Jaguar

Chapter Eight

We arrived to a platform high in the trees, one miss step and death was certain. Gowls and groans came from every direction, seemed like every leaf had its own sound. Jack places me on the platform and stood tall beside me, the him from around humans was gone. As I took a step, the forest seemed to quiet instantly. 

Trees rushed forwards and back as large dragons flew from all heights to come face to face with me and Jack. Jack held me close and introduced me.

"This is Joy, a girl I met amongst the humans. I love her." As the word love slipped out between his lips, everyone scattered backward a giant magnificent magenta shine came before us. "Mother." I looked at Jack and back at the beauty in front of me.

She leaned down and stroked her claws against my cheek, "What a beautiful sight, love that is, but I don't see that here." She took a claw full of my hair and yanked me forwards and up to her height. I screamed and struggled from her grip, my hair feeling like it was going to pull right out. "I see a waste of space and my lovely son." She threw me past the other dragons as I almost fell off the platform. Jack rushed to stop me, but his mother held him back. the others only watched, some laughing, others pretending to not care, and others struggling themselves not to rush forward.

A bit of blood dripped down from my scalp and slid down my face dripping through a little crack in the platform never to be seen again, but my smell would linger for a long time.

She stepped towards me, her talons barely above the ground, should wouldn't dare touch them and possibly dull them for nothing... She wanted to kill me, rip into my skin until the pieces were too small to rip apart any more. 

"My darling, you are such a waste of space, and to think you would come here knowing that? I feel no pity for such stupidity." She smirked at me as the words left her lips. Her voice as cold as a winters night, her skin as pink and soft as a winters flower.

"I am not worthless, no one is. But you have been alone yet in power for so long that no one dared to teach you that," I looked up at her, " You are a dragon, I a jaguar, from different worlds, we somehow clashed. You may not understand me and me not you, but it means no less for me and Jack to love one another." I braced my self for impact as she quickly strode towards me.

But the hit never came. She stood even taller before my body on the ground, but she just stood there, staring at me. Everyone just stayed silent, Jack still stood far back where she first stopped him. I cautiously stood, waiting for something to happen, instead, we stood in silence staring at each other.

She leaned down to my height before speaking, "No one dares to talk back to me." She glared into my eyes, but I held myself back. "So, who do you think you are?"

I looked at her, "I'm a jaguar."

Her eyes widened before she shot up with laughter. She peered back down at me, "You are funnier than I thought." She leaned back down and moved my hair away from my face, "If you can survive us, you can stay with us." She got back up and walked away, Jack immediately ran towards me and hugged me close.

"I was scared I was gonna lose you." He nuzzled close to me leaning slightly from our height differences. 

I pushed him back a little to look in his eyes and once again cup his cheeks in my hands, "I thought I told you earlier that that would never happen." I smiled at him as he pulled me back close once again.

"I hope it never does." 

After all the ruckus most everyone dispersed back to the trees. Jack held me close and took off towards a tree as well. He landed on a branch and set me down. He turned around and moved some vines to reveal a door. He looked back at me and held out his hand with a smile. I took his hand and he squeezed me a bit to confirm I was still here. He opened the door and we walked inside.

The inside was beautifully decorated with golds, blacks, and whites. A true dragons nest to the point of stereotypes. To the far left corner was a tall stack of beautiful treasures. The bed laid directly beside it against the left wall. A small window on the right wall shone light into the room. It laid on the wall above a luxurious auburn desk and a throne was the seat. 

"How do you like it?" He looked at me with hope and light in his eyes.

I continued to look around before looking back at him, "I love it, but there are no pictures on the walls?"

"We live a long time, if we held on to the little moments we may regret thing we have done far too often, as long as we have each other and love each other that is all that matters." He looked at the blank wall in front of us. "But I am glad you like it, one day we will have a room decorated as we please and it will be much bigger." He leaned over and kissed my cheek before going to sit on the bed.

"That better be a promise." I jumped over on his lap and leaned in close to his face. 

"What if I asked, what would you say?" 

I looked away for a moment before looking back, in that instant he looks scared, "Right now?" He nodded hesitantly to my response. I leaned closer almost touching his lips with mine, "Then I would have to say yes." I smiled before he tugged me into his lips and hugged me deeply.

"then is that a yes?" He smirked and raised a brow towards me.

"Is that a question?" I repeated his actions making him chuckle. I place my hands on his chest and licked his cheek, "It is a yes, but you better put a throne on your treasures for me to sit." He laughed once more and hugged me.

A loud roar outside interrupted us, "Its the dinner bell." He looked at me and laughed at my widened eyes.

I got off his lap and we walked outside, I held close to Jack as we took off into the trees once more.

We landed on a much larger platform even higher in the trees. A long table sat in the middle, dragons were all rushing to take a seat. Jack lead me down to the end of the table where his mother and presumed father were seated. Two seats laid open for us.

Jack pulled out a seat and offered me to sit, as I was about to the father stood up. He was by far much taller than the mother. He glared down at me and sighed. 

"Who is this, Jack?" His father didn't even glance at him as he asked, he only glared at me.

"This.." Jack paused as if to think, " this is my fiance." I blushed at the word. The table came to a standstill as they watched with horror. His mother jumped up to her feet.

"Fiance? You said you loved her, but going this far? She is not royal in the slightest!" His mother yelled as she slammed her hands down on the table. His father only continued to glare at me. 

"I love her, with all my heart, I only want her and no one else! Royalty or not!" Jack roared back at his mother.

Within a second it happened too quick for anyone to even process. His father rushed forward and punched my chest. I flew backward and rolled on the platform. I tried to stop but my claws couldn't fight the force I only scratched the wood beneath me before I slid over the edge. 

A sharp scream hardly escaped my throat before all air was forced out. Jack rushed after me, only a tad too slow. Our fingers barely touched before I hit the ground. 

Jack leaned over my body as tears slid down his face, they dripped off his jaw onto mine as his heart broke.

"Come back to me.... please."