Master of Dragons, Part 1 (complete)
Chapter 28

She hugged him tight, ignoring their current position. Her bottom rested against his pelvis, her body pressed against his rather intimately. It may have been the second time she hugged her best friend, but the feeling was warm and familiar, as if they had embraced countless times before. His scent was soothing and warm, filling her nose as she buried it into his clothing. Gods she missed him! She squeezed him tighter as he lifted them up from the ground, his arm wrapped around her, the other steadying them. “Honestly, are you sure you are Verrine?” He joked, squeezing her ever so slightly. She continued to cling to him, ignoring his lame comment. It felt like weeks since she seen him.

Wait.

It had been.

But, what was he doing out here? How did he replace her? After one more long breath, she pulled back. He was smirking at her, hands now open and held beside him in submission as if she was about to pull a quick one on him. And, if they were younger and playfighting, she would have.

“D-don’t worry-“ She giggled as she slipped off his lap, the giggles turning into laughter when he quickly scurried to get on his feet, and held his hand out for her. “I missed you.” She said, allowing him to hoist her onto her feet.

“What are you wearing?” He asked, now eyeing the loose blanket of dragon scale that was wrapped around her. She took a step back, looking down at the beautiful scales. It must be odd, to see her in nothing but a sheet of scales. So odd, it was going to be hard to explain in one breath.

Her dragon hrrmphed, making her look over to it. Her dragon was sat down beside the bag he dropped, pawing at the wiggling lump. Did Elric catch a mudrabbit on the way here? No, much to large. Perhaps an oversized rockapine? They tended to be bigger than porcupines due to their thick rock shell. But once you got past the shell, they had the most succulent meat. She went to kneel down by the bag, but Elric quickly scooped it up in his arms, holding it all too gently. Well, now it looked less like a rockapine, and more like a…? She couldn’t place the shape. He grinned widely, pulling on the bags rope. The whole bag unraveled at once, revealing a small snout, then pointed horns and perked ears, and keen blue eyes. It…. Couldn’t be? Her breath was taken as she stared at the identical twin of Pup. But…. It was as if Pup and the small dragon she found had mixed into one being. How…? What? The dragon’s lips pulled back in a cute smile, just as Pup used to do when he was overly excited.

“…Pup?” The black and white dragon howled in excitement and shot out from the bag, right onto her arms. The little dragon licked everywhere it could reach, coating her face and neck with saliva. She wrapped her arms around the dragon, hugging it tightly to her chest, eyes on Elric.

He was smiling, knowing exactly what she was thinking. “It’s Pup.” Tears welled in her eyes as she looked down at the small black and white dragon. It showed its teeth, its long tail wagging bag and forth rapidly.

“H-h-how?” She asked, tears trailing down her cheeks, only to be licked up by the dragon pup. Holding him now, it was almost as if she never carried his lifeless body, or felt him take his last breath. But, the image of his bloodied fur and mangled body haunted her, even as the soft tongue licked away eagerly.

Elric took a step closer, placing his hand on the small dragons head, his voice low and soft. “I don’t know, but I have been traveling with him. I have no doubt it’s Pup.” The small dragon closed its eyes and pressed its head into his hand, snuggling into his touch. Her dragon hopped around at their feet, making small happy yipping sounds.

She blinked, absolutely overwhelmed with it all. Elric, Pup, all the information Athelstan gave her, and Venrir being a dragon.

Just a short while ago, if you had asked her where she planned on being in a few months, she would have said beside her dad on the farm, tending to fields, not on some adventure of such grandiose.

Suddenly, Elric’s whole body went taut, his hand replaceing its way to the sword that hung on his hips. His lips were now downturned, eyes narrowed, and jaw clenched. She looked behind her, watching as Venrir’s huge dragon form began to roll at them, the ground shaking from the massiveness of his body.