Before Cale could organize his thoughts into a believable statement that would hopefully not get Bud Killed, a black blur shot out in front of the screen. "She's a dragon! Human! We found a dragon!" The cute little Raon exclaimed in delight as he pointed a claw at the communication orb while shooting a look at Cale that was absolutely beaming.
He heard a sharp intake of breath and a low growl.
Before he could open his mouth to explain, a light appeared in front of them in the large room. The woman from the communication orb appeared once the light left, a snarl was plastered on her beautiful face and her eyes flickered until they appeared reptilian. Fingers gripped him by the throat and he was pushed back until his back slammed up against the wall.
"Human!" Raon flew over to them and tried to pry Mila's hand from around his neck.
"Let the Young Master go," Ron's voice was firm and menacing. A dagger gleamed against Mila's neck.
The dragon's gaze flickered down to the dagger pressed against her neck and laughed. "You think that could do anything to me?" Her voice was filled with mocking disdain.
Ron's grip around the dagger tightened. "Hoho, shall we see?"
Cale was starting to see his life flash before his eyes. Why was his life always in jeopardy when he wanted to live? He had a new hope to save the lives of his precious family and to be reconnected with his lover, so why did everything seem against him? And Ron really wasn't helping the situation.
"Let my human go!" Raon continued to dig his claws into the dragon lady's arm, trying to free him from her death grip.
Mila shoved the dagger away from her throat in the blink of an eye with the hand that wasn't wrapped around Cale's throat. She then jabbed her elbow backwards and slammed it into Ron, sending the old man sliding back a few feet. Her gaze then flicked to the small dragon struggling tirelessly against her hand that held onto the human. "Why do you protect this human, child?"
Cale stopped struggling, his breath becoming harder and harder to catch.
"Human saved me! An evil human had me and did bad things to me! I would be whipped until my scales were cracked and bleeding. My claws would be pulled out and I would be starved while the evil human would watch me suffer while eating a feast!" Raon pointed a claw at Cale. "This human is good! He saved me, gave me teachers! He gives me money and good food!"
"He did?" Mila's cold eyes turned towards Cale in questioning. Cale blinked his eyes in response, unable to nod or to speak.
"He did!" Raon flapped his wings excitedly. "He, grandpa Ron, good Beacrox, and kind Marcus saved me!"
The grip around Cale's throat lessened but did not release him entirely. "Explain," Mila spoke to Raon. And so, Raon explained everything in gory detail that he experienced from his hatching up until Cale had saved him. Mila's expression turned from stoic to hardened anger to sceptical. "How did you know the young dragon was there?" Her question was aimed at Cale this time.
"I am not a young dragon! My name is Raon! I am the great and mighty Raon Miru! I gave the human the honor of naming me! And how can human answer your question with you holding him!" An amused chuckle came from Ron who stood behind Mila with his dagger at the ready.
Mila flicked an amused gaze toward Raon before releasing her grip from around Cale's neck. She walked gracefully to the couch and sat down.
Cale noticed belatedly that the hand she used to shove Ron back with held a scythe in a firm grasp. He cleared his dry throat and rubbed gently at his sore neck. There were definitely going to be bruises marring his pale skin.
"Explain to me just how you knew that a dragon was being held captured." Mila's smile was cold and her eyes sent shivers down Cale's spine.
He gestured toward the dresser where a glass container filled with water was sitting. Ron had placed it there earlier in case Cale wanted some. "May I?" Mila nodded.
"Let me, Young Master," Ron offered before Cale could move. Cale nodded gratefully and took a seat across from the dragon lady, Raon landed on his lap and glared daggers at Mila. Ron placed the glass of water in front of him and Cale never wanted a glass of wine more than he did at that moment.
He took a sip of water before placing the glass back down. He crossed his legs and leaned back, looking for all the world as if he were comfortable and not terrified out of his wits. "I believe that I will have to start at the beginning, so it will be a long story. It will be up to whether if you believe me or not."
. . . .
Mila blinked. The human in front her had just finished telling his story. It was definitely a difficult story to believe and she would need to find proof to decide whether it was true or an elaborate lie.
If it was true, then that meant that this was no longer just a human issue. A war that released dead mana, despair, and monsters was not something that only humans, and according to the redhead in front of her, Dark Elves, and Whales could not handle.
She wondered where the dragons were in this so-called future. Were they disguised as humans and elves? Or did something happen to the dragons so that they could not interfere? Mila would have to look into the whereabouts of other dragons once she proved this young man's story. She prayed for her son's sake that the human was lying, but there was a part of her that was looking forward to a fight.
It would also explain how the human had found the young dragon. The human had heard many bits and pieces of information from other people even if he had no direct part in it.
"I would like to find proof with my own eyes," Mila spoke slowly, "but for now, I believe using a priest from the God of Death will work for now." Dragon's were the closest beings to Gods, they also served as the Gods' messengers, so Mila fully believed in the power of those who served their respective Gods.
The other part of Mila that did not wish for it to be a lie, a small part that did not long for a battle, wished that this story was true. Not for the death and destruction that would come, nor to spare the human, but because this human would become a hero that could teach her son properly instead of those idiotic stories about sacrificial heroes. The human before her made it abundantly clear that he would not allow for those he cared about to face death nor did he have plans on dying.
The human smiled and it was elegant and crude at the same time. "Yes, I agree." He stood up smoothly then looked down at his state of dress with disdain. "If you will allow it, may I be properly dress for this?"
Mila nodded. She did not let it show on her face but she was feeling slightly bad about leaving the young human who was only a few years older than her son left dressed in nothing but a robe.
She turned her gaze onto the young, black dragon. Whether the human's story checked out or not, she had decided to take the young dragon in to teach him. That was something the human had asked politely of her after he had finished the part of the story where he and his comrades had rescued the young dragon.