Chapter 22 022
The men grabbed my arms when I shook my head, but I still stiffened my feet to the ground and looked up to them, “I have to see your Sovereign. There's something I must discuss with him.”
I waited for a response since they didn't move, and after they looked at each other, the one at my left replied, “His right-hand man could come take you from the cell, or Dragon Sovereign will come himself.”
“Why should I believe you? How will he know that I asked for him when the message wouldn't…
“The message will be extended, so let's leave already,” the other man responded harshly, and they immediately teleported me back to my cell and left.
I sat on the floor, my fingers held together, and my emotions sour. That elder just mentioned that Dragon Sovereign took a risk to save my life, so does that mean that he was hurt just like me? I glanced at the burn that the flame had caused me, and I shook my head.
How and why didn't I melt to ashes in there? I was there long enough not to survive, but I still did. Was there something about me that I didn't know?
I recalled that it was still midnight and I hadn't bathed, so I decided to freshen up. The burn was so painful, but I had nothing to apply to it until I saw the Dragon Sovereign. I changed up my dress and sat back on the floor since I wasn't feeling sleepy, only to realise that my fingers felt so hot like flames consumed them.
With my gaze narrowed, I raised my fingers, and a scream tore through my lips. Peacock green smokes left through my fingers, and soon, they all vanished.
I lost my strength and dropped to the floor in shock. What was the meaning of that just now? Where did the smoke come from, and where had it left? I looked around the cell, and there was no sign of such smoke, causing goosebumps to fall on my skin repeatedly.
This was so weird. I hadn't witnessed such a thing myself.
I was still pondering over my survival from the flame, and now this happened. Or, could it be the result of the fire? I was so confused that I didn't know what to even think about any longer.
Until dawn, I couldn't shut my eyes. My head was kind of heavy, and I was as well scared that sleeping off would lead to my death.
That early, a man appeared at the door of the cell. I wasn't sure if I had seen him before, but she signaled me with his finger to come forth. “Nice meeting you, fae female. I am Orrifin, Dragon Sovereign's right-hand man, and I'm here to take you to him as you requested an audience.”
I didn't hesitate but bowed. How fast I forgot that I had requested an audience with his master, so when he unlocked the cell, I walked out.
He grabbed my arm, and I knew what followed, but stopped him quicker. “What is it?” he asked, wearing a concerned expression.
I avoided his gaze and explained, “Could we trek? I hadn't gotten a view of here since I came.”
“Sounds nice, but you will surely get tired along the way,” and without glancing at me, began walking away.
I followed him immediately, and for heaven's sake, it took several minutes before we left the building. I didn't know it was this huge until now, and I began regretting wanting to trek, but didn't have the guts to ask for us to teleport.
We left the prison entirely, and when he took several routes, avoiding the ones I guessed would lead us to the imperial palace, I decided to ask him, “Sorry, but where exactly are we heading? This place is strange and is so quiet."
He glanced at me, but I didn't expect him to smile. “Dragon Sovereign isn't in the imperial palace. He is in the river, and that's where you would meet him.”
I nodded. He was in the water to regain strength, or was it healing?
It took quite some time before we reached the river, wide enough and its length unpredictable. I stood beside Orrifin, and when he began chirping, I almost lost my balance due to the shock.
My eyes were on him as he chirped, and soon, it became fun, and I found myself smiling.
When I heard sounds from the water, I looked up only to catch the purple dragon that dived up to the sky and slammed itself back into the water. I became terrified, my eyes grew wide, and I turned to Orrifin, “Is he okay?” I knew it was Dragon Sovereign, but I didn't see it coming.
Orrifin nodded, “Be patient.”
I already was, or was it that he couldn't see it? For someone who wants to see Dragon Sovereign desperately, only patience would make me achieve that.
I was lost and just staring at the water that wasn't moving any longer, when a dragon's head appeared before me and purred. My heart sank instantly into my belly, and I stumbled backwards, then it began crawling out.
It was almost out of the water when it transformed, and I came face to face with his human form, staring at me with a mocking smile plastered on his face. “You're supposed to get used to me by now,” he mumbled and began coming closer. “Where is your burn?”
I hadn't even processed his questions, and he found them. “I wonder why you want to see me. Am I not trying enough to stand by the agreement?”
At that moment, I put myself together and shook my head, "That's not it! I wanted to know if you're okay after saving me, and then if you know why the flame changed color and I still didn't burn to ashes.”
He looked straight into my eyes and shrugged his shoulders, "Shouldn't I be asking you that?”
“I should, because this is your realm.”
“But the answer is right before you. As a bad omen, that's a signal,” he blurted and walked past me.
I gnashed my teeth. Who said I was a bad omen? It was they who were bad, and maybe my spirit didn't align with theirs.
“As you can see, the realm wants you dead because we are scared of the disaster that will befall the realm after the incident. I am trying my best to see that you don't lose your life, so I hope you stay calm until everything is settled,” he stated, and I bowed to him.
He turned to his right-hand man, and then the man walked up to me and handed me a container. “It will help heal your burn,” Orrifin explained, and I bowed to him.
I faced the Dragon Sovereign and bowed to him, too, and since I had nothing else to discuss with him, I was taken back to my cell.
What I didn't see coming was being starved. In the next five days, not even a cup of water had been brought to my cell, and I was draining slowly. Sometimes, I drink from my bathing water, regardless that it shouldn't be so, but because I had no other alternative.
No one showed up after five days, and on the sixth day, I made up my mind to cross the line before I died there.