The Forging Dragon [Book 1]

3 ⚔️ A Naked Dragon

With a measured step, Diato approached her, a silent reassurance in his steady gaze. Their eyes locked into each other.

Her suspicion loosened, replaced by an alarming sense of trust in her unexpected savior.

"Be careful pal," Diato started.

"Thanks," She said.

He ignored her and said, "Let's find that structure together." He finally un-crouched and turned around

"What?"

"Yeah. There's no point in hiding that we've broken the rules." He looked at her over his shoulder, "Trust me you don't wanna be a drayer who passed the selection by cheating."

"You're right." She gazed down at her feet, with a sigh.

With a slight nod, Diato started walking in a random direction. The girl also caught up to him, with a little jog. She glanced at him. She realized she was not so short compared to Diato. She looked at the drop of sweat slipping across his neck, she again glanced at his face.

"What's your name?" She asked.

"It's Diato. What's yours?" He didn't look at her.

"Mine is, Bella."

"Like the one in the song? Bella ciao?" Still avoiding her gaze.

"No. Of course not." She finally took away her gaze and glanced ahead.

"What's your full name?" He finally glanced at her for a second and took it back.

"Why do you care?."

They didn't watch their steps but only the words. They didn't know where they were going but they were hoping it would lead them to the selection structure.

After trudging for about three hours, they finally decided to take a break. They came near a giant tree. Probably a banyan tree. They came near the trunk.

He glanced at her for the third time in three hours, "I think it would be a good idea to take a break here," He started.

She was not sure what she was going to do. Does she have to waste all these months of training, trying to be nice to a guy who saved her life, and not become a drayer? Was breaking the rules and staying with him worth wasting all those months of training to become a drayer? She would've dodged her death many times, and this might be one of them. Probably it wasn't worth wasting her training.

She didn't know that she would not just have his trust but also his heart. Because he expected the people to treat him the way he treated them. He would be nice to everyone and be expecting good from the other person too.

She was going to break his heart by betraying him and leaving him just for some points. She glanced past him, a dragon was hiding on the branch of a tree. He was just sitting there, watching them, with his legs swinging back and forth.

She thought that Diato would do the same and fight her to kill that dragon for some points. Diato noticed her glance and saw the dragon followed by her glance. With a slight smile on his curled lips, he Turned back at her, she thought he was going to fight her, for the points.

She couldn't let that slide. She immediately launched her fist below his chin. She pulled up her leg, and forcefully landed it on his stomach. He slipped on the ground, as she ran towards the little dragon perching on the branch of a tree.

She stepped on Diato's stomach while running. She threw a small anchor with a thick rope aimed at the branch. Bella pulled the rope, and the baby dragon fell.

He tried to fly but he was too small to learn how to fly. He fluttered his wings simultaneously but failed to fly. He hit the ground, still fluttering, trying to get up on his feet. As she pulled back the rope, ripping the branch apart from its trunk: she spun it in a circle around her fist and threw it again, aimed at the baby dragon's neck.