Inked

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Sun glinted off the silver blue scales that wrapped around Zane's dragon form. He was roughly the size of a small house, his long snout the length of my body, two of me stacked together would just be barely enough to be the length of his head. His two golden eyes were larger than my head, the pupils nothing but slits and as long as my forearm.

I stared at him, wondering what he was going to do. He huffed out a warm breath, blowing all my hair out of my face, making me squint. Next thing I knew, he had his front feet on either side of my body and his tail weaving around me. I wasn't frightened by the feel of the cold scales against my skin, but I was rather curious to what he was doing. Very gently he laid down on the grass, his eyes never leaving me and he reached out with one of his claws to hook me in and bring me closer to him until I was just barely an inch away from his huge head. I reached out a hand and stroked the scales by where there was an ear hole. He leaned into my touch and made a purring sound.

"I promise I will be careful Zane, so please let me go see my grandfather."

"What if I cannot protect you?" His voice was like an echo inside my head, it vibrated and wrapped around my soul.

"I'm learning to protect myself, aren't I?"

"I still do not wish to see you go."

"But if I do not go, he will not stop until he finds me."

Zane let out a breath, it made the trees around us sway from the pressure. Using one of his other claws, Zane reached back behind him and made a swiping motion. Uncertain of what he was doing, I made a face. He made a small grumbling noise in his dragon throat and when his claw came out from behind his side, in his two dark nails was a silver-blue dragon scale. It glittered brighter than any other scale on his body. It seemed to have a heart beat of it's own as he placed it before me.

"What is this?"

"It is my second requirement, it is called a heart scale. It will protect you when I cannot be by your side. "

I reached out, touching the bright scale with my finger tips, beneath my touch the scale throbbed before it mysteriously sank into my skin fusing with me.

"What?" I questioned, shocked by the event.

"It will act as dragon armor over your skin." Zne explained before he reached out with a sharp claw and tapped my chest. Silver light flared and my body became encased in a glittering light. I did not even feel Zane's claws. Astonished, I stared down at my skin. Then, I thought of something.

"How come you didn't give this to me earlier?"

"Before you regained your memories it would have been pointless. A heart scale can only fuse once to another being in the dragon's life time. Most dragons will never part with it, because it usually encases our heart with a second layer of protection."

"Then why did you give it to me? Isn't this too precious?"

"You are worth more than my life, Kei mou. If you die, I die. That was my pledge, and I will never let you be unprotected."

"Zane.."

"No matter what your decision is, Kei, do not forget that I am here, and my life is yours."

I felt tears welling in my eyes, and my throat scratched as if I could no longer swallow. "Thank you." I whispered, reaching out my hand and trailing it along Zane's scales. He gave a purr and underneath the morning light, the trees swaying to the breeze and the birds calling to their family, the two of us fell asleep in each others embrace. Zane still in his dragon form, protecting me even when there was no danger.