Finding The Red Dragon

More Dragons!

Ragnar watched Ella run, her laugh echoing off the trees. She was like a small child, running with her arms out, so free and happy. He hated to admit it, and he would never to anyone else, but she was beautiful. He wondered for a fleeting moment if she could like him, then he shut it down. NO.

When he heard her laugh again, he looked up and saw her running back towards him, tuffs of lily pollen floating in the air. She was laughing like crazy by the time she got back, stopping right in front of him completely out of breath. He wanted to reach out and dust her off, but held back.

"What is it like to fly?" She panted, from her running. "I am not taking you flying." "Why not?" "It is dangerous." "So is walking through the woods around here." "You could fall." "And I could trip and fall on my face while running and crack my neck." "No more running then." He huffed.

"Have you ever taken a human flying?" "No." "Why not?" "I hate humans." "Allan and all the boys at the house are humans. Sal, your best friend, is human." Her innocence made him grin, and as much as he should avoid the subject, he had to tease her.

"How do you know?" He tried to stay stone still. "What?" She stopped and tilted her head slightly, in the way he was starting to find adorable, as she looked up at him. "How do you know they are human?" "Because they look like me." "A werewolf looks like you, yet he is a werewolf." Ragnor had her and watched as she opened her mouth, closed it, then put her hands on her hips.

"I have never seen a werewolf. I mean I saw a wolf, but that was just a wolf." "Who changes into a human form." He could clearly see the glint in her eyes as her brain worked. "Are you serious?" "I am sure a smart human like you knew that." "In stories." "As were dragons, yet here I am." He grinned at her scrunched-up face.

"You are telling me werewolves change into people?" "Yes." She just stood there and blinked. "You are serious?" "Yes." Ragnar chuckled, then watched as she swayed and put her hand on her head. "I have to sit down." She sat on the rock and held her head.

"Are there fairies and gnomes too? What about vampires?" Ella looked up at him. "Do not be silly. Werewolves killed off vampires long ago." "And the others?" "Children's stories." "Ok. So just werewolves and dragons?" "And werebears." "Werebears?" "Yes, bears that shift." "You are pulling my leg." "Am not." "Whatever." Standing back up, she groaned.

"Ok, whatever." Ella started to sass him, but she stopped in her tracks. "Ragnar?" She turned and looked around. All her playfulness gone. "Human?" "Someone is here." She whispered, fear evident in her voice as she moved closer to his side. Instinctively he pulled her close to him. Holding her at his chest as he guarded her.

"Stay close human." He growled and then a stick broke, making her grab onto his leg. An energy flowed through him, strong and powerful, like electricity. Feeling fired in all his nerves, making each scale vibrate with some unknown sensation. His muscles hardened, and his eyesight focused in on the sound.

"Show yourself." Ragnar roared. His voice stronger and deeper than before. "What a way to great your best friend." Sal stepped out and Ragnar felt the human relax against him. "Sal. You scared me." She exhaled, her hot breath dancing across his chest.

"I had no idea you two were out here. I came out for a...hike." Sal cleared his throat. "Hike?" The human said, but she was still leaned into him, and it felt strange. "I like to hike during the full moon." Sal shrugged.

"You are all so weird." Ella laughed causing her body to move against his. "You should probably take her back." Sal gave Ragnar a look, and he understood. "It is late human." Ragnar felt her let go of him, and even though he wanted her to stay, there was no point exposing anything more.