Jewel | XiaoJin Fanfic

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 2

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Xiaoting

I lowered the hood of my cloak to fully cover my scarlet hair. I peered at my surroundings and couldn't help myself from smiling at all the beautiful trinkets I have spotted since I've arrived earlier. The open market was full of humans trading. I just came down from my nest after over a month and I seem to be fortunate enough that I came to a time where the Jubilee is held in nearby kingdom, thus adding to the flow of people in the market.

So many treasures for my eyes. How beautiful.

I grinned when another human beckoned me to his stall. I approached him as I couldn't take my eyes off the shiny thing he was waving. He smiled and I motioned for him to start his spiel.

"Hello, miss," He excitedly greets. "Have you ever seen a dragon's egg before?"

I raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "I've seen them. Why?"

"... Oh? I mean, delightful!" He coughed awkwardly. "But you might be referring to paintings, correct? Where have you seen them?"

"Here and there." I answered vaguely which made him laugh. Have I said anything funny?

"Of course you have," He says. "But have you seen a real one in person?"

My silence didn't baffle him as he carried on.

"What I'm showing you right now is a real dragon's egg! Unfortunately, the embryo died but made the shells turn to gold! Truly magical and could be considered a charm."

My eyebrow arched again at his story. The round metal looked like an egg and it had elements of gold, however it was certainly not a dragon egg. Hatchlings that die do not turn to gold nor are they as small as that. And I most definitely do not sense a life or what was inside the little metal. Truly, humans turn lies into beautiful stories to make profit. I sneered at the man but I took out my pocket. The thing was gilded and beautiful, how could I leave it?

I took out a piece of gem, just a size of a coin and tossed it to the vendor who quickly bit on it to test it. Seeming satisfied, he nodded and gave me the golden sphere. I'm sure that my gem is worth more than the hollow trinket I obtained, but I am weak for beautiful things. Besides, those gems can be found anywhere in my mountain. I do not care for their worth as much as I do for the treasures I deem beautiful. I put it inside my bag full of other trinkets that I bought.

I turned around to browse the other stalls.

By the time I decided to leave, I carry with me four sacks of things I have no need for. But I want them for someone else and I have the means to purchase them so there's no harm in indulging myself, right?

As I made my way to the forest, I almost bumped into knights or perhaps hired guards, either way I swiftly moved to the opposite direction. They have always been trouble to my kind and I abhor to have to do anything with humans.

I have casted myself away from my own kind, and I will do the same for humans. I slouched myself and tightened the cloak around me.

No one stops me or asks questions as I leave the market. I walk gingerly down the road, carrying my sacks as I took off my hood and allowed the wind to blow through my hair. It's a beautiful day on the outskirts of Kalopsia.

As I was finally deep inside the woods, I searched for the clearing I landed in so that I could shift. My mountain isn't very far from here, at least not by air. It was my parents' and I've kept it for all these years. Being away from my nest for too long makes me nervous. My kin is not known to steal from each other, well, not unless they truly wanted another's treasure. Anyway, there are still vagabonds out there that would try to steal my mountain and my treasures if I'm not there.

Thinking about the fact that I've been away from my nest for more than two weeks made me quicken my steps.

After I finally found the clearing, I sniffed the air for other beings. Finding none, I dropped my sacks on the ground and took off my cloak. I also took off the loose dress I was wearing and stuffed them inside the bag full of my other clothes. Standing bare to the trees, I started shifting as scales burst through my skin.

My neck rolls as scales burst from my skin, covering me as my body grows and elongates. I twist my neck around, looking over my back as my tail swipes back and forth through the air. My ruby-colored scales glimmed under the sunlight and made way for my golden horns sitting atop my head. Specs of gold decorated my back and wings, making them seem like sparkling. I internally grinned at the beauty of my scales.

Vain, I scoffed at myself. Well, beauty should be appreciated.

I easily gripped the sacks in my claws and started beating my wings. I took off into the sky and within moments, the clouds parted around me, shielding me away from mortal eyes. I passed moutains and rivers as I soar towards my nest. A few hours passed and I could already see the sheer cliff face of mountain. It was the perfect landing spot. My nest had an opening at the top that provided light inside, putting only these two easy entrances to my home. There was also a cave and rear entrance at the foot of the mountain, but other lower creatures resided in my nest served as my guards. Besides, a nature-made labyrinth was formed inside the mountain that humans who have poorer senses as compared to my kin could easily get lost inside.

My claws slide across the stone landing while I tuck my wings to my back. The bags skid across the floor unceremoniously and I glowered at them. My treasures better not be easily broken.

As I step deeper into my home, I smelled a faint scent of humans. I growled and quickly flared my nose. Upon closer inspection, the smell was very faint, like more than a week's old. I quickly shifted to my human form and ran deeper inside my nest. I passed by the main area where all my treasures were placed. I snatched a cloak hanging by the wall and entered a hole. With swift and precise steps across the labyrinth, I arrived at my most valued cave. There were no gold or silver or any kind of trinkets inside, but only a lone spherical object. It was obsidian in color and had a rough surface that one would mistake it as a huge rock. I sighed in relief and approached it. It was the size of a small rain barrel. As I placed my hand on the surface, my worries vanished.

You're safe. As long as you're safe, little one, nothing else matters.

Relieved that the egg was not harmed, I walked back to the main cave. I searched the whole area for any missing treasures to find out that those pesky humans took more than a fourth of my treasures.

It's no use searching the lands for them─

I stopped dead on my tracks when I noticed that the hollowed wall I specifically built for my crown was empty. I could feel smoke coming out of my nose.

"How dare they!" I roared at the empty space. The fact that humans stepped inside my nest has already set my chest ablaze, but the audacity to steal from me, and specifically take my favorite treasure is a fool's mistake.

"Fools! The whole bunch of them!" I roared as I shifted back into a dragon.

I'll get it back, no matter how many bodies I burn to ashes.