Into the Inferno

4 - The Exodus

Within minutes, they had practically their whole life packed onto their wagon. The most valuable possessions- the China set, a bone and silver hairbrush, a gold locket- were safely packed and set by her parents. The things that were useless, like the buckets and brooms and other things, had been left behind for scavengers to find.

Elthorane was helping her father, and acting like the son that he never had. For a first time in a long time, someone could do the heavy lifting that her father, or she, couldn't do.

Yet, even with him lifting the heavy trunk that held all the silver valuables, he didn't break a sweat. He lifted the trunk as if he were lifting an empty cup.

But, even with him working, Lilja could swear that she would would feel his eyes on her, every few minutes. She could tell you the way her hair on the nape of her neck stood on end. It seemed like he was checking to make sure she was still there.

Finally, fed up with the hidden glances, Lilja turned at looked him square in the eyes, "is there something you'd like to ask me? Because you seem awfully concerned with what I'm doing."

"Lilja, don't talk to him like that," her mother hissed from beside her, where she'd been packing and folding laundry," he is a king! We must respect him."

Lilja ignored her, her gaze still riveted on Elthorane. Her eyebrow rose in challenge when he continued to stare at her, not moving.

Suddenly, he grinned his eyes shining with humor," I just can't believe that someone as small as you is so feisty."

Lilja gritted her teeth, "well, why don't you come over here, your Majesty, and I can show you how feisty I can really be...when I tear you to shreds!"

"Lilja!" Her father yelled this time, his face a mask of embarrassment.

Still, Elthorane grinned, but his eyes held a different message than his previous teasing one, "it's Thane."

"Excuse me?"

"I give you permission to call me Thane."

Her parents stood there in shocked silence. Royals rarely gave a commoner that type of privilege. To be allowed to call them by their nickname was a great honor, and would earn them many rights and privileges in court, for anyone else who called the king by his nickname could be out to death without permission. This means he liked, or at least respected her, a great deal. That was an unnerving thought, for she didn't like him very much. He was too cocky and got on her nerves easier than anyone she had ever know.

Plus, he was too handsome for his own good, and he knew it.

Lilja didn't answer him,and instead turned back to what she was doing.

And only a few minutes later, she again felt his eyes, burning into her skin; this time causing a prickle of fear to slide slowly down her spine.

🐉

With everything finally packed, Lilja and her parents said their goodbyes. Her mother became teary-eyed as she lightly touched her daughters cheek," Be safe, my sweet Lilja."

Lilja smiled and hugged her mother tightly, before she hopped up onto the small carriage, and sat down. Her father was standing by her horse, Daisy, smiling as Lilja approached him.

Dropping Daisy's reigns, her father opened his arms, and hugged her tightly, "My Lil' Lilja, please stay safe. I don't know what I would do without my little flower."

Lilja smiled softly, "Papa, I'm going to be with the Dragon King." I don't know who else could protect me better."

Her father pulled away, his face drawn with worry. Reluctantly, he climbed on top of the carriage and sat next to her mother, taking the reigns from her mothers hands.

"Be safe, Lilja. We love you, and we will see you at the gates of Dragor in a weeks' time."

Lilja nodded, and watched them travel down the road of her childhood for the last time. She watched their figures until she couldn't see them anymore, ignoring the figure silently staring at her back.

Turning around, she looked into Thane's eyes.

He silently stared back, his eyes glowing mutedly. His eyebrow quirked, "ready to go, min lofre?"

All Lilja could do was nod. His presence was so powerful that it robbed her of her ability to speak coherently.

"Let's go then."

He lead her back behind her house and into the forest again. This time, he went to a large clearing and stopped in the middle, before turning around to face her.

"Stand back."

Then, he stripped off his shirt and his boots in one fluid motion and put them into a bag that Lilja would tie onto his back, leaving him standing in his tight breaches, while Lilja stood there practically breathless.

"Turn around," he teased, his glowing eyes alight with humor," unless, that is, if you're willing to see me naked."

Lilja whipped around so fast she gave herself whiplash, her lungs heaving in her chest, she closed her eyes, fidgeting with the rope she'd use to tie herself to his spines. He flustered her like no other man ever had.

With a rustle of clothing, and the sound of cracklings flame, a ear-splitting roar resounded through the clearing, frightened the small critters hidden among the leaves and bushes, and causing the birds to flee from the trees.

Lilja cover her ears in alarm, her head almost splitting open at the vibrations.

Turning around, she stepped back in shock, her mouth falling slightly agape.

He was a huge dragon.

His scales were so black, they blended seamlessly into the shadows, and his eyes shown like liquid fire, swirling and moving like they were a separate entities with a kind of their own. He was intimidating, standing taller than the trees, with a wingspan was twice that.

He huffed, two tendrils of smoke curling from his nostrils, almost telling her, stop staring, and get on.

She cautiously stepped around the thin, leathery membranes that he called wings, and to his back, where the scales were bigger than her hand.

Using the upper body strength she'd gained from lifting bags of wheat and logs, she pulled herself into his back, and straddled his back like a horse. She wrapped the rope around one of his spikes, the bag with clothes and a few other necessities around another, and tied the other end around her waist, before she tightly wrapped her arms around the spine.

"I'm ready, Thane."

His body vibrated with pleasure when she used his name, and he shook his body slightly to get rid of the lasting shivers.

Extending his wings, he flapped them a few times, disturbing the foliage as he built up enough power to left his heavy body off the ground.

With a final swoop of his wings, they were lifted off into the sky, Lilja's joyful scream warming his heart that had been so cold for so long.