else is inside?,” He spoke cold, emotionless words to a scarred face as he grabbed the head by the hair. No answer spoke and no movement came from the face. The only sound from the tree line was dripping, but the sky was clear and there was no rain on the leaves of the trees. ”Very well, they shall meet their own demise.” Cilas spoke and threw the severed head into the clearing in front of the cabin. The two guarding the door, obviously spooked by their comrades face.

“He’s here!!”

They screamed out as Cilas rushed out from the brush to meet them. One managed to ready his bow and sent an arrow flying at the dragon. Much to Cilas’ surprise, it did manage to pierce through his arm the arrow tip coming out of the other side. It halted his run as he fell to a knee in pain. The other guard ran at him with a sword drawn, the edge of the blade black as the night sky. Obsidian?! He took and glimpse at the arrow in his arm and it was made with the same material. It explained how it was able to pierce the scales he had manifested. Cilas jumped back as the sword came down upon him and countered with a blast of lightning from his palm. The swordsman was sent flying back, the smell of charred flesh and hair filling the air. He didn’t have time to rest though as the archer was still there and he made his way behind a tree in time for another arrow flew at him.

Cilas snapped the back half of the arrow off, and pulled the rest of the shaft through the exit wound toss it aside. How they got their hands on that accursed underworld metal is beyond me. he thought to himself, but the answer was clear if they were experienced dragon hunters then they had plenty of silver to buy as much as they needed even though it was rare.

“Well, well, well. It seems the beast did come for his whore after all,” a voice called out from the cabin. “Seems you got our gift, the lass was a little too small for my liking in that department. I can see why such a bloodthirsty beast as yourself kept her around though she managed to we-”

”Shut your damn mouth” Cilas roared out

He did not need to hear what the man had to say. He did not want to think about what they had done to her in that cabin. He knew, but he didn’t want to say it or hear it. The sweet and kind Iona defiled by these men. “You are outnumbered dragon, we have dealt with your kind for far too long…and I don’t appreciate you killing my men. Then again the less we have to share when I bring back your hide.” Cilas wanted to burn them alive with his breath, but he knew if he transformed he would be done for. These men were professionals, if he went to his dragon self it was over for him and Iona. “You can hide all day dragon, but the longer you hide the more we get to use and taste her body.” the man taunted.

Three crimson blades flew through the air and struck archer at the door, the man who had been taunting Cilas looked over at his comrade. The blades were like red crystals for a moment before they started to melt into a liquid everyone was familiar with, blood. Cilas stepped out from the tree he was hiding behind. His hand held out to his side as a wild vortex of blood spun above his palm. These men were used to fight dragons. “Blood magic?!” The man’s surprised words caused Cilas to grin and he held his hand up high as the vortex split into two before catching a lit into a dark crimson flame and flew into the windows next to the door. Two loud explosions rang out and the leader at the door flew out of the frame onto the ground.

“You’ll burn her alive!.”

”You think I can’t control the flames?”

He looked back and saw two bodies ignited by the crimson, falling to the ground. Such pinpoint accuracy and control scared the man as he got up.  The man started laughing, “You have just warned the rest of my men you are here…they will soon be upon you. You really are a stupid beast.” Cilas unfazed by the man’s mocking words used the rest the gathered blood he had and let out another blast of lightning, this time the bolt was crimson empowered by the blood. It struck the man square, but he seemed to dissolve into shadows rather than drop dead. It was then when Cilas heard footsteps behind him and turned and held up his arm to block the back attack.

The shattering sounds of glass rang out as pieces of Cilas’ blood skin fell to the ground. It wasn’t enough to block the obsidian made blade and a large gash was in the dragon’s arm. Cilas managed to kick him away before jumping back. He didn’t think that the man would have some skills in shadow magic. Cilas drew his knife and spun it around his hand before grabbing hold if it in a reverse grip and ran after the man. Their blades bounced off of each other as both tried to land blow after blow on one another. It seemed as if some mutual respect was had as neither used their magic anymore. This was a fight of strength and skill now.

Unlike Cilas though the man was human, and fatigue was starting to come into play. Cilas was starting to land more cuts on the man. They were shallow though, still enough to make him bleed but not enough to kill him. “What’s the matter dragon? Can’t land a killing blow on me.” the man taunted again as Cilas ducked under his blade and spun cutting the inner thigh of the man which caused him to stumble forward. Cilas wasn’t unscathed either, as he had been cut along his chest and arms. The man turned and started to run towards the cabin again, his thoughts were if Cilas saw her body it would freak him out to not attack anymore and he would backstab him. He managed to almost get to the door before  Cilas dagger pierced his leg and he fell, dropping his own blade as it slid on the grass.

Walking over, with heavy breaths from his wounds and exhausting the dragon pulled the blade roughly from the assailant's leg. For the first time Cilas heard him scream out in pain, rolling over to face the dragon. “Damn your kind! Don’t worry though, when my men get back you’ll join your bitch in hell.” He screamed. Cilas Grabbed his head and pulled him up. His hand was covering the man’s face. He leaned over to whisper in the man’s ear. ”All those wounds, all those cuts…you will bleed out for all the pain you made her feel. The only monster here is you.” Suddenly all the wounds Cilas had inflicted onto the man opened more up, blood gushing out. The shallow cuts now deeper and the deep cuts opened to gaping wounds. Cilas let go of the man and watched as he twitched as the final drop of blood left his body into the ground before him.

Finally the dragon entered the cabin, the smell of burning flesh entered his nostrils as the original furniture in the immediate room had been blown everywhere from the explosion of the fireballs. There was one other room, the door had been partially opened from the same force. Cilas approached it, his stomach turning and his nerves firing all over the place. ”Iona?” He called out weakly and opened the door. The card table had fallen over, cards and silver laid the floor one of the burnt bodies laid over it. Tears had already filled the dragon’s eyes as he tripped over the corpse and chairs rushing to get to the bed. He fell to his knees at the side of his bed grabbing a hold of her restrained arm. ”No…noo…no…no” He kept calling out as he cut the fabric restraining her. The tears streaming down his face made it hard for him to see anything as he tried to open her hand. Rigor mortis had already started to set in and it made it almost impossible.

”Nooo!!!!” He cried out, this crying sounding almost like a roar as he let go of her arm and fell to the side of the bed. He got up and stood over her leaning over to brush her silver hair away from her face. His tears dropped onto her cheeks as he caressed them. He could barely see where she had been crying herself. ”I’m sorry…i’m so sorry Iona..i’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left you! I should have told you I loved you!! Please gods….please.” He said which just made him cry even harder as he rested his forehead against hers. No more would he hear her voice…no more would he see that smile…

Minutes passed as he cut her restraints and covered her body with the cloak that he had lent her on the airship. He picked her up and made his way out of the cabin, and as he left the front door he was met with a small garrison of the city guard. The man who had met Cilas in the tavern was in shackles as were the remaining members of the dragon hunters who were after Cilas. No-one stopped Cilas as he walked by carrying Iona’s body, they had seen what he had done to the dragon hunters and also the crest of the magic academy on his brooch. The tavern man was sobbing uncontrollably himself as Cilas walked buy. There was nothing left to do now but bury the woman he had loved. His moonlight was extinguished…and his heartfelt hollow. What was there for him to live for now?