Chapter 83

~Calea~

The ground shook under her feet; she knew it wasn't an earthquake. The vibrations kept getting stronger. Beside her, Ryuu starts to growl, one she had never heard before, like that of a dog with its hackles raised. Ryuu pushes her back with his arm, "Go hide." 

"Ryuu, what's going on?" A booming roar interrupts her. It shakes loose stones and scatters small creatures, who dash under Calea's feet. Calea's body starts to shake; now she knows what is happening. To the side of her, she sees Kamari racing towards her. "Oh, thank goddess Kamari."

"Are you alright?" Kamari's gaze had no fear, but Calea's did; her eyes were wide, and her body was pin-straight and alert. She was still amazed that living like this didn't scare Kamari. "Yes," Calea says breathlessly, her hands in Kamaris'. Calea could smell wet stone as if she were in a cave, and it was getting stronger. "It would be best for us to get out of the way. Ryuu, come–"

"No."

Kamari halts, "No?" Then she marches up to Ryuu and grabs his face between her hands, "I know you've killed a serpent and brought back its head, but don't you dare be stupid right now." Calea hadn't seen Ryuu so worked up; his muscles were tense, his hands clenched. Ryuu's breathing is heavy; he reluctantly turns from Kamari and comes to my side, "Ryuu, it's okay." Calea placed a hand on Ryuu, but his attention was locked on where the roar had come from. Kamari comes to join them, and the soft squishing of grass and twigs behind Calea nearly makes her jump until she sees Koa. Calea places her hand on her hammering heart, "I hate when you do that," she says harshly. The man also snuck up on here, and it was unsettling. 

Koa doesn't look at Calea but wraps his arms around Kamari. Calea is confused by how little they are worried or scared. She starts to feel out of place, but that is because she is. She has never experienced anything like this before. She can't help but watch how Koa interacts with Kamari; he pulls her into his lap and nuzzles her neck. Kamari's head contentedly falls back on his chest. "Are you not fighting?" She asks him; Koa places his forehead on Kamari's, "No. I fought last time. This one is Nye's." Kamari lets out a long sigh, "Oh good goddess, I don't feel like being in the front row."

"Mmm, are you scared?" Koa asks, his voice low but with a hint of playfulness. "You know I'm not; I just don't have any blo—" Kamari stops herself and looks towards Calea; she clears her throat. "Um, Calea," she crawls towards her. Why don't we watch from a boulder or something, hm?" Calea double-blinks, "Were you about to say blood?" She asks, suddenly feeling sick to her stomach. "Well, these fights can get that way. Fighting over territory isn't something they take lightly. It, uh, pisses them off."

Calea says, "Then yes, I want to move to higher ground." Calea looks to Ryuu, who sits beside Koa; she assumes he wants to stay in front, but she can't. Kamari grabs her hand, and they climb on top of a boulder. Kamari pulled her knees to her chest; her demeanor was different here; it almost looked like she belonged. Calea smiled meekly; of course, Kamari did; she had never gotten the chance to be out like this, and when she finally did, it made sense. Calea remembered her mother talking so vividly about the outside world that she would tell Kamari these extravagant stories; she had a dramatic flare, twirling, crawling, and acting like she was the creature outside their stone walls. Kamari was always wide-eyed and in awe, a girl with wanderlust. Distracted by her thoughts, she nearly falls off the boulder as another roar comes from the skies: a massive black wyvern.

Kamari chuckles, "Show off." Kamari smiles as she watches Nye land on the ground, facing the forest. In mere seconds, the other dragon appears; his hefty size amazes Calea. It seems to have a round boulder-like tail. The dragon looked as if the Earth threw it up upon land. A dark brown color, dust when it shook its body, its roar was low, and vibrated the ground, not to mention the horns that stuck outwards. Nye hissed, slamming his tail on the ground like an agitated cat. "Oh, Blessed Goddess, I think I worry for Nye…" Calea never thought she'd say that, but the dragon looked armed to kill. 

"Dragons have underestimated him his whole life," Kamari says, her eyes sparkling as she looks down at him. "Let's just say it's made him a deadly fighter. Nye had a rough start in life; it's what he had to do to survive." Kamari cleared her throat, "Also, never tell him I told you that." Calea didn't think Nye had that kind of background; she honestly thought he was just a jerk to be one. However, she didn't have the best track record with them. Calea wondered why they didn't like her, not that she needed them to, but at least knowing would make it better for her. 

Calea watched as the two dragons circled each other, each seeking an opening; the Earth dragon struck first and swung its hefty tail; Nye was quick to dodge by leaping into the air; he sent a stream of fire across the land as if dividing the ground, smoke riddled the air. Calea and Kamari start coughing and waving their hands in front of their face, and for a moment, everything turns silent; Calea tries to peer through the smoke, but she can't see anything, then a roar followed by a nasty impact of flesh, and as the smoke cleared, Calea could see Nye, his sharp claws sunk into his opponent which was now on the ground, the other dragon was making noise as if in distress. Nye roars before biting off his head.

"O-Oh," Calea hides behind her hands, "Kamari, I think I'm going to be–" Calea throws up. She had seen some gruesome things, and she didn't know why this made her queasy. She feels Kamari rub her back, "It's alright, believe it or not, it was hard for me to get used to."

"Huh? You mean I have to get used to this?" 

Kamari nods, "Yes—your Ryuu's mate. Ryuu is a Dragon at heart. You see how he acted when I told him he couldn't fight. He wants to so badly, but there are some things he isn't ready for; he's fought in water. He has not fought on land. Koa has not taught him that. When you guys leave, you're going to see him this way. I'm not going to lie; sometimes, he'll scare you. Goddess knows it's happened to me, but it's easier when you learn their way of life and what they're used to." Calea looks at Kamari, "You are much more attuned to this, Kamari." For the first time, Calea saw Ryuu differently, a more primal nature, his natural state.

She wanted to be with Ryuu no matter what, and if this was what she had to do, then so be it. "Well, the carnage is over." Kamari slides down off the boulder and walks over towards Nye. Calea could see the bond between Kamari and her husbands, but she did notice Aneth had not spoken to Kamari in a while. She wanted to start somewhere to try and get along with them, seeing as she's in the pride now. Ryuu seemed occupied talking to Koa, so she took the chance, no matter how stupid. 

Aneth lay on shore; there was no sun, but the moonlight beamed down upon them, casting an ambient light. "Aneth?" she sits a reasonable distance away from him. "Are you well after the accident? I hoped my magic didn't cause you any aftereffects." Calea glances over at him. Aneth still has his eyes closed. She remains silent momentarily, then doubts if she should even try it. 

"I'm alive, aren't I?" Aneth finally says something, which, in Calea's case, is a win in her book. "Magic can have effects afterward, but they would have shown by now–"

"What's the real reason you've chosen to come to me, Calea?" He says with his eyes still closed, "I almost killed Ryuu, even if not myself. So, I suppose you have a good reason to interrupt my peace."

Calea's mind glitched. She didn't forget; it was just that she couldn't hold it over him, no matter how awful it was. Ryuu had told her not to blame Aneth. At first, she refused, but she knew no good would come from holding a grudge. "I suppose you have a point, but I must start somewhere…"

"Koa would rather bite my head off, and Nye, well, he'd probably do worse and make me suffer. I don't know what you would do, but I must do It." Calea looks over at Ryuu; his father writes with his finger in the sand. Ryuu watches intently; a stray hair falls from his face. She had never seen such a beautiful man, and she never doubted his love for her. "I'd do anything for him…" She says under her breath, feeling a warmth in her heart she never felt before.

Calea glances at Aneth and then double-takes when she sees him sitting up and looking down at her. She instinctively shrinks, "Oh, sorry. Have I said too much?"

Aneth looks from Calea to Ryuu. "You need to stay for a couple of days here. One is not enough. You are used to human ways. Ryuu has adapted to them. You will follow suit if you are true to what you say."

Her brows pinch together, startled that Aneth spoke to her in kind instead of insulting her, but she'd take. She nods, "I will do that." Aneth lays back down as if she never bothered him. 

Calea can't help but wear a goofy smile. Finally, she had made some progress with one of them, no matter how small.