I'll be the one to save you
Chen Yu was walking leisurely in the red light district. Except for the disastrous fight that ended in a crushing defeat for him and his fellow soldiers of the Lysanian Kingdom, it was his first time in the Imperial capital of Selnan. He felt so refreshed to, at last, be able to go out by himself and he had been eager to go sight-seeing as soon as Xian left.
The capital was still bustling in the middle of the night and Chen Yu had felt relieved. Traveling with Xian had been pleasant with a few blissful moments, and at the same time the Lysanian had been restless most of the time. He had to admit that he was exhausted and it was not only due to a lack of sleep. True enough, it had not been easy for him to sleep so close to his friend. Xian never seemed to notice any awkward situation but Chen Yu had been overly conscious of them all.
It had taken a great deal of willpower to maintain the correct distance between them and to suppress any inappropriate impulse. Xian greatly valued their friendship and Chen Yu didn't want to destroy their close relationship. He couldn't help but want to protect and cherish the younger boy, even though he knew all too well that Xian didn't need any protection and had little use for Chen Yu's affection.
On the other hand, Chen Yu had constantly been on the knife's edge trying to suppress his budding feelings for the oblivious Xian. Being by himself was now a real relief and a torment at the same time. He already missed his friend, he also worried about him since he knew he was up to something dangerous, as usual. Would he be alright with his magic powers leaking so much that they made him glow even in broad daylight ? His reckless behavior was both frightening and endearing. Chen Yu's mind was in a mess and it was all the more unnerving because he couldn't stop thinking about Xian.
Chen Yu shuddered. This obsession of his was really becoming creepy. Maybe he simply needed to relieve some tension and this was the reason why the very first destination of his tour had been the well-known and praised tourist attraction called "red-light district". His aim was, obviously, to visit a brothel.
At first, he only wanted to have a look at the girls. It was a good and cheap way to steer his mind away from his infatuation. And, as expected, he was still attracted to women. The main drawback was that now he wanted more. He felt a healthy urge in his crotch and realized that it had been a long time since he had relieved himself. Of course, it had been impossible when Xian had been with him during their trip but most of all, he felt it was inappropriate and could possibly be dangerous. What if he ended up masturbating to Xian or having wet dreams about him. How humiliating would that be ?
Abstinence had never been his forte but he was used to it. In his remote village in Lysania, there had been very few comely girls and of course their numerous suitors had been wealthier, stronger or smarter than poor him. His first time had been with the rather old and chubby wife of the baker, out of pity on her part. No hooker would live in such a dirt poor place so far away in the boonies. After he left, he had constantly been in dire need of money. Being broke didn't help and he couldn't find any girl. At least, if he himself had been handsome, women wouldn't have minded taking him in but unfortunately, even at his best, he was only average.
Before leaving, Xian had left a small amount of money and the expensive horse. Chen Yu had never been so financially comfortable before. Of course, he wanted to keep the money and the horse, one never knew what might happen. However, the temptation seemed about to get the better of his willpower. He desperately needed to blow off some steam and chose to enter the cheapest and ugliest brothel.
It was not his first time in such a place but it was definitely awkward to be stared at when choosing a girl. It looked like he was the one doing the appraising but in reality all the women, the old owner included, were sizing him up, evaluating both his own physique and the weight of his purse. The place was not overly lavish, it was located in an isolated part of the red light district and at first glance it didn't seem all too clean and well-maintained.
The male prostitutes seemed utterly bored, they didn't even bother to look at the loud drunkards sitting at the bar. The patrons in the secluded boudoir with the girls were old and scarce. The dim light couldn't hide the worn out and stained furnishing and the stale smell, a mix of cheap and heady perfume, powder and other unspeakable substances, was almost nauseating. Chen Yu felt embarrassed and averted his eyes. He just wanted to be out of here and suppressed the urge to turn tail. He really missed the open air and Xian's innocent, genuine and carefree smile.
Out of patience, he chose the youngest girl with long blond hair. Even though she wasn't recommended as a virgin, she could be said to be pretty and was probably expensive. Chen Yu heaved a sigh while following the girl upstairs. He was both relieved to be out of the boudoir and out of the scrutiny of these greedy prostitutes, and worried about money. Afterwards, he would, without a doubt, be broke once again. Well, at least he would treat himself to a well-deserved release.
However, luck – or maybe fate ? – would have none of it. He didn't even get to lie on the bed. In the small and dark room, while he was still seated in an armchair with the girl between his legs, sitting on the floor, trying to pleasure him with her mouth, a man burst in the room, visibly shaken. Both Chen Yu and the girl were startled and Chen Yu felt the most heartfelt gratitude for the girl's skills and composure because even in this situation, with his member still in her mouth, her teeth didn't so much as graze him.
The man's face was livid and he just grabbed the girl and carried her outside. Chen Yu was shocked but didn't waste his time. Straightening his pants, he went downstairs to see what happened and, eventually, complain. However, the whole house was in an uproar. Half-dressed girls were gathering their belongings and as many items as they could carry, whereas the patrons were fleeing in a hurry. Apparently, they didn't so much fear for their lives as they worried about their properties, whether it be material goods, their tools of trade, their house or their families.
From the front door and all the rooms with their windows on the facade, a huge fire could be seen in the direction of the Imperial Palace. The Great Mage's tower was surrounded with tall flames and bolts of lightning could be seen from afar, as far as the red light district. Supernatural lights were dancing on the tower, a clear sign that the most powerful shield had been activated. Runes of every colors brightly lit the dark sky and a giant shadow could be seen, hovering over the entire palace.
Chen Yu and most of the onlookers could easily guess what was hidden in the darkness. A huge dragon, without a doubt. Chen Yu had often glimpsed the dragons of Lysania flying high in the sky. However, it was his first time seeing such an enormous beast and it was attacking the capital of Selnan. What the Hell was happening ? This was the question that could be read on all the incredulous and bewildered faces.
The Lysanian soldier, however, had a slightly better understanding than most citizens in Selnan. Dragons were proud and intelligent creatures, they even ruled over an entire kingdom. According to their place of birth, they would be born with an affinity for a magic element, either fire or water but it could as well be earth or another. However, they couldn't grow this big with only one element and this was the reason why all the mages of the kingdom of Lysania were sent to the forbidden city where they would carefully nurture the younglings with every kind of magic elements. Basically, the dragons needed the human mages to grow strong.
The dragons of Lysania were, in essence, selfish and aloof, even the fire dragons which were rather hot-tempered beasts. They would never debase themselves with slaughtering a city full of humans. Killing mages was too much of a hassle and a waste of resources to them, and normal humans were barely more than ants. They would rather order their armies of human soldiers to wage war or send punitive raids.
To find a dragon attacking by himself the capital of a supposedly friendly nation was an incomprehensible and frightening anomaly. However, Chen Yu, like any other human in the city, could only think of survival. He could only hope Xian was safe and the horse as well. The teachings painstakingly drilled during his training in Lysania took control of his body.
Almost in spite of himself, he rushed to organize a chain to put out the nearest fire with buckets of water while mages were busy protecting the area with barriers or fighting the dragon. A water mage would have been so much more useful and efficient, however no such mage could be found with time to spare. In Lysania, the soldiers were often used as firefighters since all mages were monopolized by the dragons. So Chen Yu was used to this and acted mostly on reflex.
Then, in a snap and without rhyme or reason, the dragon left. The people and the mages were flabbergasted, they had been in the heat of a deadly fight and the next moment everything had ended. The only remaining proof of the battle was the ruined city still ablaze.
Instinctively, Chen Yu raised his head to look at the departing dragon. The oddities kept piling up and he couldn't help but worry. Even though he knew it was unwise, reckless and utterly mad, he ran as fast as he could in the ravaged streets and over the rumbles to fetch his horse. Out of breath, he didn't even bother to wonder why the blond girl that had been servicing him in the brothel was now dressed like a man with a sword at her hips and following him.
Without a word, she forcefully snatched the reins of nearby horse, stealing it shamelessly and they both left the city in a hurry. Chen Yu gritted his teeth. Just what was he doing ? He barely knew how to sit on a horse and was a total newbie at guiding his mount using the reins. Thankfully, the girl seemed to fare far better than him. She took the reins of his horse and both mounts smoothly started to gallop. It seemed there was more to this girl than meets the eye.
Chen Yu felt tense. He had galloped before on his way to the capital but Xian had always been with him, on the same horse. Without anything but the saddle to hold on to, Chen Yu had a hard time maintaining his balance while his horse was galloping flat out. Although he was grateful to the girl for her help, he was still cursing inwardly her lack of consideration. Not to mention his aching bottom, every single muscle of his felt sore. No doubt he would be unable to sit or walk for a while.
As he was lamenting over his various misfortunes, the sun rose higher in the sky. Now they could clearly see the huge dragon. An impressive sight, indeed. His large wings seemed to barely move but each time it beat its wings, the distance increased greatly between the horses and the dragon. Chen Yu, as well as his horse, was almost at his limit when he caught a glimpse at a tiny spot of light moving very fast. On closer look, the dragon seemed to follow, or pursue, this light and the color and shine of this specific spot was strangely familiar to Chen Yu.
Filled with dread, all traces of fatigue vanished from Chen Yu's body. He urged his horse onward and the girl shot a surprised glance in his direction but Chen Yu didn't care. A foreboding feeling made his blood curdle. This familiar light could only be Xian. Ever since the young boy healed him and during their journey to the Imperial capital, Chen Yu had been bathed in this blinding light. He would never forget this glow or mistake it with anything else. The dragon was chasing after Xian and this time, Chen Yu would be the one to save his friend.