Glass Soldier REWRITTEN

Chapter 41

                  I... didn't know how to feel about seeing Ari's home without her so much as knowing. We had chatted about going there and visiting together numerous times, how she'd introduce me to her clan. Yet here I was. Landing not one but two dragons in what looked like a lovely village. Scaled people glancing at the two not not overly bothered by dragons that would have left everyone else to run.

         I guess with Vixen around so often she brings her own dragons. Yet I wasn't seeing any dragons. No dragons, no Vixen. Should I just leave her? But what if she attacks the village?

         As my thoughts played in my head, I heard a familiar voice. "Oh? And what are you doing here?" Rudy's head whipped to look at her as I stared at the once-human woman. Her legs were now long and scaled as she walked on the claws of a dragon, a large crown of horns moving this and that way as her long pointed ears reached past that of even an elf. Her bare arms dark and glossy as sharp nails curved ever so slightly from her fingertips. Her once-pale skin was now a soft gray as those mismatched irises practically glew against the black background that had once been as white as my own.

         "Protect. Keep safe." A voice crooked as my mana bled off the red dragon, Vixen's gaze watching every movement.

          "So you've learned to project your mana, now? Well aren't you smart," She raised a brow as the Latros took their own forms. One holding around Ruby's jaws just in case she wanted to attack. "A wounded dragon? Let me guess, you did it?" Her gaze was sharp as she reached for the growling dragon struggling to remove my magic.

        "Attacked first, didn't want to kill," It was hard to use a voice so far away. My brows furrowed as I clutched my shirt just in front of my core, my body sweltering but I didn't waver.

          "Ahhhh," She drew, as the obsidian easily came off at her touch, calming the dragon with coos I had tried. Coos I failed. "Well, a wyvern without a wing is sure to die," She hummed turning her attention to the healing wound surprise lighting her face. "You're learning medicine?" She looked right at Vitreus, who lightly bared his teeth at the action. The fact that she should figure out who I was looking through despite my voice coming from another.

          "Little,"

          "You've got a poor master if this is all you can do."

          Without missing a beat I half joked, "Offer?" She paused, looking away from Ruby, a wicked grin finding her gray-purple lips as she stared into Vitreus's gaze- Into my soul.

          "'You don't miss an opportunity do you, kid?" Her voice was razor-sharp as a shiver ran down my spine, "But, well, I have been getting bored. You're quick-witted too," She hummed, returning her attention to the injured dragon that had calmed under her touch. "But you reek of trouble,"

          "... Need help. Want to live,"

         "You?" She asked as the Latro merely nodded, "Hmm, I hear you're apprentice to the magi council." Latro's face opened a melty mouth ready to speak but she cut us off, "How angry they'd be to hear you're mine," She looked to the sky for a moment, her brow raised as a smile found her lips, "Alright, I'll teach you,"

         It hadn't been a serious ask. Vixen was a woman I had pleaded with before, begging to escape my fate beneath her wing, but it was this. The anger of the council. The pettiness. That had been interesting enough for her. She agreed to be my master. A being so strong it wasn't a stretch to call her a god. She agreed. To teach me.

       Latro's mouth opened with words I couldn't even gather- only for my door to be thrown open. In a second my attention was back to me. To my room. Looking at a fuming, sopping-wet Edward who really looked like he would kill me.

         "Well that was fast," The words left before I could even think about them. It was true too, I had hidden her in the deepest parts of the forest and it took hours to walk there. Yet here he was. Not even two hours later. Wild.

         "You will be punished for your insubordination," He growled, stomping his way over as my Custos was quick to disappear. Glancing at where it had been I couldn't help my surprise but was quickly reminded of my doom as he quite literally ripped me out of bed by my arm. Crying out as my body roared I wasn't so much as given a chance to say anything as he dragged my near limp body out of my room.

         "E-Edward!" I tried, kicking pathetically as I could barely claw at his rough grasp. "H-hold on!" I tried again as my arm felt like it would rip off, each wound burning as I could barely breathe.

          "I've tried to be patient. I've tried to be civil. Yet you continue to test me. Completely disregarding orders and doing as you please," he didn't even look at me while I whimpered trying desperately to at least stumble after him. "You're a risk, if you can not follow orders you are not needed- no, you are a threat,"

         "I- I'm sorry, ugh, Edward just- just slow down," I begged, the attention he grabbed just by existing tenfold as he didn't hesitate to drag me through the halls. It was the middle of the day and they were as crowded as they got and yet the sight of his enraged self had parted it so drastically people were practically climbing on each other to escape.

          "I'm tired of this game, I've punished you, time and time again, yet you've learned nothing. Not a damned thing." He ground still not bothering to look back as my knees began to bleed, his steps not faltering for a second even as he continued to drag my full weight, my head spinning as my chest heaved. It hurts. It hurts so much.

       "Edward!" It was a familiar voice, one that was always sickly pleasant. Looking to Yastum as she put her hand on his shoulder- the shoulder dragging me. "Think, rationally, what in the world are you doing right now?" His jaw ticked as she motioned to me who was on the floor. Slowly, he turned to look at me as my eyes focused and unfocused. "She is injured, by your hands, regardless of what she has done you are to treat her as an apprentice that you accepted," She snapped, grabbing his wrist and trying to pry him off me.

        It lightened before he dropped my bruised and throbbing wrist. Grunting as she crouched beside me I didn't hesitate to grab onto her. Gasping for breath, warmth on my cheeks as their voices rang in my ears.

         "A dog that bites is not one I need," I could only grunt as my eyes grew heavier.

          "Person... I'm a- gods, I'm a fu-ucking person," I glared up at him as one turned to three before weaving between the two. Opening his mouth to yell, his body turning, all I could hear before the world went black was the two bickering.