Blue

Responsibility and Chance

Atlas felt bad. He could see the shock and hurt in Talon's eyes once he found out who he was.

His mother hadn't helped either. She was always disapproving of whoever was in his company. None of the nobility were worthy enough she thought. He didn't tell her that Talon was of no social standing. That would have set her off completely.

She already knew of Ander and Mykel being soul bonded, and her displeasure had been noted every time Mykel's father made an appearance at court.

Once he'd made it back, he had summoned an emergency counsel meeting. It involved all of the high lords and his personal staff as well. The information he had come across on his journey south hadn't been good information. Someone was selling their enemies both news and weapons. He had helped intercept a few caravans for his own proof, and was on his way back when he'd met up with Talon.

He had been a strange boy from the get go. And something was off about a few of his stories, but Atlas didn't want to pry.

Back to the situation at hand, he knew, once the meeting was over, that it had to have been someone on his counsel. No one else knew the information and he hadn't sent correspondence about it. Getting to the bottom of it was going to be difficult.

Training had did not give him the distraction he wanted from everything and everyone. His mother had wanted to throw a ball for his return, but he declined, obliging her for a birthday celebration instead. He still wasn't keen on the idea. He figured she wanted to throw as many females at him so he'd fine his mate. He had met so many females already, both human and dragon kin alike. There were no changes in him or his inner being.

He knew each circumstance was different, but most knew immediately because the female would be effected by the male's touch, if she was human her skin would show pale outlines of scales in the color of her mate, if the female was dragon kin, the male's color would leech from the center out, leaving the very edges her original color. It was unprecedented for a member of the royal family to have not found their mate this late in life. He worried she might be dead. He worried he had no mate above all else. He was bordering four decades of age, which for a dragon kin was equivalent to twenty and five years. Most of his kind found their mates by ten and seven years of age.

The dummy he'd been using was in pieces...he was done for the day.

He hadn't heard anything from Mykel, and although his father was on his counsel he still heard nothing. It didn't surprise him. Mykel's father had chosen his younger son as heir instead of Mykel.

He found himself in the middle of the city by the time evening fell. Having managed to escape from his guard, he silently made his way to the gates, wanting to fly tonight.

Once free from the walls, he took flight, allowing his inner beast to be free for the night. He was no longer in control and it was an indulgence he rarely allowed himself. He knew his beast hated to be confined but it was necessary, and having gone unchecked for a month pent up aggression had been the main struggle since he returned. Yes he'd flown when he got back but this night was different. There was no one to monitor his actions.

His-their, wings stretched, matching the ink colored sky above them. Atlas and his beast were one tonight.

The air was crisp and cool, droplets of condensation glistened on their form as they rose higher in the sky.

Under the cover of night no one would see him like this, happy, free. It was a guilty pleasure.

They dipped in and out clouds, taking plummeting dives only to soar back up once more at the last second.

His beast was the first to notice the blue shimmer among the trees. Silently they dropped down. Was it another dragon? Atlas wondered. He couldn't scent whoever it was, not well anyways.

He shifted midair, landing hard on his feet, but was careful not to make any other noises.

The person, for it was a person, not dragon, stood a ways away unaware of his presence.

"Damn this blood. I had been so careful now everything is going to be ruined!" They exclaimed. He wasn't sure if they were a man or woman yet.

He crept closer. It was a woman, he knew instantly. An overwhelming urge to protect her flooded his being. He called for aid from his beast, and using the eyesight of a dragon he could see the jewel tone of her scales. They had been blue, but up close they seemed to shimmer and dance in the moonlight. With his enhanced sight he could also see scars running down her back, severing flesh from scale. What got him most was the black color that leeched outwards from the center of her scales.

He had to take a step back in shock. At some point or another he'd come into contact with this woman. But where and when wete the questions now. And who was she? Why didn't he experience the bond?

This was his mate, the one he'd been waiting for. Didn't she know what her scales meant?

The wind rustled the leaves where he stood. She looked back, piercing eyes met his gaze, but she didn't notice it. He knew she hadn't noticed because she kept doing whatever it had been.

He did notice, however, that her chest was bound, and more scars laced her side and collarbone area. He had so many questions. Before he could approach they both heard someone else in the forest.

She was quick to pull her tunic back on before fleeing and he let her...