Dragon Fire

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Mr. McNire looked up from putting the plates together. "Of course, son. What is it?" He smiled so warmly at him. Ryo reminded him of his eldest son. He couldn't wait until they could all be together again on Christmas. It will be such a wonderful chaos in the house. Mrs. McNire continued preparing for their meal, humming softly to herself and half listening to their conversation as she went back to the kitchen to grab the utensils.
 
Ryo glanced up at the ceiling, then back to Mr. McNire. "How do I talk to her? Everything I seem to say only upsets her, and I just want to have a normal conversation, y'know, get to know her better." He rubbed at his eyes sleepily. "I dont know what I'm doing wrong."
 
Mr. McNire smiled understandingly at Ryo. "Let her come to you, boy. Patience is truly a virtue. The way she looks at you, she's not very far off. I don't know what she has been through in her life but whatever it is, let her get around it. Let get grow out of it so she must see you. Don't you be too aggressive with a lion like that. I can see it in her eyes, lad. This ain't the type of girl to be tamed. You know how lions are, you let 'em come to you before you go in for the kill." He smiled widely as he clapped Ryo behind his back.
 
Ryo smiled and nodded. "Alright. I can do that. Thank you." He was suddenly more glad than ever that the old couple had come upon them in that little cottage. Their age gave them a lot of experience and he had found help in the advice of the elderly before. Sometimes he was surprised people locked them up in retirement homes instead of using them as the wonderful resource they could be.

Mrs. McNire called her husband back into the kitchen, and a moment later, they came out, both holding two plates. Mrs. McNire set one in front of Ryo and the other in front of the chair beside him. Then she had a seat on the other side of the table, Mr. McNire sitting next to her and setting their plates down.

"Thanks," Ryo said before digging in.
 
Allira got downstairs just by the end of their conversation. The house was small enough that sounds travel through walls. She was sorry that she just didn't know how to open up to people. The Circle had taught her differently.

"Oh, Allira! Come on, dear. Lunch is ready." Mrs. McNire smiled at Allira invitingly as she placed the plate in front of the chair beside Ryo's. Allira tried to smile at them.

"T-thank you, for everything." Allira kept her head bowed. She would never get used to kindness or to showing gratitude. She wasn't raised like that. She's only ever known training and rules and duty. There was no time to play or cry or laugh.

"It's a pleasure, dear." Said Mrs. McNire as they too sat in their chairs and started eating. She started eating too. The food was delicious. She wished she could cook like this and laughed inwardly. Why the fuck would she need to learn how to cook like this? It wasn't like she was ever going to be a mother.

"So, where are you children travelling to?" asked Mr. McNire.
 
"Nowhere really, just seeing where we end up," Ryo replied easily, between bites.

The rest of the day passed relatively quietly, with polite conversation here and there. Ryo kept to himself, or with the McNire's, giving Allira her space. For a few hours after dinner, he went outside and just... sat. He listened to the chirp of the birds and insects around him, and the small rustling noises the animals made as they all prepared for nightfall. He closed his eyes and once again saw his mother, in all her fiery passion, and the warm happiness she seemed to emit. Looking around the forest now, he could almost see a phantom of her showing him the wonders of the forest. Darkness had fallen completely before he finally padded back inside. He gingerly made his way upstairs and into the bedroom. He took a nice, long shower, and with a small bit of flame, he heated the water up to near scorching. The heat felt wonderful against his skin, melting away all his tension. close to an hour passed before he stepped out. He towel-dried his hair and slipped on a pair of pajama pants, and entered the bedroom. He sat on the side of the bed closest to the door. He looked down at his body. It was healing nicely, but not nearly quick enough. In a few more weeks, it would be the start of the new month, and if he wasnt healed enough, transforming was going to be rough. He shook his head. He was a dragon, of course he'd be healed by then. He nodded to himself and layed down, pulling the covers over him. His body heat warmed the bed up considerably, and lulled him into a deep, restful sleep unplagued by anything unpleasant.
 
Allira had kept out of everybody's way for the most part. She kept her ears and eyes trained around the perimeter, looking for signs of danger. She had been watching Ryo. He had completely stopped talking to her and she wasn't sure if she liked that better than when they were arguing. But at least there was no longer anything to fight about. As the night fell she had mostly retreated to their small living room where the fire was. Although she could keep warm on her own, she was drawn to the fire. Mrs. McNire was silently doing her crochet and Mr. McNire read his book in silence. She sat near the fire, legs tucked in, making her almost look like a helpless child and she was anything but. Allira wondered how they could've lived together for so long. Is the reason why they're silent now because they had no more things to talk about? Or is the companionship of the other more than enough for them? She rubbed her shoulders, settling her head on the back of the sofa.

"Isn't it a little too hot over there, girl?" Mr. McNire asked, peeking from his book. She gave a lazy smile, shaking her head.

"No, sir. I like fire." And that was honest and true.

"You look like you haven't slept in days. Why don't you head to bed, love?" It was Mrs. McNire now, putting down her crochet for a bit. Allira shook her head again. She was a stubborn kid. Just then Ryo got back inside the house and headed upstairs. They all looked up as he trotted up before going back to Allira.

"I'll sleep in awhile. I'll just stay by the fire just a little bit longer." Her eyes were hazy but she liked the warmth.

After awhile the couple themselves went to bed. "Good night, dear," whispered Mrs. McNire and she smiled. No one has ever wished her good night before. Must be nice having a family. She stayed there for awhile, listening to the comforting crackling of the fire, the sounds of the old house, the silence of the night. When she was satisfied that it was late enough, she went upstairs. Ryo would probably be asleep by now, she thought.

She slipped inside their room silently as she went to the bathroom to change her clothes. She wasn't able to bring much. All of her sleeping clothes were shorts and a tank anyway. She simply changed into shorts before slipping back inside their room. She opened the covers gingerly as she slipped inside the warm bed. She hasn't slept this close to a person before ever since she left the comforts of the Circle. She stared at the ceiling, wondering how in the world she got here. But then her eyes started to close, the lack of sleep for 3 days was pulling her and pulling her into a heavy, dreamless sleep.
 
Ryo slept nicer than he had in days. He woke reluctantly, the sun pouring into the room. In his sleep, he had moved over and was laying right next to Allira, his arm draped across her middle. He stayed there while he let his mind wake up from the fog of sleep, then stretched before fully realizing how close he was to her. He sat up, careful not to disturb the bed too much, and looked at her sleeping form. She looked very peaceful and relaxed, very unlike how she was while awake. He sighed softly, rubbing his eyes. He hoped that someday she could experience peace in her life. He had managed to find some peace after the death of his father, but she hadnt. He had to remind himself of that every now and again.

He got off the bed carefully, trying not to disturb her, and slipped into the bathroom. His hair was a rumpled, wavy mess. Thats what I get for sleeping on wet hair, he thought, trying to tame the mess with his hands. He didnt want to dig out a comb quite yet, and ended up giving up on the attempted taming. He shook his head and returned to the bedroom. The house was still quiet, so he assumed the couple were still sleeping, or they knew how to be very quiet. He went to the window and sat next to it, letting the warm sun bathe him in light as he looked out at the morning forest.
 
The rays of the sun pierced glaringly at her eyelids, opting them to open up and face the world. But her body reveled in the warmth that was embraced to her. She liked that warmth. There were stirrings in the bed and the said warmth left her body. Allira's face formed a frown. But her mind was so sleepy, her body so tired for not sleeping for days. She let the comforter bear down on her. She heard the water running in the bathroom and the door re-opening. There were faint sounds of animals just waking up outside, the rustling of another being in the same room.

Her eyes slowly opened, her lids bearing down heavily, wishing for her to go back to sleep. When she was finally able to focus on something, her eyes zoned in on the figure of a man looking out the window. It looked picture perfect. Then she realized it was probably the same man who had provided the warmth she had liked so much. Suddenly her eyes grew wide at the realization that the said man was Ryo. She quickly jumped out of bed, suddenly conscious that she probably looked like crap with her hair flying around. She barely glanced at him as she tried to walk past him to the bathroom.
 
Ryo looked over at Allira as she jumped up and had to conceal a chuckle. "You look gorgeous," he said to her. "Did you sleep okay?" Something jogged the back of his memory. He leaned against the wall, studying her. The light of the sun was doing interesting things to her hair and the still rustled look she had made her look years younger than she was. He thought of the lake when he was younger, and the little dark haired girl. He blinked and stood up straight, "You're the little girl!" he exclaimed. He compared the two of them. When he'd saved the little girl, it had been dark and she was soaked to the bone, but she had the same dark hair and bright eyes, plus his mother had told him she was a hunter. The thought shocked him, and he tried to find a way to make it not true, but everything pointed in that direction. He'd thought that he'd never see the girl again, and had completely forgotten about her for many years. Yet now here they were, sleeping in the same room together. "You were the little girl I saved in the forest that day, arent you?"
 
Allira looked him straight in the eye. Realization hit her like a bullet; straight and fast. She will never forget those eyes. The dragon eyes that saved the little girl. Too bad she's long gone. "I don't know what you're talking about." Her voice bore no semblance of emotion, no recognition, no heart. That little girl has repaid her debt by not killing him the first time she found out he was a dragon with his mother all those years ago.

All sleepiness were gone from Allira's body as she entered the bathroom and closed the door a little too forcefully. She turned on the water and let it run as she drenched her face in cold water. She kept her eyes closed and after awhile she had closed the faucet and wiped her face. She stared once again in the mirror. Big, brilliant green eyes looked back at her. The eyes of a little girl no more. They were now the eyes of a dragon hunter. Trained to hunt, aim, and kill. She breathed heavily as she stared at the girl she barely recognized in the mirror. She felt like she didn't know her anymore. But the even bigger question was, did she even know herself in the first place? Once again she shook her thoughts away by spraying her face with water. She didn't know what she was going to do or what in the world she was doing in the first place. She just hoped no one else gets hurt from whatever it is she was trying to accomplish.

Allira took a quick shower, changing into more comfortable clothes. Maybe she'll help Mrs. McNire today in making the meals. It's the least she could do. When she got out of the bathroom Ryo was already gone. As she went to her side of the bed to grab the dagger she placed their last night, she discovered it was gone. Her hand frantically searched under the pillow before she raised it up. Suddenly, panic rose in her throat, her heart hammering inside of her ribs. Oh god, oh god, oh god.

She went through her other bags to search for weapons; all gone. She looked around the room frantically trying to find anything she could use but she found nothing. Her head was spinning and her heart was racing madly. She had no choice. This was an ambush and there was no chance of survival.
 
Ryo had gone downstairs shortly after she went into the bathroom. The realization was still swirling in his mind. He knew it was true, despite what Allira said. She was a lot different now, but it was still the same girl. He sighed and pushed the thoughts away. It didnt do to dwell on things from so long ago. He wandered into the kitchen where Mrs. McNire was cooking breakfast for everybody. He could see Mr. McNire out front tending to some plants.

"Good morning," she smiled warmly at him. "Sleep well?"

He nodded. "Very. You have a nice house."

She chuckled "Thank you, dear. Now I hope you two are hungry, I'm making plenty."

His stomach growled loudly at that. The food was making the whole house smell absolutely amazing. "I dont think that'll be a problem," he replied. He heard the shower turn off upstairs. "I'll go tell Allira that breakfast is almost done." He turned to go upstairs, but before he could move any further, a dozen different things seemed to happen at once. Two men came bursting in through the front door, one of them holding a bloody knife. He glanced outside, and couldnt see Mr. McNire anywhere. The other man threw a knife at Mrs. McNire, the blade hitting right between her shoulder blades. She dropped, her arm catching on the frying pan and making it fall to the ground with a large clash.

Two other men came in through the back door at the same time and grabbed Ryo, pinning him to the wall. He struggled and kicked and otherwise tried to fight his way free. Anger surged through him. They'd killed an innocent old couple. He couldnt let them get away with that. He hit one o the people pinning him - a younger guy - in the shins, almost breaking free. The other guy, however, punched him in the side hard. He doubled over, pain racing through him. The hunters pinned him to the wall again. Ryo waited for them to kill him too, but they didnt, they just waited for something.
 
Allira rushed downstairs. She heard the loud clang of a pan from the kitchen and ran towards that direction. But before she could, a short sword blocked her way. She stopped just in time, eyeing the sword which stayed right next to her throat. "Tsk, tsk, tsk," said the voice in a skin-crawling manner. "Look at this, our little lost sheep. So whatchu been up to?"

She followed the blade to the arm that held it to the face that owned it. It was her Game Master. You're only supposed to see your game master before they let you leave the Circle grounds. Allira looked at him, then at the three figures next to the wall. It was Ryo and her eyes betrayed her panic for half a second. But of course, the Game Master caught that. "Bring it here," he barked at the other two. They grabbed Ryo roughly before kicking him at the backs of his knees to make him kneel in front of Allira.

The Game Master stood behind Allira, whispering in her ear. "If you have forgotten where his kind belongs then let me remind you." His breath tickled the little hairs behind Allira's ear but dare not shiver in disgust. "He belongs down there, kneeling in front of you, ready for slaughter." Then he moved closer, speaking right into the skin behind her ears, practically kissing her. "Not sleeping beside you on your bed." Allira fought the urge to jump away from his touch. She was crawling with disgust as he slowly caressed her arm with his free hand. "We'll give you another chance to come back to us, Allira. Everybody makes mistakes. We won't condemn you for killing one of our kind. Now be a good girl and do what you're supposed to do."

Allira's eyes flew to the kitchen when she saw a spill of red blood on the floor. It was Mrs. McNire. Her eyes grew in horror as she realized that Mr. McNire was probably dead, too. What was going on? Was this the kind of people she worked for? Why would they kill innocent lives? They're supposed to be protecting humans from dragons!

The Game Master slowly allowed his blade to travel down Allira's body. Her bare skin felt the prickling cold touch of the blade as it went from her neck down the where her shirt began. Her eyes remained trained elsewhere, fighting her body to step away from him as far as possible. It went over the mound of her breast and right in front of her navel before he place the blade on her right hand, not letting go. She had to wait for the right timing. She looked at Ryo straight in the eyes as the Game Master held his blade in her hand.

"Finish him." He whispered as he raised the blade to lead her hand to the attack. As soon as she felt his muscles relax for one second she took her chance, hoping that Ryo would be able to handle himself for a few seconds. She was able to flung his blade towards the other guy behind Ryo as she broke the Game Master's right arm over her shoulder. She slammed her head against his, making him rear back. She heard him growl in anger as he tried to hit her which she had blocked. His movements were not as fast as hers but he was well-built. His hits would cause more damage to her body than hers would do to him. She barely dodged his one kick that hit a large glass. She ducked, quickly grabbing the glass and throwing it straight at his throat. He clutched his throat, a large broken glass protruding from a flow of blood. He fell on the floor, his body doing spasms as blood squirted from the wound.
 
Ryo glared hatefully at the two men holding him. They held him tightly, with his arms pinned painfully behind him. He tried to shove free, but they only gripped tighter. He looked over at the man next to Allira, and at the blade held against her. Ryo guessed he was the leader of the group - it wasnt that hard of a leap to make. His mind filled in some very graphic things he'd very much like to do to him for killing the McNire's. He unconsciously began to draw magic into himself from all around him. He drew in bits of magic from the plants and animals, the earth itself and the people around him, including what was still lingering from the old couple. Everything and everyone had magic infused in their very existence, it was connected to everything within them. Dragons were able to tap into that magic and use it. The magic, fueled by his anger, began to build within him.

When Allira attacked her boss, Ryo took his chance. He twisted his hands around and released pure energy at the two men holding him. They stumbled back from him. He spun around, one of his hands partially transforming into a claw. He swept his claw around and hit the first one across the stomach with a growl. The man fell to the ground, clutching his gaping wound, yelling obscenities at him. Ryo turned to the other one, who had recovered from the initial blow and had pulled a knife. He advanced towards Ryo, hate in his eyes. Ryo jumped on the man, swatting his knife away with his clawed hand. He landed on top of him, driving the air out of the guy's lungs. Ryo pulled out one of the knives the hunter had on his belt and stabbed it into his chest. The hunter fell still instantly. Ryo stood, his hand returning to its human shape, and looked at the two men, both dead. He looked over at Allira. Her fight had ended as well. He let out a growl and stalked out of the house. Now that the fight was over, his anger was beginning to recede. The ones who had murdered the old couple were dead, and now it was time to pay respects to the McNires.

He found a shovel leaning against the house, went out into the yard, and began digging two graves. It was the least he could do for not being able to protect them. With every strike of the shovel to the earth, he berated himself even more. He should have protected them. He was a dragon, and even a wounded dragon should be able to pick up danger faster than he had. His anger began to surface again, except this time it wasnt at the hunters, it was at himself for being so useless.
 
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