Secret of a Naga's Heart

A Flower's Hidden Thorns

Rustle

Snap

Sapphire eyes drank in the sight of a dark green ceiling of leaves.

Those eyes belonged to Edward, who blinked as he sat up, before slowly hauling himself to his feet, inhaling the crisp, fresh air.

No animals made a sound in the dark forest, - he could only hear rustling leaves, ruffled by a gentle breeze.

For as long as he could remember, Edward always found himself in this strange, dark forest. But he never felt scared or lost here - if anything, he felt right at home.

Listening to the sound of leaves and twigs crunching under his feet as he walked deeper into the woods, Edward moved slowly - until, he suddenly broke into a run, an eager expression on his face. His heart pounded in his ears as he pushed through bushes, stumbling into a clearing.

Rays of sunlight poked through the thick branches, the canopy glowing greenish-gold. Edward hummed a soft tune as he walked toward the center of the grassy clearing.

At the base of a willow tree was a pile of rocks, providing a dull, harsh grayish blue amongst the softer greens and browns.

The clearing was dotted with wild garlic, corncockles, violets, poppies, dog roses, foxgloves, and bluebells, among others.

Kneeling in the soft grass, Edward picked some flowers - and he started to tie the stems together as he waited.

Waiting for IT to arrive.

Rumble...

Rustle...

Snap!

He knew most people would be scared of something large moving around them And yet, Edward found himself smiling as he slowly stood up, holding a flower crown in his hands.

Edward watched as a massive creature circled him, its silhouette barely visible amongst the trees. Squinting his eyes, he can see beams of sunlight reflecting off huge scales, the green and red coloring looking like stunning emeralds and rubies from pirate's bounty.

Edward wasn't fazed as a massive tip of a snake tail slithered out of the trees, curling around the clearing as if preventing him from running away.

He looked at the walls of scales surrounding him, feeling like a flea standing next to a tree.

Nonetheless, he smiled warmly as he gently placed his hand against an apple-green scale that was big enough to cover another him standing on his shoulders.

The scale was smooth and warm to the touch, and Edward gently leaned against it. Opening his eyes, he watched as a monstrous hand stretched from among the trees; its long, clawed fingers curled around Edward, who gently placed his hands against the creature's thumb, resting his forehead against its skin.

He smiled, as if in the presence of someone he cared about.

...

Patches of emerald and ruby scales decorated the creature's hand, going down its arm before stopping at its elbow.

Looking towards the forest, Edward saw emerald - green pools sparkling with love, care, and happiness.

But Edward can sense another emotion hidden deep in its slitted pupils.

Sadness.

That one emotion always made Edward's heart ache, wishing so much that he could remove that sadness from the majestic creature he had developed such a strong bond with.