Sacrifice (Watase Yu x Izurich)

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Calista would blush, ashamed at how far she had sunk in such a short amount of time. Part of her didn't even want to believe this is what her life was now. As Leona provided additional instructions, she would manage a nod. It had been a long seven nights since she first arrived. Her visits from Drake were very little and weren't very long at all. The tension and hunger could easily be felt between the pair. Calista felt as if she were going mad. She shouldn't feel this way towards a dragon. It was more than just a physical longing, which made her frown every time she thought about it.

It was now the eighth night since she had arrived. She was finally becoming accustomed to the sleeping arrangement. She at least had a cot to sleep on now, which wasn't to bad. Certainly better than the stone floor. Her cage was even unlocked, which made her feel a little less claustrophobic. She thought it was like any other night, until the light footsteps hit her ears. She had gotten use to the other caretakers' and Drake's footsteps, but these were new. The chill gave him away.

As she began to sit up, Camus' voice filled her ears. Her heart sank, thudding quickly in her chest. It couldn't be a coincidence that he was here. She didn't say or do anything, but watch him warily as he slipped into her cage. As he asked if she knew why he was there, she would begin to shake her head as he grabbed her chin tightly. She had to fight to not flinch from the cold burning pain beneath his finger tips. Her eyes would soon widen as he said what she feared the most. How? Had one of the slaves recognized her? Told Camus somehow?

Her eyes would quickly narrow as he pulled back. Her jaw ached from his cold burning touch. She would only listen to Camus, unflinching and silent. She took in every word, process it. She didn't believe a word of it. Deep down she knew he wouldn't stick to his word. He wouldn't let her go. He wouldn't leave her people alone. He would kill them. None of this crossed her features as she kept her thoughts carefully guarded. Then he handed her the pouch, explained what he wanted her to do and the consequences if she didn't do it, and left. Evelynne didn't sleep for the rest of the night

. . . .

The next morning came more slowly than Calista had thought it would. She lay awake on her cot, just like she had since Camus left. His words and threats still echoed in her mind, just like the pain from where he gripped her chin still ached. She wasn't sure if he had left a mark, but she would guess so. As she recognized Drake's footsteps, she would frown, and shiver. In her hand was the pouch Camus had given her. There was no way she could do it. She had grown fond of Drake. Cared for him even.

She was sitting up by the the time Drake entered her cage. At his question, she would shake her head. "Not after Camus left ..." She managed quietly, her eyes watering as she looked to the ground. "He knows, m-master. I don't know how, but he does." She began quickly, her voice quiet so only he could hear. "He gave me this ..." she would say as she held out the bag of Dragonsbane. "He said I was to use it on you. If I did, he would free me and my people of the annual offering. If not ... well, he is your brother. I assume you can guess ..." She finished, wincing as the pain in her chin sharpened from speaking. Tears were freely rolled down her cheeks now, her gaze on the ground. "D-drake ... I-I mean, master ..." she would say, with a shake of her head. "I ... I won't do it. Not to you." She would mutter, dropping the bag at her feet as she placed a hand over her mouth.​
 
"..." An intense silence fell over the room as Calista divulged her little meeting with Camus, that back-stabbing little wretch. Drake instinctively knew what was inside the pouch, his gut told him to get as far away as possible from the lethal powder, but he kept still, barely holding back his rage. The fact Camus finally decided to betray him was quite shocking, but it wasn't that much of a surprise, deep inside Drake knew the snake would do it sooner or later, but no... he was more upset about how Camus used Calista to try to murder him, threatening her with extinction of her kin, how dishonorable and foul, truly there was no place Camus wouldn't go to achieve power. Knowing Camus, he must have carefully engineered this. "Ah..." Then it dawned on Drake, why his father allowed him to pick up this year's sacrifice even though it was his birthday whereas any other dragon could, it must be Camus' doing... yes, he knew since the beginning that it was the princess who would be sacrificed. He fell right to the Frost Dragon's ploy, how horribly stupid... now he would pay the price, with Calista and her kin's extermination, along with his banishment... or execution if Kazul was especially crossed.

"Calista..." He finally called her by her first name after all this time, he hugged her, his body trembling with fear, yes, the mighty dragon prince was quivering with fear, but also gratitude, "I thank you, you... could have killed me, yet you... I..." No proper words could he stood there for a few seconds, simply calming himself down, he would not let Calista and her people pay for his mistakes, there must be someway, any way to stop this. Drake drew back, a trail of tear from his right eye as he wiped it, "You made a wise decision," he tried to sound calm, but his anxiety was rather obvious, "If you had killed me, Camus would use you as a convenient scapegoat, the human kingdom sending their princess as an assassin to murder the dragon heir, it'd be more than enough for Father to authorize a full-scale assault on Hetopia, then... well, he'll kill you. He was lying, only deception dripped from those venomous lips" His hands tightened into fists as Drake - very carefully - picked up the pouch, tightened the rope, then put it inside his robe, "I can't let this thing be, it's too dangerous to be in the nest." He was planning to ditch it later.

An eerie tension fell upon the nest as Shar'karon - in his human form - entered the corridor, standing outside the bars, he knelt down, "My lord," his voice was full of concern, "This does not bode well, the rumor that you are holding a human princess captive is spreading and the dragons are getting restless..." He slightly raised his head, "Forgive my audacity, Lord Drake, but I must ask, is it true?" Karon looked like he knew the answer already, but he wanted to hear it from the dragon himself.

"..." Drake approached the guard, he knew Karon, the veteran guard had been close to him ever since Drake was a hatchling. Karon was like his uncle and mentor, Drake could trust him with his life, these considered, the prince heaved a heavy sigh, "Yes..."

"Why?" Karon asked in disbelief.

"If I hadn't taken her in, the nest would be suspicious. If I revealed her identity, Father would punish Hetopia with extermination for the despicable act of sacrificing their noble... I had no choice, Karon." Drake spoke as calmly as he could, "Camus... he knew this, he was waiting for it, and I fell right to his grasp. He wanted to get rid both me and Hetopia, it's like killing two hatchlings with one boulder."

"I see," Karon stood up, looking at Calista, "Be glad that it was Lord Drake who picked you, if it was any other dragon, you and your kingdom would be no more," then he faced Drake back, "What do you suggest we do, My Lord?"

By now, Drake had regained enough of his composure to carefully think it through, then his fiery eyes burned with determination, "Karon, get Diana, Leona, and everyone... I think it's..." He nodded, "Time." The guard seemed to understand the gesture as Karon gave one last bow before running back the corridor in haste. Drake then grasped Calista's hand, "Princess, listen to me, realize that I had made my choice, by keeping you a secret from Father, I cemented my banishment should he finds out, I was trying to keep your people safe but alas... all because of Camus..." His hatred soared to unimaginable heights, "Curse him, curse your people for choosing you, curse my compassion for your kin, curse me for having fallen for you!!!" His voice echoed violently in the cave as Drake panted, a blush creeping on his tanned cheeks, part anger, part embarrassment. "Let's go," he suddenly picked her up, transformed into his half-dragon form then dashed away from the cell, "We're going to Hetopia. Pray for your father's wisdom lest extinction is assured, Princess."
 
Calista could see his anger. It was practically burning in his eyes. A fire he was barely containing. For a moment she feared it was directed at her, but she soon realized it was only at Camus. She could only imagine what he was going through right now. She began to wonder how much of this was all set up. If Camus had somehow known and set everything up, there was one thing he couldn't have accounted for before hand. Calista falling for Drake. She felt horrible that all of this was brought because of her.

It took Calista a moment to realize Drake had said her name. Her really name. Before she knew it, she was standing, wrapped in his arms. Slipping her arms around him, she would hug him back tightly, her face buried in his chest for a moment. She blinked as she realized how badly he was shaking. He was frightened. The fact that the dragon prince was frightened made a knot form in his stomach. As he spoke, she pulled her back enough so that she could meet his gaze. "I-I couldn't. Wouldn't. I think I have fallen in love with you ... D-drake." She whispered to him as they stood there just like this for several moments.

As he pulled back, she saw him quickly brush away a tear. As she listened to him explain what Camus would have done, she would nod her head gently. "I figured as much. I knew either way that my people and I were in serious trouble." She would say with a sigh and frown. She watched as Drake carefully picked up the pouch, stashing it inside his robe. She would soon tense as another dragon appeared before her cage. As he knelt down, she would calm a bit, but her heart was still thumping wildly in her chest.

She would listen quietly to the conversation, her gaze drifting between the two males. it was already spreading that she was here. As Karon looked to her and spoke. She could only nod. Drake had told her as much when it took her over a week ago. As Karon asked Drake what they should do, Calista would look to Drake, holding her breath as she awaited his decision. As he spoke his decision, Calista would blink. He had planned for something like this? That is certainly how it sounded. Then it hit her. This was her fault. All of it.

"This ... This is all my fault. I brought this upon you ..." She found herself saying to Drake, almost dazed. He was already trying to comfort her, as he spoke of having made his choice by keeping her a secret from the dragon king. It all came down to Camus and his thirst for power. Her own hatred for him began to boil, though not even close to Drake's hate for him. As he exploded, Calista would wince, fresh tears streaming down her cheeks. It took a moment for the last bit he said to register. He had fallen for her as well? She had no chance to say anything in response as he lifted her up and dashed up. She would only nod as they left. Her father had no clue what he had brought upon them.

. . . .​


She wasn't sure how much time had passed when she had reached Caelfell. "Drop down here! Otherwise the guards may fire upon us." She would say to Drake. If he did, they would land just as a line of guards filed out to meet. As she was set down, the head guard would blink in surprise, blushing as he realized who it was and her lack of clothes. One guard handed her his cloak with his gaze on the ground before bowing with the others, which sufficed enough to cover her. "P-princess ... ? How ...?" Before the guard could continue, Calista would silence him. "We need to speak with my father. Send someone ahead of us to wake him and the others at the castle ... Now!" Calista would urge. The guards would spare a glance at Drake, but said nothing. The captain was already sending one of his men to run ahead. "This way, Princess." He urged. Looking to Drake, she would take his hand in hers, holding tightly as they hurried through the city.

It seemed as if hours had passed before they reached the castle, but it had only been a handful of minutes. By the time she was climbing the castle steps, every room was lit brightly. Calista hurried through the halls, keeping Drake close as they reached the throne room. Guards had seen them coming, so they already had the doors held open for them. "Cali ... ?" As she looked to see who had said her name, it was Clarrik. He was stepping forward to embrace her, but she held up a hand, stopping him and their mother both mid-step. "Greetings and introductions will have to wait, there is no time. Father ..." She was say, holding the cloak tightly to keep herself covered. "They are coming. We need to do something ..." She would say, her father looking back at her as if in a daze. "My daughter ... My little Cali. You're here. Alive, but how?" He would finally ask. Her gaze would drift to Drake. "This is Prince Drake of the Kogankell Dragon Clan. He was the one sent to retrieve me that night. He gave up everything to save me and try to save our people. That is why we are here. The Dragons are coming." Calista explained.

Clarrik would be the first to speak up. "I don't understand, why would they come? They received their offering ..." He would say, thoroughly confused. Their father would nod gently in agreement. Flustered, Calista would snap. "Because father is a coward who would let his own daughter be chosen for the sacrifice." She began. "Cali, you know ..." her father would begin, but Calista would cut him off. "You sent your own daughter to die! I am royalty. Did you not think to wonder how that would look to the dragons!? If Drake hadn't been the one to retrieve me that night, I would be dead as would all of you by now ... We need to prepare for what is coming." She would finish, heaving a sigh. Scowling, their father would stand, their mother grabbing at his arm, but he pulled away easily. "And what would you have me do, hmm? There was a reason the sacrifices were in place ... What can we do to stop them?"​

Calista scowled back. "I don't know ... We will have to figure something out." She mused as she rubbed her temple. Her mother broke in finally, placing a hand on her husband's shoulder to keep him silent. "Is that only a cloak?" She would ask with a raised eyebrow. "We were in a hurry ... " Calista would say with a dismissive wave of her hand. Before she could continue the discussion, her mother would interrupt again. "Go get some clothes on. We will summon the advisers and get discussions started. Go ..." With a reluctant nod, Calista would take a step back. Looking to Drake, she would take his hand. "You're coming with me. I don't want to be alone ..." She would say. "I think not ..." Clarrik would begin, though he would quickly take it back as he saw the nasty glare he received from his sister. "Fine. Just be quick. If things are truly as bad as you say, we'll need all hands on deck." He would be only half done with his sentence as Calista left the throne room with Drake in tow. She reached her old quarters on autopilot. Ushering Drake inside, Calista would shut the door. Leaning against it, she would sigh frustratedly. "What are we going to do ... ?" She whispered, more to herself than to Drake.
 
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"It's not your fault... it never was, Calista." He kissed her forehead as he dashed through the corridor, another tear trickled down his cheek, she loved him back, he never felt happier since his mother died. "Come, we must end this madness." An all-out war looked inevitable and the Dragon Prince and Human Princess were at the epicenter, they must use every wit and strength they could muster to resolve this without too much bloodshed. Drake left the slave quarters through a secret human-sized entrance deep in the quarters that he fashioned himself, only he, Diana, Leona, and Shar'karon knew of its existence. The corridor led upwards and upwards until it led to a small cavern-like opening on the mountains, it was clear that one required flight abilities to traverse through it yet the size of a man or smaller, like dragons in their half form. The hafl-dragon held Calista close to him as he blasted away from the hole, swiftly making his way to Caelfell, giving it his all to arrive as quickly as possible.

Once Calista warned him of possible air-attacks was the moment Drake knew he was out of his elements, they were deep in human territory now, Calista and her family wielded full reign here, he was the visitor, the outsider in her realm. Drake silently nodded at Calista as he descended to the ground, putting Cali to her feet, he transformed back to his human form, better to not agitate the guards. Both he and Calista must survive through this or Hetopia would be no more, not just Hetopia, but the whole human race... and other draconians who would not submit to Camus' - future - tyranny.

The guards quickly surrounded them, bowing in respect to their princess, Drake was content to stay in the background as one of them gave Calista his cloak to provide her some modesty. Inwardly, Drake blushed, Cali looked so much beautiful without those unnecessary fabrics, Dragons were mostly clothless in their dragon form, this of course affected how Drake thought about outfits. Even in this dire situation, Drake felt a prideful smirk coming to him, barely holding it back, a naked petite female was ordering around these men clad in metals. Drake tightly held Cali's hand as he let her lead him through the city, into her lair... well, castle as they called it. He could admit, the humans made beautiful buildings, did they all do this? Or is it just Hetopia? Whatever the case, Drake found himself lost in the structural beauty as they passed each one.

Powered by his blood, the princess became stronger and faster, apparent as the guards who followed them found themselves struggling to follow the pair, they didn't question this however. "Remember, Calista," Drake whispered as they ran, "You are not really a human anymore... mind your strength." He was rather worried she'd accidentally crush her family's bodies when she hugged them later. They arrived in the castle in just a couple of minutes, a rather staggering achievement... for human standards, not for the Princess who had traces of Lava Dragon blood flowing through her veins. The duo entered the magnificent gate, into the imposing structure, through the candle-lit halls, and finally... the centre of human nobility. There, in the regal throne, sat the most foolish human Drake had ever known, Hetopia's King, Calista's father. The first person to speak, however, was not the King, but the Princess' twin brother. Drake kept his manners as Calista went right to the - extremely - urgent matter. "An honor, Your Majesty" Drake would say between clenched teeth as Cali introduced him, it sickened him to be in the presence of this fool, the fool who dared to sacrifice his only daughter, the fool who almost brought certain doom to his people... and people bowed to him as King, staggering depravity.

Calista's brother was no better either, fools bred fools it seemed, even Calista. If wasn't for Drake, the Princess would still think her being sacrificed was the right thing to do, fortunately she was redeemable, her family? Only time would tell, time they didn't have much. "Shocking..." Drake whispered, more to himself, as Calista berated her father. His mind was already turning to find the best solution for this ordeal, sure he had an ace saved for such occasion, but it wouldn't be enough. "Really?" Drake was this close to slam his fist hard into the Queen's head, perhaps it'd make her see the idiocy in minding her daughter's lack of clothes despite the dire situation at hand. "Should Camus succeed, modesty would be the last thing on your mind, dear Queen, if he was merciful enough to not kill you, you'll be kept as his pet-slave... and believe me, death will be a far better fate." He finally snapped, shaking his head as Cali took his hand. The Dragon prince turned with a rage-filled scowl to all of them except Calista as he followed her to her personal chamber.

--

"First," Drake stomped to her wardrobe then crossed his arms across his chest, "Go do what your Mother told you, she's more concerned with your 'modesty' more than her family's life." He didn't take his eyes off her even as she put her clothes on, "After the time you spent as my... ahem, slave, don't you think clothes are unnecessary? I mean, I wore them in my human form just for show." He teased, true, during his rare visits, he'd sometimes show up with no clothes at all, as how a proud being should be. These humans were ashamed of their own body so they hid it with false skin and even tried to make themselves looked prettier. The small talk proved useful to ease their tension. Now, back to the situation at hand.

"Hmmm..." Drake rubbed his chin, "Karon, Leona, and Diana should be here soon..." Drake spoke enigmatically, "Oh, you'll know what I mean by the time they arrived, in the meantime, Camus would be convincing Father of my betrayal and urge him to attack, but knowing Father, he'd not take such accusations lightly, especially going as far as to exterminate Hetopia based on rumors and my disappearance alone." Drake would say calmly, his eyes analytical as he sat down on Calista's bed, "Me returning, with or without you, will result in Father finding out about your identity, so that's out of the consideration..." He sighed, "This shaky peace would only last for a couple of days, a week at best, Princess, we need to prepare for wa-..." Drake stopped mid-sentence as he felt the Dragonsbane pouch in his pockets, "Ah..." He took it out, his hands trembling, perhaps... perhaps this could do it, "Princess, do you have an Alchemist?" He showed the pouch to Calista, "Maybe they could create a weapon out of this, I know where to find more, just... one thing, make it somehow so it'd be non-lethal, something that'll put the Dragons into temporary comatose would be adequate, we want to end this with as less bloodshed as possible, aren't we not?"
 
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Calista appreciated the reassurance, but she still felt somewhat responsible. As he kissed her forehead, she would smile gently as she closed her eyes, leaning into the affectionate gesture. She hadn't expected to find happiness in this nightmare, but she had. Nodding in agreement, she would nuzzle into him as they took off. The fact that he had rather apparently prepared for such an event made her feel a bit better. This passage didn't look new, so she knew it wasn't because of her arrival.

Once they had returned to Hetopia, she could tell Drake felt out of his element here. Here the tables were turned and she had the power. The realization weighed on her. Looking to Drake, she would squeeze his hand gently, giving him a smile of reassurance before they hurried off. He seemed fascinated by the buildings. Under normal circumstances, she would happily show him around, but there was little time. As Drake whispered his warning, she would nod her head gently. She had nearly forgotten under the circumstances. As they reached the throne room and got straight to the point, Calista noticed how tense Drake became. He really didn't like her father and she couldn't blame him. Right now, she didn't either.

The looks of shock and anger on her parents' faces when Drake snapped at them were priceless. Perhaps it was the push they needed to take this situation seriously. As she spared a glance to Clarrik, she could see in his eyes that what Drake said had hit home. Maybe he was redeemable afterall. She certainly hoped so. Once in her room, Calista had stripped the cloak, standing there naked as she leaned against the door. Opening her eyes, Calista would watch as he stomped to her wardrobe. Everything was as she had left it, thankfully. She was trying very hard not to laugh at Drake's reaction to her mother's request for her to put on some clothes. However, it was rather endearing.

As she slipped on a simple, sapphire blue, sheath dress, Cali would look to Drake. "With you, yes. I agree with you. Modesty in our culture isn't out of shame for our bodies. We feel that our most natural of forms is meant for our spouses eyes and them alone. Not for everyone else to see." She mused gently, holding his gaze as she said it. As he thought aloud, Calista would listen quietly, nodding here and there to signify she heard and understood. She was soon standing before him, easily within arms reach if he so chose to reach out to her. Her eyes shot to the pouch as he asked about an alchemist. "... Drake. You're brilliant ..." She would say, a grin spreading over her features.

Without even thinking, Calista would lean forward, placing a deep kiss upon Drake's lips. "Brilliant." She would murmur as she broke it. Taking the pouch, she would cradle it carefully as she took his hand. "Come on, we have no time to lose." Grinning, Calista would hurry from her old bed chamber, directing Drake through the halls until they returned to throne room, which was already filled with her father's top advisers. Grabbing a servant who was hurrying along, Calista would look to him. "Summon our top alchemists. Immediately. Tell them it's an emergency ..." Calista would say, the man would nod quickly before dashing off.

Moving forward, she would reach her parents, brother, and the advisers, who all fell silent when they saw her. They hadn't fully believed that she was here or that the Dragon heir was with her. Yet here they were, standing before them. "Drake had an idea ..." Calista would say, just as the servant returned with the two head alchemists. Thankfully the servant had filled them in on their way here. "This is Dragonsbane, a lethal poison to dragons ..." She would say, the small crowd looking to her quietly, though her focus was on the alchemists. "Could you non-lethalize it so that it merely knocks them out and then weaponize? We want to do this with as little blood shed as possible. We can get more, if it's possible." Her father and brother blinked in surprise, her mother smiling gently as she nodded. The alchemists, listening to the princess soon nodded their heads. "It would take some time, but yes. We would need more than just that small pouch to be able to fight off an army of dragons though ..."
 
"I will not commit genocide on unfounded accusations, Camus."

"What more prove do you need? Drake is gone, along with the human princess and all of his slaves, Shar'karon is also nowhere to be seen, they are conspiring with the humans, Father. We must act now!"

"ENOUGH!" Kazul stood tall above the Frost Dragon, unleashing all of his dread onto his second son, "I will give Drake a chance to return and explain himself. What you're asking, Camus, is madness, they may be inferior creatures, but we are honorable Dragons, we gave them our word to maintain peace as long as they pay us tribute and they HAD, unless you can prove me otherwise, Camus... I suggest you leave my chamber. End of discussion."

Defeated, the Frost Dragon left Kazul's chamber, his massive limbs swiftly shuffling through the corridors, "You'll pay for this.... Both of you..." His chilling whisper froze the stones around him.

--

For the very first time since their fated encounter, she kissed him, sure they kissed often before, but what made this particular one so special was the fact she was the one who took the initiative, no threats, no order, nothing. Drake moved to wrap his arms around her smaller torso as he returned the kiss, a simple contact of lips, no tongue or lust involved, but it felt so so much better than all of the kisses they performed so far. "Thank you..." He whispered to her, a genuine expression of gratitude. He stood up from the bed, closely following behind her, "I still do not understand your kin's logic regarding clothes, Calista," He murmured, his tone rather seductive, "You don't have to abide by it you know. You're not fully human now, remember?" An obvious opportunistic attempt and he perfectly knew it, he didn't expect Calista to answer of course. The pair arrived at the throne room, all of the important figures were gathered, this was truly happening, they were preparing for war, and Drake... he was on their side.

The alchemists arrived, stating the obvious regarding the pouch, "I know where they usually grow, they are rare and look similar to almonds," Drake spoke to the head alchemist then turned her attention to the King, "Gather your best scouts by tomorrow morning, I will personally lead them to find the Dragonsbane seeds." A dragon prince searching for the most lethal poison to dragonkin in order to fight against dragons, oh the irony was rich. Sighing as he rubbed his forehead, Drake grabbed the shoulder of the head alchemist, "You only have a few days to figure this out, please, please, don't fail. You know what's at stake." This done, Drake left the alchemists to their business, moving to the King.

"Your Majesty," He spoke, his tone far more friendlier and calmer now, "I must tell you that the one who fabricated all of this madness is Camus, my power-hungry bloodthirsty younger brother who would spare no pity in massacring your kin." He moved to stand beside Calista, "You just made a very imbecilic error by putting up Calista for sacrifice, Human King, the risk of civil war is a far better alternative than assured destruction. You are saved by the skin of teeth because it was me who retrieved her, as she said before, but not only that... also because Calista didn't give in to Camus' temptation to murder me, that pouch was given to her by my brother to assassinate me." Drake explained in detail, "If she killed me, Your Majesty, I think you all know what would happen. Hetopia, wreathed in ice and fire." He didn't explicitly say it's love that saved them from certain death, the idea of a dragon and human falling in love with each other was insane, to dragonkin and mankind both. Drake took a step back as he was finished, letting Calista said whatever needed to be said.

As he passed her though, Drake whispered, just enough for Calista to hear, "Meet me in the castle's garden after this, I have something to show you..."
 
As Drake slid his arms around her, Calista let herself melt into him as she held the kiss. No lust or tongue, no order. Just a simple, genuine kiss out of love for the man sitting before her. It was the first real kiss they had shared since their encounter. And it felt incredible. As he whispered a thank you, Calista saw how genuine he was. "You're welcome." She whispered back. Listening to him as they hurried down the hall, Calista would chuckle. "This is true, yes. And as fun as it would be to see the looks on my parents', brother's, and the advisers' faces if I were to walk in there naked, I would rather not deal with my mother's wrath at the moment. We have enough on our plate ..." She mused, glancing his way. "Later, when we're alone ... May be another story ..." She continued, hoping to get a reaction out of him. It was odd, seeing him here, in her home. She never expected this, but it must be even odder for him.

As the group listened, the alchemists would nod their heads. "Good, good. We will need it if we are to have any form of chance against them." He would say with a grateful nod, the old man's gaze drifting to the pouch now in his hand. Calista would move her gaze to her father as Drake addressed him. She could tell that he wasn't use to taking orders in his own kingdom, but he already come to the realization that he didn't have a choice at this point if his people were to survive annihilation. "Done." He would say with a simple nod, glancing to one of the advisers, who quickly hurried off. The irony didn't slip past Calista as she watched him sigh and rub his forehead.

Looking to the dragon prince, the Alchemists would nod. "Understood. I will have our whole team working on this. We won't fail." He would, reassuring the prince that he understood the gravity of the situation. They would hurry off to start their work. Calista would stay close to Drake as he spoke to her father. She watched him tense as the dragon heir spoke. The truth hurts, which her father was learning the hard way. As Drake finished, Calista would speak up. "Drake gives me more credit than I am do, however he is right father. I know it hurts to hear those things, but they are the truth. We must fix this." She mused as Drake whispered in her ear.

Gazing at him, she would nod as she watched him go. "Are you sure turning that poison into nothing more than a temporary comatose is really going to work?" Her father was asking, a frown tugging at his lips. "We don't want to kill unless necessary, father. No unneeded blood shed. Promise me." She whispered, taking his hands into hers. With a sigh, he would nod, knowing he owed his daughter that much. "Thank you. If you will excuse me though, I am going to get some air. And maybe some rest after that. We will save our people, I promise. That's why we are here. We have more coming that can help us. Don't worry." Giving her father a gentle hug, she would take the chance to try to slip away.

As she neared the door, her brother would grab her arm, and pull her into a tight hug. "What is it about that dragon, Cali?" He whispered in her ear as she hugged him back gently. Frowning, she pulled away, shaking her head. "I can't explain. You wouldn't understand. Clarrik, help father. I am going out for some air." She would say as she took a step back. Her brother would frown, shaking her head gently. "You've changed, Cali ..." He murmured as he turned, heading back to their parents. "You have no idea ..." She whispered as she disappeared from the throne room, quickly making her way out into the garden. "Drake?" She called, letting her gaze drift around slowly.
 
"Beautiful..."

Drake whispered under his breath as he stood calm in the castle's garden, appreciating the carefully-tended flowers and plants. Dragons weren't exactly avid botanists as they often lived in caves and mountains, their massive size compared to most - if not all - flowers certainly didn't help their case. Drake always had a spot in his heart for human culture, him being the Dragon Heir didn't give him much chance to mingle with them and thus to compensate, he tried to satisfy his thirst for human contact while also appearing as a proud xenophobic Dragon by participating in the annual sacrifice as much as possible. Unlike Camus, he didn't want to treat them like slaves or food or object, but he was forced to lest the others became suspicious, still, he treated his 'slaves' as humanely as he could. Adequate food, clean cages, comfortable collar, and shackles with long chains were examples of his compassion for humankind, and who said he couldn't make them love him as he did love them? As Cali saw before, many of his slaves were glad they were given such a fate. Not all of them knew his actual intentions, only a few like Diana and Leona, just the way he planned it to be, if all of them knew he wasn't actually enslaving them, the secret would leak.

"Your Highness." Drake greeted as he heard the Princess called out for him, his back was turned to her. He slowly faced her, elegantly shuffling his feet, on his right hand was a single stalk of a blue flower, the famous 'Lily of the Nile', he knelt down and offered it to her as would a prince to a princess, "For you, I think this flower - which I do not know its name - represents you, my dear. Elegant, beautiful, and most of all, compassionate." He stood up, looking at the sky, "Do you remember when we first met, when I told you about your lost history, the history of your kin, and how it didn't matter?" He paused, craning his head down so he could dive into Cali's gentle azures, "I was wrong, it does matter, and..." He closed his eyes, transforming to his half-dragon form, "I will show you. It won't take long" He gently bridal-carried her, spread his wings and took to the sky.

--

The pair flew away from Caelfell, into the wilderness and lush forest. The mighty dragon flew at full speed, cradling his beloved close to him. He'd let her rest while they travelled through the night, using his warmth to comfort her, besides, she's blessed with the power of a dragon now, Drake was confident Cali could keep up with him. A few hours passed after midnight, the sun still hidden in the east horizon, "We're here." Drake whispered to Cali, kissing her forehead as he slowly descended into the forest below. They landed in front of a ruined entrance to a temple carved into a cliff, Drake let Calista down as he took her hand, "This is a temple of an ancient civilization, predating my clan and your kingdom, I found this... centuries ago, back when I was young, naive, and arrogant. What's inside... changed me, come, let me show you." He shifted back to his human form as Drake took a step forward, entering the gaping hole which supposed to have a door covering it. He lit his other hand on fire then raised it above his head, acting like a torch.

Walking through the dark hallway, lit only by the flame covering Drake's other hand, the pair trudged through dilapidated stone walls, moss-covered floor, and vines hanging from the ceilings. Nature was taking over what man had built once it's abandoned. Occasionally, entrances to various rooms would decorate the corridor here and there, leading to what used to be living quarters, kitchen, and storage rooms, "Nothing in there but decay, this place has long since deserted. It is safe here, no one here but us." He'd say to comfort her, but after a few centuries, who knew what manner of creatures decided to make this ruins its home? Drake only had assumptions, but by the looks of it, nothing did. At last they came upon a small hall with an altar at the end, "Look..." Drake pointed to the walls around them, murals were carved here and there, murals of humans and dragons, living together in peace, the most of magnificent of them was the figure of a Warrior-Queen, riding on top of a Dragon-King, charging into battle against hordes of demons.

There were also a large stone tablet at one corner, words in an ancient language were chiseled on its surface, "Over the years, I tried to decipher its meaning, one word at a time," Drake carefully stroked the smooth surface, "To summarize, this tells the history of our people, yes, our. Dragons and humans were of one civilization, long ago, but... Dragon-King Arzo'rin, fell into the temptation of greed and power, whispered to him by Demon King Amon. Relationships deteriorated, numerous civil wars ensued, and in time, histories were skewed and twisted by both dragons and men, creating a new world where Dragons and Humans are mortal enemies with no one knowing 'why'." Drake moved to the altar, "This temple sanctuary is built by the last Dragons and Humans who still wished for peace." Drake's face got serious, "I think this place holds more than meets the eye, but after all this time, I can't find what it is, there's something underneath this hall, but a strong warding magic was placed, I can not break through the floor with my draconic powers, it is powerful, far more than what even the best current dragon or human magicians could do." He looked dejected for a second, before smiling softly at Calista, "However, look at this," There was a passage written in the altar.

"'Once this sanctum bore witness to a union of true love, body and soul, between dragon and human, a path shall open.'"

Drake read it word by word, though his eyes were filled with confidence, there was a tinge of hesitation in his voice, "Do you think... we should try it? Mate with me... here. I mean... uhm... I think that's what this passage mean." He stuttered a bit, scratching at the back of his head.
 
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The gardens had been her favorite place to be before the sacrifice. She would spend hours here with a book or some charcoal and parchment to draw with. Their gardeners were the best in the country, keeping a vast variety of plant life in the castle garden. As Calista spotted Drake, she would smile as she realized he had been admiring the gardens. Hearing him speak to her so formally made her arch an eyebrow. "Cali is fine, Drake." She mused with a smile. She immediately recognized the flower in his hand as he knelt before her. She accepted it with a smile. "That is very kind of you to say, thank you." She murmured.

As he stood, she listened quietly as she held the flower carefully in her grasp. "Yes, I remember ..." She would answer, curious as to where this was going. Holding his gaze, she would stay quiet, watching him transform as he finished his statement. As he took her into his arms, taking flight, she looked to him curiously. "Drake?" Show her what exactly?


. . . .​


Calista would snuggle into Drake as they flew away from Caelfell, more out of habit than actually being cold. His closeness was comforting for her, easing her enough to let her rest some, though she honestly wasn't that tired. She hadn't slept in almost two days, yet she felt okay overall. The power she was blessed with, she would guess. Her gaze would drift down to the forest below as they flew deeper and deeper into the wilderness. Where was he taking her? As he kissed her forehead, letting them know they had arrived, she would smile affectionately as he set her down at the entrance of the ancient ruins.

Her eyes would widen as she looked at the temple entrance. Listening to Drake, she would blink softly. "Incredible ..." She whispered as he took her hand and shifted forms. Staying close as they entered, Calista let her gaze wander over every inch, taking everything she possibly could. "How did we not know this was here?" She found herself asking as she looked into the depth of the dark rooms they passed. As they reached the alter room, her gaze immediately drifted to the walls as Drake pointed them out. Her eyes would widen as she saw the murals. Dragons and humans, but not fighting one another. "We lived together in peace. Fought together even ..." She would whisper.

Pulling her attention from the murals, Calista would return her focus on Drake as he moved to the stone tablet. Following him, she let her gaze drift to it, her free hand drifting gently over its surface as he revealed its contents. The more he explained, the more that everything made sense. Like pieces of a puzzle falling into place. "It all makes sense ..." She whispered before looking back to Drake. As he spoke of something underneath the hall, she would arch a brow, thoroughly curious. Could it help them stop the up coming war?

Her gaze soon drifted to the passage Drake was pointing to. Listening careful, she would bite her bottom lip, a blush coloring her cheeks. A union of true love, body and soul, between dragon and human. Only one thing came to mind and Drake was soon confirming that thought. As he asked what she was wondering. "I think that is what it is saying as well ..." She began, trying to keep her voice steady as she met his gaze. "I ... I think we should. What do we have to lose?" She would ask as she slipped her hand into his. "Prove to our ancestors that there is still love amongst Dragons and Humans for one another ..."
 
Drake's face began to glow as Calista slipped her fingers to mingle with his, she agreed with him, he couldn't be happier. Back in the nest, they had tried to mate, but Cali was doing it out of her duty to serve as sacrifice, as his slave, but it's different now, they were equals. "Ahem..." He cleared his throat, nodding to her, "Yes, there's no reason we shouldn't try." True, should worse came to worst, it would be a shame for them to not at least express their love before dying gloriously in battle. Drake let the fire on his torch-hand to gather as it separated from his hand, floating upwards then splitting to form magical orbs of fire all around the room, lightening the hall with their soft orange glow. They were ready and willing, physically and mentally, a union unheard of for millenias was about to take place.

"Cali..." Drake whispered as his right hand took hold of her chin, he lovingly pressed his lips onto hers, the hand moving to firmly hold the back of her neck. He'd tease her lips then slowly peeked out his tongue, the member requesting entry and if it was granted, he'd enter her mouth, wrestling with her tongue as his poked curiously here and there. With their lips still locked, Drake would easily lift Cali's petite body up with both of his hands wrapping around her waist, he carried her to the altar as he sat her down on top of the raised stone slab, with him standing before her. He ended the kiss then smirked, removing - no, more like, destroying - her sheath dress with a show of his fiery powers, he put one finger to her chest as fire began to consume her dress, but the flames never once licked at her skin, they really did just consumed the fabric covering her skin. "I am not sorry at all, dear, you have a lot of clothes... how I wish I could burn them all..." He teased as the fire also ate her undergarments, leaving the Princess bare as she was born, a reminiscent of her time as Drake's caretaker-slave. "You look beautiful, absolutely so, I am honored to be your former master, I am blessed to be your lover."

He admired Cali's naked form with lustful eyes, then he moved in, kissing her as one hand caressed her breast while the other trailed down her belly to the precious place between her legs, he began rubbing it, slow then slightly faster. "I should return the favor..." He said enigmatically, but the answer would come soon enough as he knelt down in front of her, spreading her hips with both of his hands, his face right in front of her womanhood, "Just relax and let me take care of you." His warm breath caressing her lower lips as he moved in, kissing at the sensitive skin then peeking out his tongue, caressing her womanhood with it. A few light licks were all the warning Cali would get before he slowly pushed tongue inside, spreading her folds, he used his hands to pull her waist closer to him while taking care not to accidentally drop her from the altar. For a few minutes, he'd keep it up, pleasuring her womanhood with his mouth, gradually plunging his tongue deeper and deeper, admiring the divine taste he got from her. Occasionally, he'd draw back to insert two fingers inside her, stroking in and out in a rhythmic motion before diving back in with his tongue.

He'd continue his ministrations to build her pleasure up, admiring every moan and shudder, he was planning to drive her over the edge of climax, his tongue and fingers getting more and more brazen as time passed by. Once the Princess reached her climax, Drake would stay there, holding her hips as he took in every lust she'd give him. Standing up, Drake wiped his lips, "As expected from the Princess, you are perfect, Cali." He murmured, climbing the altar as he laid on his back, "Come," he smiled, "We shall continue where we left off before Camus so rudely interrupted us." He teasingly gestured to his stiff member, soaring at the ceiling, up and ready for the Princess to sit on.
 
Calista could feel her heart begin to thud quickly in her chest. It was a nervous excitement. This time was much different than the original time they had tried. She had been doing it out of obligation that time. This time, it was out of equal love. Calista would smile gently at his comment before gaze followed the flame as it lifted to the ceiling. She watched in wonder as it broke apart to light up the entire room.

As he said her name, she would meet his gaze. The feeling of his fingers against her skin as he held her chin made her smile. "Drake ..." She whispered just before their lips met. Her hands would slip around his waist, her petite form pressing against him as she kissed him lovingly back. As she felt his tongue teasinging against her lips, she would grant it access, her tongue wrestling with his as her own explored curiously here and there. Cali would smirk into the kiss as he lifted her with ease, her hands having slipped up to his shoulders as he did. Once on the alter, her gaze drifted down as flames demolished her dress. A playful smirk would drift over her lips as she looked back up at him as he spoke. "No need. I would let you, if I could ..." She mused playfully. A soft blush was soon coloring her cheeks as he complimented her. "We are both blessed ..." She murmured gently.

Seeing the lust in Drake's eyes made Cali shiver in anticipation. She would kiss him back, a faint moan escaping her lips as he caressed her breast. As his other hand reached her womanhood and rubbed teasingly, Calista would shiver gently as she blushed. Arching an eyebrow as he spoke and knelt between her legs, the first night they were together came to mind. She had pleasured him. It was soon confirmed as he spread her hips, his lips dancing over the sensitive skin before he slipped his tongue inside. Her back would soon arch, one hand staying firmly on his shoulder so she could keep her balance. The sensations were incredible, each one earning a gasp, moan, and/or shudder of pleasure.

He built up his speed fairly gradually, driving her closer and closer towards the edge that was her climax. She was left trembling, a smirk on her face after she had reached that blissful moment that was her climax. If that was just with his tongue and fingers, she couldn't wait for the real deal. Opening her eyes, Calista would watch Drake as he spoke. "T-thank you ..." She would say with a soft blush as he climbed on the alter behind her.

She saw him, in all his glory, stiff and ready for her as he laid on his back. She would grin at his comment as she turned, straddling his lap slowly. Holding his gaze, she lowered herself slowly, letting her warm and wet womanhood tease the tip of him. Her hands rested on his chest, helping her keep balanced as she slowly, teasingly lowered herself onto him. He was much larger than she realized, which was part of why she was taking it slow. She was giving her body time to get use to the feel of him. Biting her bottom lip, she lowered herself the last bit of the way, gasping as she took the last bit of him in. "D-drake ..." She moaned as she moved her hips riding him slowly at first so that she could get use to the motion.
 
Incredible, the dragon prince hissed lowly as Cali lowered her hips, his manhood rubbing with her outer lips then slowly slipped in, her maidenly folds clenching his length. They almost mated before, but he backed off at the last moment due to Camus' uninvited arrival, he couldn't get the warmth of her flesh out of his head since, it clawed at him, tortured him, and now he shall wait no more. "C-kh... Calista..." He called back to her as his length sunk deeper and deeper into her, shaping her walls. His eyes widened slightly as he felt his tip caressing the membrane that marked her as a virgin, but without any urging from his part, the princess willingly gave her maidenhood to him, the membrane broke and blood trickled, their bodies fully joined as she took him all the way inside. "A-are you alright?" He asked, genuinely worried at her, the dragon was no stranger to this, he knew the first time usually hurt, he mentally promised himself he'd do everything to cause as less pain as possible. His answer soon came when the princess began grinding her hips.

Drake's head arched back as both hands went to her waist, he didn't try to stifle his groan, their moans and love-making sounds echoed in the flame-lit hall. Drake let Calista rode him at first, his waist trembling in pleasure, then once he saw her getting comfortable to his manhood, he'd join her as he moved his waist in tandem with hers, thrusting up and down along with her hips. "Kh..." He gradually went faster and faster then he raised his torso, hugging her tight with his hands wrapping around her back, pressing their torsos together. His lips embracing hers as he didn't hesitate to insert his tongue as he had done so many times before. All this time, their hips kept on their movements, his manhood sliding back and forth as her walls pleasured him.

Drake growled as his pleasure kept building, he soon couldn't hold himself back as he shifted their position by pushing forward so Cali was now lying on her back with him looming above her, their lower bodies still connected. "I love you, I will never let anyone else have you..." Drake thrusted his hips, getting faster, deeper, and harder as the time went on, "Cali, Calista, my love," He caressed her golden hair, "For you, I will give everything." He gasped as he felt his climax approaching, but... no, not yet, he gave it all to hold his climax, he wanted her to savor her first time, he wanted to honor her by letting her climax first. Taking a deep breath, Drake intensified his thrusts, his member caressing the mouth of her cervix, aiming to make her feel paradise.
 
Hearing him say her name like he did made her shiver in pleasure. She could feel him stretching her walls, molding them as if to fit his manhood and his manhood alone. Which she didn't mind. She wanted no one else. Calista would soon bite her bottom lip as she held back a wince. Her mother had told her once that her maidenhood was finally take for the first time that it would hurt. She hadn't been lying. Hearing the concern in Drake's voice as he asked if she was okay, she would nod her head gently. "I-I am alright ..." Moving would change the pain to pleasure, or so she had been told. It was time to put that to the test.

As both of his hands slid to her waist and a full groan of pleasure escaped him, she knew she was doing something right. The pain was slowing edging away and pure pleasure was taking its place as she moved her hips. She did nothing to hold back her own moans, her back arching as she rode his manhood. As he joined in his own thrusts, she gasped and moaned in pleasure, her hands clinging to his trembling waist as they moved together. The faster he went, the loader her moans would grow. Before she knew it, their torsos were pressed together, her arms around his shoulders to keep her balance as she kissed him back, her tongue dancing with his.

She heard his growl, which made her grin. He was about to lose control. "Don't hold back ..." She whispered in his ear. Sure enough, he was adjusting their position. She was now on her back, her gaze meeting his as he towered over her. As she listened, she would look to him affectionately. "And I love you. I want only you always and forever ..." She murmured back before he picked up his thrusts. Moaning, she would grip his lower back, her back arching as her legs slipped around his waist. The pleasure was incredible, almost intoxicating. She could feel it building like before, but much bigger than before. "A-and I you ..." She would whisper as he caressed her hair. "My love, D-Drake, climax with me ... I c-can't hold it back ..." She would moan as his thrusts deeply intensified. She could feel her body trembling, her walls clamping tightly against him as her back arched. She was certainly in pleasure paradise as her climax flowed through every cell of her being.

Panting beneath him, her legs lowering from his waist to rest against the cool stone of the alter, Calista would open her eyes. Meeting his gaze with her icy blues, she would let her fingers drift through his hair before she kissed him deeply and affectionately, no lustful tongue, just pure love and affection. "I love you, Kruziik Zun Do Lein. With all of my being." She whispered against his lips.
 
So the princess wanted them to climax together, well it looked like his self-imposed challenge wasn't needed after all. "Your w-wish is my command..." Drake tried to say between his groans and gasps, he was more than happy to oblige, his thrusts reached their peak as Drake bent down, embracing his love, both body and lips, his lustful tongue coaxing hers to dance together. He took a deep breath as his member shook then released his seed, his tip pressing against the mouth of her womb, giving every bit of his love to the princess. The orgasmic experience lasted for a few seconds but it felt like an eternity. Drake closed his eyes as he twitched in after glow, his hands caressing her body as he took the time for them to rest. After some time, he rolled away from her, his manhood slipping out of her, "T-that was... amazing, I... never felt anything as divine in my whole life, Princess." He smiled to her, running his hands on her golden locks, "Even if nothing happened to this place, even if the words were mere metaphors, know that our mating is more than enough." He said as he climbed down from the altar, helping Calista to do so as well.

As soon as they removed themselves, vein-like lines snaked on the stone altar, glowing arcane sky blue. A low rumble came from the hall, Drake instinctively shielded Calista as he urged her away from the altar, something was about to happen. The ancient letters glowed with the same color as the veins, the millenias old magic awakening for the first time. More and more veins would appear all around them until they enveloped the hall, sounds of arcane power at work echoing within the stone walls, then at the wall farthest from the entrance struck out blue sparks, steadily gaining intensity as they formed into a disc-shaped portal floating in mid-air, leading to the unknown. Magic that manipulate time and space, Drake had only known them from legends of old, he thought it was nothing more than myths of ancient dragon-mages, but how wrong he was, the world held so much mysteries even to dragons, yet another reason why he disliked the arrogance of his kin.

Drake examined the portal for a few moments, before his hesitating eyes turned to his beloved, "Calista..." he didn't continue, but his eyes were asking for her reassurance whether they should or shouldn't proceed. Then he realized his folly, the princess was no longer the sheltered young woman given for sacrifice, she now possessed his blood inside her, the blood of a dragon combined with her pure kindness, it was more than he needed to nod at her. "Let's go." He took her hand as they stepped forward inside. The portal soon closed behind them, leaving nothing more than the abandoned stone hall.

--

"I see things didn't go as you planned," A figure hidden beneath a thick layer of shadow and darkness, its only visible trait was two pair of glowing purple orbs serving as its 'eyes', the ethereal figure didn't look pleased as he scrutinized the dragon before it, "Camus..."

"Yes, my Lord," Camus - in his dragon form - bowed to the figure, "There has been a slight... setback, but I assure you our plans shall come into fruition, the human armies are but insects to us, even with the help of Drake and Shar'karon."

"Hmmmm... be that as it may, I see you do not have your father's permission to launch an assault, is that correct?" It asked rhetorically, one orb quirking as if it had eyebrows, "Is that why you've come to see me tonight?"

"Correct, my Lord, I request for one more boon." Camus nodded.

"..." The figure was silent, contemplating, scheming, then smirking lips made out of flames spawned below its eyes, "I am listening."

--

The couple would find themselves in a majestic throne room of old kingdoms, back when Dragons and Humans were of one people, architectures that even Drake didn't recognize mesmerized the couple. "W-where are we?" Drake murmured between gawking eyes, holding the naked princess close to him. The throne room was quite empty except for the two, but from its massive stained glass windows shone bright light like noon. The room possessed a serene regal aura, one that's unlike Kogankell, nor Hetopia.

"Welcome." A feminine voice echoed in the throne room as an ethereal figure appeared before Drake and Calista, taking the shape of a queen-like figure with regal dress and crown, though her see-through spectral form was tinted in blue. Drake wanted to protect Calista from this unknown entity, but no amount of hostility could be detected from her, still he kept her close, "By being able to enter this room, you both have proven that there is still true love among Dragons and Humans, I thank you." The figure bowed a bit in a very noble manner before she looked up. "No need to greet me back or converse with me, I am unable to respond, this one is but a pre-made apparition to greet those who entered here. In life, I am Queen Olivie Yulsaria, Ruler of Sagebrecht Empire and wife of Dragon-King Arzo'rin. Betrayed by own husband, those who are still loyal to me built this temple in hope that some day... love and compassion will conquer greed and wrath."

Drake nodded at the figure, keeping his silence as it'd be useless to talk with her, she wasn't even self-aware, though he felt proud to prove her and her people that they were right. He and Calista, they both had proven what was deemed impossible for so many years, he hugged Calista close to him as he kissed her forehead.

"You have proven yourselves worthy, I shall grant you my first and final gift to you." As Olivie said so, sparks of blue gathered in the middle of the throne room as they conjured two sets of armor and weapons, one was obviously for a dragon and the other one for a human female, "The Eldwurm Dragon Armor, once belonging to my husband, and... my personal war suit, The Valkyrie, they are both crafted by the finest blacksmith of our time and imbued with arcane glyphs by yours truly." Olivie bowed as she began to shimmer, "I sincerely hope these could help you in any way, I wish I could give you more..." She gave them a small smile before she vanished into thin air, "A one-way portal will appear to take you back, once you leave, this place will be no more. Farewell." Her voice echoed one last time before any ounce of her presence was no more.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Drake bowed to her then went to examine the two sets of equipments, obviously of very fine craftsmanship, they both could feel power oozing from the ancient - but perfectly preserved - artifacts. "Shall we try it on?" Drake gave Calista a confident smirk, "It's a shame though, I will be bereft of your divinely beautiful body once you put it on." He teased as he shifted into his dragon form, the sheer size of the throne room enough to accommodate him, he then moved to equip the golden-colored armor on him, one piece at a time.

For Calista, the Valkyrie set of armor was truly fit for a Queen, silvery white in color, they were made for both function and elegance, there were also a one-handed sword and shield to come with it. Of course, the armor also came with underclothing to wear first so Calista wouldn't have to worry about her bare state, much to Drake's chagrin.
 
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Calista would grin as she heard his groaned agreement. She would gasp as he increased his thrusts, her hands clinging to him as she pressed against him. Every part of her being, body and soul, was practically singing with pleasure. Closing her eyes, she would return the kiss, her tongue dancing with his as she held onto him. She could feel his warm seed begin to fill her as he shook with his orgasm. She should probably worry about her chances of becoming expectant of a child with how deep he was and how much seed he was pumping into her, but right now it was the furthest from her mind. All that mattered was them finally showing their love. And they had certainly done so. Panting beneath him, she let herself snuggle into him as she let herself bask in the after glow. Once he rolled off of her, Calista would roll onto her side, a hand resting on his chest as she grinned. "Amazing is an understatement, my dear Drake ..." She managed as he ran his fingers through her hair. "Definitely more than enough. I am just glad I had this chance with you before we ran into battle ..." She whispered before he helped her from the alter.

Glowing blue veins quickly caught her attention as she turned to face the alter. As the rumbling started, Calista would blink in surprise as Drake stepped in front of her, shielding her just as he did from Camus the night they had met. It all happened so fast. Before she knew it, a portal was open before them, her eyes widening in wonder as she looked at it. She had never seen anything like it in her entire life. As Drake met her gaze, Calista would squeeze his hand gently as he led her through the portal.

Before her time with Drake, Calista would have been embarrassed for anyone to see her in such a state. Now, she couldn't care less. Drake enjoyed her body and beauty, which ultimately made her feel more confident in her own skin. Drake asked the question that had come to her own mind. "I ... don't know ..." She managed softly as she stayed close to Drake. The woman's voice caught Calista off guard, making her jump gently as her eyes widened as the fell upon the ancient queen.

The prophecy on the alter had been right after all. Calista would listen with care, careful to keep any questions or thoughts to herself. It was clear that anything she said would go unanswered anyway. This was a recorded somehow, not real time at all. It was fascinating. It took all of her focus to process what the Queen was saying. The dragon king from the murals ... he was the one that worked with the demon king. She couldn't imagine how painful it would be to be betrayed like that by the man you loved. The thought of that happening to herself made Calista frown. She knew Drake would never do such a thing though. Everything sank in rather quickly, making Calista frown thoughtfully as the Queen spoke of the armors.

Looking to the armors once the Queen had disappeared, Calista would manage a smile. "Thank you, your grace ..." Calista would manage with a nod of her head before she looked to Drake. They mere power coming off each set was hitting her in large tidal waves, making her shiver gently as she stepped closer. "We certainly should ..." She mused as she circled the Queen's armor. At his comment, Calista would meet his gaze with a playful grin. "Naked is no way to go into battle. Particularly if I want a chance to come out of said battle alive." She would muse as she watched Drake take his full dragon form.

He was huge. Powerful. Intimadating. She absolutely loved seeing him in his natural form just as much as she did in his human form. She would slip the underclothing first. It fit like a glove. From there, she would slip each piece on, admiring it as she went. It felt odd, wearing clothes and armor now that she was so used to wearing nothing at all, but the power coming off of the armor felt incredible. Once the armor was secured, Calista would remove the sword from its sheath. Testing its weight and balance, Calista would give it a few test swings before taking up the shield with her other arm. She had experience with a blade, she had made sure of it when she was growing up. "Incredible ... Light, quick, but strong and well balanced ..." She mused before looking to Drake. "It fits you well. Fearsome ..." She mused as she looked up to him.
 
Drake shook his massive body as he finished putting on the armor, getting the feel of the powerful artifacts on his body. Moments after equipping the set, he could feel the arcane glyphs reacting to his body, feeding him with power. "Aaaah..." he sighed in contentment, he felt powerful, mighty, like the world was within his grasp, "The Queen certainly lived up to her words, my body is coursing with power!" He craned his neck down so he could come to an eye-level with the silver-clad warrior-princess, "You as well, Princess, I can see no trace of the naive sacrificial maiden of the past, in her place is crusader willing to defend her people with her very life," He then detected a surge of magic spiking from Calista, specifically from the armor she wore, "Hmmm?" He slightly tilted his head, "Best prepare yourself, my love, I sense something is about to happen to you." He took a few steps back as Calista's body began to glow.

Silvery-blue veins snaked along the Valkyrie armor set, glowing arcane bluish aura as the glyphs reacted to her body, Calista would feel an otherworldly sensation assaulting her senses, overwhelming her, molding with her very soul. The armor bonded with her, infusing the princess with the Yulsaria's magic. Her long blond hair floated upwards as if it was underwater as the golden locks slowly shifted their color to platinum-silver color followed with her icy blue irises turning scarlet, a perpetual azure aura of power emanating from the transformed princess. "Incredible..." Drake muttered under his breath as he eyed Calista's form, power oozed from her like a shining beacon, the sheer magnitude rivalled even the most veteran dragon mages. Drake's armor didn't grant him such power, maybe because dragons were already inherently powerful to begin with. Calista's shield clicked as a mechanism was activated, it opened up to be slightly wider and gear-like spiral parts spun along its surface, followed suit by the etched runes on her sword activating as it was covered in the very same aura.

After all was said and done, Calista embodied the power of Queen Yulsaria, known as the Silver Valkyrie for her ferocity and elegance in battle. With a swing of her sword, she could launch crescent-shaped destructive waves. Her shield would shatter steel and deflect magical projectiles, it could also fire an azure beam to decimate her enemies, superhuman feats such as leaping great distances and outrunning a Griffon in full speed were within her grasp. Of course, all came with a price, the princess would find the armor constantly feeding on her latent arcane reservoir and stamina to fuel itself, she could deactivate - and reactivate - this state at will however.

"You..." Drake was genuinely taken by surprise, but a triumphant grin grew on his draconic jaw, "Excellent! With this, not even Camus can stand in our way!" Drake stomped his front right claw on the ground as he spread his wings, "Come, My love, we shall return to Hetopia! Your father should be pleased..." He growled as he motioned from the princess to jump up to ride his back, after she had done so, a large dragon-sized portal spawned from the ceiling. With a mighty roar, Drake launched himself upwards to the portal which soon closed behind him. The Dragon and his rider appeared from the mountain that housed the temple, flying back towards Hetopia in full speed, trailing a golden-tinted flames on the dawn sky, it was very early morning after they had left the temple. With Drake's augmented speed, they arrived back to the castle faster than before, "We are here." He said to the princess as he prepared himself to land on the Castle's courtyard.

The guards all dropped their jaws at the majestic sight of their armor-clad princess riding on a dragon, they bowed in respect, "Princess, I think you should call your father - and your whole family if possible - show them what we have acquired, I think it should raise the troops' morale for the coming battle."
 
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Calista quietly watched Drake as he shook himself. He seemed to be adjusting to the power of the armor. She could feel the power from her own armor surging through her, putting all of her senses on high alert. As he spoke, she would raise her gaze to meet his. He soon confirmed her thought, a smirk tugging at her lips. "She certainly did ..." The princess would muse as he lowered his massive head. A smile would tug gently at her lips. "You taught me well, Drake ..." She would say simply as she placed a hand gently on his cheek for a moment. His words had only barely begun to sink in when she saw a glow begin to cover her body.

She barely noticed the silvery-blue veins that were snaking over her armor. She was to busy trying not to double over as the full blow of the armor's power hit all of her senses. It felt like it was burning into her very soul, melting into her her as if it were attaching itself to her. It was excruciating and yet invigorating all at the same time. As a few stray locks of hair floated into her line of sight, Calista would blink as she watched it shift color to a platinum silver similar to her armor. As the transformation soon finished, Calista found herself gasping as she caught her breath. She could feel the armor buzzing, as if waiting to be unleashed. She could only imagine what she was capable of now that she had such an impressive artifact.

Looking up to Drake, a smirk would tug at her lips as she noticed the sheer excitement in his eyes. "Indeed ... I can feel it, Drake. It has melted into my very soul. The power ... I have never felt anything like it before ..." She murmured to him quietly as she sheathed her blade. Willing the shield to close to its normal form, Cali would beam. With these, they had a chance. Looking to her love, she would quickly nod before she jumped onto his back with ease. "He should be extremely pleased. Between these and the dragonsbane ... Drake, we have a fighting chance." She murmured to him as she held on. His roar made her grin as they took to the air. They had returned much more quickly than their trip to the temple itself. The armor, she guessed.

Listening to Drake as they landed in the courtyard, Calista would nod in agreement. "Of course. He should be very pleased. And the troops ... They should be ecstatic ..." She mused as she flipped off his back. She landed with ease before the bowed guards. Looking to the captain, she would wave for him. "Summon my parents and brother. Tell them to join us here immediately ..." The captain would quickly nod with a grin as he ran off.

It wasn't long before the guard returned with the trio. Her mother gasped, her brother blinking in surprise, and her father beamed. "Cali ... is that really you?" He would say quietly, his fingers taking a lock of her now platinum hair. "Where did you find such armor? I have never seen anything like it ..." Cali would smile gently as she took a step back from her father, forcing him to release the lock of hair. "In an ancient temple deep in the forests of the mountains. Father ... It was a temple made by humans and dragons. We lived in peace together once ... We can do so again. We must do so again if we have any chance of survival. To do so, we must beat Camus first ... With these, we can do so. I know we can." Clarrik would scowl as he shook his head. "You aren't going into battle, Calista. I won't allow it. Far to dangerous for a woman, even with some blade training." He would say as he stepped forward "Another can wear this armor in your stead."

Calista's now scarlet eyes would dart to her brother with a level of anger she hadn't known she was capable of. "So honorable, dear brother. Where was this honor when I was being tied up to die a mere fortnight ago? It is okay for me to be sacrificed without a fighting chance for my people, but by god it is far to improper for me to actually fight for them? You make me sick, Clarrik." She spat, her father's eyes widening in shock and her mother going white from her outburst. This certainly wasn't the daughter they had known before she had been put up as the sacrifice. "Good luck trying to take it from me. Over my dead body ... It was gifted and has attached to me and me alone. I will fight for our people. It is more than you have ever done or ever will do for them you pitiful, idiotic coward. Back down and go play your stupid political games elsewhere." She would finish, Clarrik's face turning beet red with anger. As he opened his mouth to speak, their father silenced him first. "Go back inside, Clarrik. See if the alchemists need any assistance while we discuss battle plans." Their father would say. "But ..." Clarrik would begin who was quickly silenced by a glare from their father. Huffing, Clarrik would turn, making his way quickly back inside.
 
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The looks on those guards, Drake knew it well, respectful gestures given by inspired men and women towards their mighty sovereign out of awe, not fear. This was how a King supposed to lead, commanding the respect and love of his subjects, not fear and terror, something Camus would never understand. The Gold-clad dragon let Calista - who now embodied Yulsaria's spirit - took charge, she knew her family and kingdom best though Drake didn't even spare an effort to hide his wide draconic grin as the siblings clashed, how wonderful it was to see his beloved Princess standing up to this fool of a Prince. He had so much to say regarding Clarrik the Fool, but he knew better to not ruin his fragile welcome. Calista's newfound ferocity, Drake figured she always had it all along, deep inside layers of decorum and noble etiquette, her experiences with him peeled away those layers. His blood and the Valkyrie armor erupted those held-back emotions in full force, the beast grew tire of her gilded cage.

After Calista's brother was out of both sight and earshot, Drake faced Calista and her families, "What your daughter say is true, Your Majesty," At least the human King appeared wiser than his spoiled son, "A temple built by both humans and dragons, our people were of one ages ago, until greed and lust for power tore them apart." He lowered his body by sitting on the ground, curling his massive tail, "Most of my kin are too prideful and arrogant for their own good, they refuse to see humans as nothing more than insects or cattles. They need a leader, someone who can show them the ways of old, my brother Camus is certainly no such dragon." Drake's voice dripped with venom as he spoke the cursed name, "The rest of my clan may listen to reason, but not him, Your Majesty, Camus must perish." After what Camus tried to pull on him, Drake firmly believed negotiating with the snake was out of the question.

Heavy beats of wings rumbled through the air as a guard hurriedly ran to the party's presence, then bowed, "My King, another dragon is approaching!" He tried to maintain his composure, but his voice shook a bit.

Before any misfounded panic could arise, Drake craned his head at the guard, "Is it a dragon with green scales and spiralling horns?"

The guard blinked, caught in disbelief, "Y-yes, it is, how do you kno-?"

"Excellent, he is Shar'Karon, my most trusted friend and mentor, he is an ally. Tell the soldiers to stand down." Kruzik spoke calmly, but he was dead serious. Giving Calista a grin, Drake lowly growled in delight, "About time they arrive..." Raising his head upwards, Drake roared, his mighty voice calling out to the other dragon. Soon enough, the aforementioned green-scaled dragon approached the courtyard from above, circling the open space before making his way to land on the courtyard. On his back were two familiar figures, Leona and Diana, both were clad in distinctive armor - red-gold for Leona, white-blue for Diana - and carried weapons with them, a far cry from their bare state as slaves not too long ago.

"Prince Kruziik," Shar'Karon bowed to the Dragon Prince, "I have arrived." He said before addressing Calista, "We meet again, Princess Calista, you look very different since the last time I saw you." then to her family in an obviously disgusted glare, "And you must be the King and Queen who put your own flesh and blood for sacrifice, almost dooming your whole kingdom in the process." He growled.

"It's alright, Karon, they already know full well the consequences for their actions, now what important is us working together to stop Camus and his madness." Drake firmly stated, gaining a nod from Karon. The Dragon Prince then gestured for Diana and Leona to disembark, "Diana, Leona, why don't you introduce yourselves to us, properly this time." He mused.

The two women jumped down from Karon's back then each bowed slightly, "I am Leona from Soruna Kingdom, put up for sacrifice so long ago, I don't remember when. It was Lord Drake who took me in and secretly educate and trained me, including swordsmanship and magic." The redhead said confidently with a determined smile, "Come on, Leona, your turn." She gave her comrade a gentle nudge.

"Ugh..." It was clear the taller white-haired woman was not fond of big social interactions, "Diana, from Kirgis Federation, similar circumstances to Leona." She kept it short, though subtly giving a knowing teasing smirk at Calista. "I like your new look, now we match."

"These two fine humans are my first two 'slaves', I took them in to spare them a doomed fate in the hands of my clan. They have been with me for hundreds of years and rest assured, they don't want Camus to succeed as much as we do." Drake faced the duo, "Leona, Diana, go ahead and spar with Calista, we just acquired powerful artifacts from the temple."

"Understood, My Lord," Leona nodded then faced the reborn Princess, "We are ready when you are, Calista, just lead us to wherever you want to spar. If you wish to, that is.""

"My love," Drake nuzzled the tip of his snout to the Princess, "I am going to have a talk with Shar'Karon in private for a bit, then once the scouts are ready, I will lead the search for those Dragonsbane, take care of Leona and Diana for me while I'm away, will you?"
 
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Calista had to take a deep breath to calm herself down as she watched her brother storm off. She wasn't sure where her outburst had come from, but it certainly felt good to finally tell him off. Growing up, Calista had taken the time to learn what it would take to rule their kingdom, to use a sword, just like Clarrik did. However, she also took the time to get to know their people. Spent time with them, helped them rebuild their lives while her brother stayed in their gilded castle playing the political nonsense with the nobles.

As her gaze drifted to the small crowd of guards for a moment, Cali saw the awe in their eyes and on their faces. Between the armor and the fact that she had just stood up to the crown prince in regards to fighting for them, with them, it had been a far more powerful moment than Calista had realized. "Was that really necessary? It was quite rude of you to speak to your brother like that ..." Her mother would muse, earning a scowl not only from Calista, but her father as well. "He got what was coming to him. He wasn't doing it for our people or for me, but for the glory he would get from such an act. He is nothing more than a cold, selfish coward that cares about no one but himself. And you chose him to rule our country, our people only because he is a man. He is about as fit to rule as Camus is, which isn't saying much ..." Calista stated factually.

Before her more could say any more, her father came to Calista's defense. "Cali is right, whether you choose to see it or not, my dear." He would begin with a slow nod and a frown. "We both knew from what we saw of them growing up, that he wouldn't ever be truly fit to rule. We denied our daughter her birth right simply because you wanted to stick to tradition. A male heir. Well, look where that has gotten us. We have a massive dragon army headed our way because I wouldn't stand behind my daughter. Well, I am doing so now." The king would say with a firm nod as he glanced from his daughter to his wife. "You best be learning to like it, because this is how it will be from now on." He would say, earning a huff from his wife before she hurried inside.

Looking back to Calista and Drake, the king would listen carefully. With another firm nod, the King would look to Drake thoughtfully. "Then perish he shall. If he is the only preventing factor of returning to the times of old, then we will rid ourselves of it." He would say, glancing to Calista who was smiling gently. It was incredible to see him not only standing up for her, but fighting for the survival of their people. He was a good, wise king. She always knew it. As the guards spoke of another dragon approaching, Cali looked to the almost frantic guard. Drake quickly took charge, which made her smile. Their allies had finally arrived.

Glancing up to Drake as he spoke to her, Cali would grin back. "Indeed, my love ... " She would murmur back, earning an arched brow from her father. "Good to see you again, Shar'Karon. Diana, Leona, welcome. I am happy to see that you got out alright." She would say with a smile and a nod. She had become a bit attached to the two, more so than she had thought once she had left with Drake. She was beginning to worry about them before they finally arrived. As Karon spoke to her father, Calista bit her lip to hold back a smirk.
Thankfully, Drake was coming to her father's defense, who was currently at a loss for words. Apparently the decision for her to be the sacrifice was harder on him than she realized. And it had been her mother who pushed it on him from sounds of the conversation not long ago. All for tradition. It made her sick to her stomach. She couldn't think of all that now. Instead, she returned her focus to Diana and Leona who were introducing themselves. Arching a brow at Diana's knowing smirk, Calista would smile and chuckle. "I thought you would." She would muse gently as she moved closer to the two woman.

"They are more than trustworthy, father. They watched out for me, took me under their wing ..." Calista would muse with a soft nod. "Any allies are more than welcome. We certainly appreciate the help." Her father would say with a respectful bow of his head. Looking to Leona, Calista would smile. "Please, Cali is fine. If anyone has earned the right to call me that, it's you two." She would muse before looking back to Drake. Calista would smile as he nuzzled her, though she still listened carefully. "Alright. Do be careful out there, Drake. And of course, they will be safe with me. I promise." She would say with a soft nod before she placed an affectionate kiss upon his snout. "I love you. Make sure you come back to me." She murmured as she leaned her forehead against his snout for a moment.

Reluctantly pulling back, Cali would give Drake one last smile before turning to Leona and Diana. She didn't seemed to notice the stunned awe on the guards and her father's faces from their little show of affection. No one said anything about it, no looks of angry or disgust, just pure awe. "With you two at the helm, we most certainly have a chance at the days of old ..." Her father would muse quietly to himself. "Alright you two, I'm ready. We can go to the guards' training grounds. Should be plenty open. And it is away from most of the major buildings and from the city, so we should be good over there. Come on ..." She would say with a grin, motioning for the two women to follow her as she hurried away.
 
"I will, my love, it won't take long, well the expedition may take some time, but rest assured, we will return safely." Drake had the thought of peeking out his tongue and gave Calista a dragon's version of a kiss, licking, but decided against it as to not cause her father anymore shock. Drake grew to respect the sovereign, witnessing his daughter being in love with a 'giant lizard' was quite enough. The Dragon Prince turned around his body then slowly flew away, followed closely by Shar'Karon, surely the latter had something to tell regarding Camus and his plans. Hopefully the scouts would be ready by the time they finished, Drake wanted to get the expedition done as quickly as possible, Camus was a fickle one and might attack at any moment, it's best to prepare swiftly.

"Gotcha!" Leona nodded happily as she began following the Warrior-Princess with Diana closely behind her, "It's been quite some time since I had a decent spar!" She quipped excitedly, her right hand rubbing her sword's hilt with a tad too much affection.

"If by 'long time', you mean yesterday? Then there's something wrong with your sense of time, Leona..." Diana sighed, rubbing her forehead, but the chuckle signalled she didn't mean it. "Anyways, Calista, even with your fancy new armor and look, you better prepare yourself. Leona is not known for holding back." The tall white-haired woman could feel the power laying beneath those silver armors, anyone worth their sense as a warrior should be, the set was crafted by an ancient queen, a powerful one to be exact.

"Oh geez, Diana, I'm sure she'll be fine~ She already drank Master's blood after all." Leona leisurely waved her hand. They continued on their way until the three women reached the training grounds. Early risers soldiers and guards who were already training found themselves at awe at the rare sight of three beautiful women clad in distinctive armors, whispers and murmurs surrounded them, but quite positive in nature, Leona certainly enjoyed the attention, waving and greeting at the guards while Diana... she'd rather be alone with just the three of them.

Without any instructions or asking for permissions, Leona immediately claimed an empty spot, "Alright! I'll go first!" She unsheathed her two-handed claymore, the Sunrider, its blade gleaming in an orange glow, an aura of heat began surrounding her as Leona took a stance, "Alright, Princess, ready when you are!" She gave Calista an excited smile.

Leona chuckled as she decided to observe for the moment, taking a seat on a water barrel near the arena.

Once Calista was ready, Leona would begin the spar by charging at her, her combat style preferred offense. The redhead swung a mighty cleave at the Princess, followed with a slash from right to the left, Calista could feel Leona's aura acting like a heatwave, disrupting the opponent's body temperature and distorting the air around her, making her form appear slightly blurry to the naked eye.

OOC: You can go ahead and play Leona (and/or Diana) in your post to move things along faster, Yu. :)
 
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