14.0

Daira stopped from moving when she saw, a pair of yellow

eyes illuminated just a little distance away down her feet. She looked up feeling someone grabbed her shoulders. It was Jihn. She then pointed the yellow eyes underneath them while he only nodded and helped her released from the vines.

Daira swim above the surface after the vines were cut off her ankle followed by Jihn beside her.

"Swim fast, Daira! It's awaken!" he said, pushing her towards the bank with his hand while he looked down the water when the grumbling was followed by a trembling of the ground.

Daira had made it to the bank and immediately hid the stone with a spell. She looked for any traces of Jihn but he disappeared under the waters.

"Jihn..." she walked from here and there while staring at the waters when it became violent. "Jihn..."

Daira stepped towards the water again but Hydra had already revealed himself with someone on his hand.

It growled angrily at her while discarding the unconscious body of Jihn to the ground.

Daira ran towards him but hydra's feet had blocked her. She stepped back and readied her sword to fight the three-headed dragon.

"You dare stole from me? The Hydra, most powerful of all dragons?" it spoke to her.

Daira ducked down when it swung its one hand to nab her head off her body. She pierced its hand with her sword, creating a loud scream of pain from the three heads.

"What is this? A sword which can pierce our skin? Grubum Grum hum." it grumbled.

"I will kill you." she said, pointing the sword to the dragon while glancing at the unmoving frame of her companion. "Jihn! Wake up!"

The dragon curiously strut in front of her as if studying her or waiting a chance to attack her.

"He is dead. For I crushed his heart and drowned him. How dare a filthy man stepped into the water?" the dragon said. "But you...you can be my servant. I shall possess all of Rahu in no time. I will promise you abundance. Grumbum. Woman like shiny things. It's why you stole it from me. Bumhum."

Daira glanced at Jihn's direction and felt so bad for having someone killed because of her. She returned her eyes to the three headed dragon and suddenly, she didn't fear the hydra.

"I wont serve a filthy beast even if it kills me." she said.

"You chose death." Hydra said as its one head released a sticky fluid while the other two, fires. Daira ran towards the rock, ignoring the pulsating pain that the fluid came in contact to her neck and shoulder. She felt heat when Hydra released fires unceasingly. She then raised her hand in the air after blowing some spell on it.

"Sleep little monster." she hissed before snapping her palm closed.

"What is this? A witch?" one head exclaimed.

"An ancient witch!" said the other.

"They came back!" added the third one.

Daira stepped in front upon seeing her spell affecting the hydra now as it stepped to the waters.

"Why am I sleepy again?" it complained.

"Will it wear off in two weeks?" asked the other to the boss of them three.

"No. You'll sleep forever." she said, ignoring how those three heads exclaimed in horror before they collapsed in the water until the dragon sunk again under the water. The stinky water became calm and still as if there wasn't a dragon that slept under it.

Running to Jihn's direction, Daira collapsed down the ground and carefully touched his cheek. "Jihn?" There was blood that tickled from his mouth which frightened her. With a trembling hand, she hovered her hand on his forehead and casted a powerful spell of healing.

"Please, please, please..." she planted her head to his chest, wanting to hear the beat in there. Her eyes firmly closed wishing so hard that he'll be fine. Daira looked up when he made a subtle convulsive breath and yet had no consciousness still. But his breathing and the knocking on his chest were enough for her to feel at ease and be freed from the knot on her chest.

It was her turn to collapse beside him with much exhaustion. She then looked up the sky as it glistened with stars. Just like earth's skies. Only in this place, ancient beasts existed. And this quest served so much challenged for her and had her almost lose her companion. This can't happen again. She might have been safe from harm because she had the chance to conjure a spell but for Jihn, this task is clearly a suicide. She can't have someone innocent to be killed in this crazy task. She was indeed unprepared and understudy of these beasts and her ignorance led both of them in danger.

With a decision in mind, she pushed herself up and stared at Jihn's sleeping face briefly before she mumbled a spell.

"Goodbye, Jihn. Thank you for assisting me." she said and left him there with comfortable cloaked that covered him.

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Jihn bolted up with sudden adrenaline coursing his body and the darkness of the surrounding greeted him. He recalled how the Hydra had got hold of him before he can get away. Ofcourse he can fight fair and square with Hydra on his true form. However, the urge of not revealing himself to her was so strong that he can't believe he was willing to die rather than seeing her horrified expression when his true form will display before her.

He stood up while reaching to his chest, feeling how it still pained him there.

"Daira?" he called out in the silence of the surrounding. He had no idea if she was ever safe after Hydra resurfaced. Remembering that, he panicked and ran to where she stood before. "Daira!" he called out again.

Jihn thrashed everywhere but saw no traces of the woman. He dared to step into the waters wanting to check if the dragon was still there. The splashing of the waters disturbed the night and yet Jihn had dived underwater. With his beast's eyes, he saw hydra gone back to sleep. He resurfaced once again and was about to look for her again when he noticed the sparkling bottle in the cloak he discarded. He ran towards it and it chimed as he picked it up.