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I'm a fool for thinking I can stop this machine of death. He sidesteps me so smoothly that I'm left stumbling.
I extend a hand to stop him. His leather jacket brushes my fingertips, and then he's gone.
People scream — including Azul.
Men jump after the dragon, not knowing what beast they're crossing. One man reaches him, but is thrown off by the flick of his wrist. There is no stopping him.
The dragon tackles Azul, and they land with a meaty thud. He brings terror from the skies a second time, raining his fists on Azul's face. They come with such a fast ferocity that by the time I reach them, Azul's face is bloody. He'll survive this, but in a few days, his face will be as blue as his name.
Another brave man wraps his arms around his chest, but he's thrown against a wall so easily that the rest of the men learn the lesson. No one approaches, having accepted that their beloved mayor is doomed.
I'm the only idiot that takes his shoulders and pulls with all their might. When he pulls back a fist, it comes dangerously close to my face.
"Get off me," he growls, his shoulders vibrating with the intensity of his command.
"No!"
He stands up, leaving a moaning Azul behind. His bloody hands come to my hips as we scan the crowd that surrounds us. Most are silent, except for the crying children.
"You want a real leader? Here I am. Now, get supplies for the female."
I remove his hands from my hips, turning around. I feel so angry that I think fire is about to burst from my mouth.
"You can't do this, brute!"
"I can, and I did. I am tired of being undermined by these lesser beings," he counters.
There is more to this, though. I know it. He wasn't bloodthirsty until Azul came to proposition me.
"This is about Azul's offer, isn't it?"
He flashes his teeth, and I notice a speck of blood on his chin. Azul's blood.
He's getting possessive of me?
Azul is dragged away by two men. One man passes blankets with trembling hands, and points to a tent. "You... you can use that tent." His eyes drop to the floor, as if he fears my own.
The crowd has no problem staring, though. It's becoming too much. People look at me with fear, as if I'm another monster in the tunnels. I want to leave; to hide.
"When will the men be done fixing the flooding in the tunnels?" I ask.
"Tomorrow?" the unnamed man replies as he inches back into the crowd.
Tomorrow can't come soon enough.
I walk into the safety of the tent, where there are no more eyes. The dragon follows. Of course he fucking does.
