Dragon's Mother

Chapter 9

Ansel ran as fast as he could, clutching the dragon egg to his chest as he raced through the demon castle but there were too many hallways that were all identical. There was no way out! Yet he couldn't stop to ask for directions, certainly not from any demons, nor could he try to calmly formulate a plan. He wasn't alone in these halls. He could hear the creatures footsteps getting increasingly louder no matter how far Ansel ran or how fast. The creature was getting closer by the second! Ansel turned a corner and finally found something different that all the others; a door! He was already running as fast as he possibly could but he put more speed into his step hearing this horrid scratching sound against the stone walls. Ansel practically threw himself against the door, protecting the egg with his arms as he pushed desperately against the heavy door, when he saw movement behind him.

"Oh Ansel~" Decal's voice called out, drawing out his name like a song, even as he glared at Ansel with such animosity. If looks could kill, Ansel knew he would be dead right then and there. "Give it back to me," King Decal hissed, his eyes turning black and sharp fangs growing from his teeth. Claws grew out from his fingers and Ansel swore he got bigger, stomping toward Ansel who shook all over almost paralyzed in fear. "Give it back to me!" King Decal screamed, a hollow horrible sound as he started running at Ansel who somehow pushed the door open enough for him to slip through with the egg before slamming it closed.

Ansel turned around, sighing in relief thinking he had escaped, but he realized he hadn't found a way outside the castle. No... He was in the tower that led up to the king's treasury, the tall winding staircase spiraling above him that seemed to go on forever. Ansel repressed a sob, despair threatening to overtake him, when something large rammed heavily against the door followed by Decal's angry voice demanding he open the door. Without a second thought, Ansel started climbing the stairs clutching the egg to his chest which seemed to be getting heavier the higher he climbed up. He only got up to the third ring when the door suddenly shattered into a million pieces like glass, King Decal stepping through the doorway having to duck underneath since he was so tall. He looked normal now, no black eyes or jagged fangs, but he was naked to Ansel's horror who continued to climb the stairs like his life depended on it.

"You know it's fruitless, Ansel," King Decal's voice rose up to him as he began to climb the stairs at a leisurely pace, smiling mockingly up at Ansel as the boy struggled with the heavy egg that was getting heavier with each step. "Why are you trying so hard for something that has nothing to do with you? We both know you can't escape me. Haven't you been saying that since you got here?" King Decal asked, Ansel faltering on one of the steps almost falling forward which would have crushed the egg but he managed to catch his balance before going up the next step. "Those pathetic humans don't care about you either. They aren't even coming to your rescue, waiting eagerly for you to return just so they can take all the glory when you get home," King Decal said, appearing across the staircase one ten or eleven steps away from Ansel who let out a gasp of horror, freezing where he stood. "If you get home that is. They wouldn't want to risk you blabbing to everyone you helped them, naturally," King Decal said like that was the most sensible thing in the world.

"That's not true," Ansel ground out, trembling all over though whether that was from rage or his muscles about ready to give out under the heavy dragon egg he wasn't sure.

"If you say so," King Decal said, pretending to be agreeable but it was clear he thought Ansel was being incredibly naïve.

Ansel continued to climb the stairs, King Decal trailing lazily behind him pointing out every reason why Ansel should just give up, when Ansel made it up to the top of the tower. He let out a hysterical laugh, tears threatening to spill over as he saw the familiar thick black door that lead to Decal's treasury who glared at him from below as Ansel quickly waddled over to the door just barely managing not to drop the egg down. He thought he might die right then and there if he'd dropped the egg, unable to do anything as it rolled back down all those steps or fell through empty space right down the middle of the tower, but Ansel eagerly pushed the door open with his shoulder stumbling forward. A little too eagerly. Ansel started to fall forward who let out an audible gasp, squeezing his eyes tight unwilling to watch the egg crack against the stone floor, when a pair of strong pale arms wrapped around him pulling Ansel up until he was standing on his own.