Chapter Three

Haolin observed as the humans carefully carried their injured companion into his village. His claws tapping the earth were the only thing to express his agitation which he self-soothed by closing his eyes and letting the darkness take him. As the whispers they utter fade into the back of his mind Haolin felt the drowsiness within himself appearing once more. It was familiar like a lullaby only sang for him. 'My poor Haolin...' The woman's weak call, the usual sleepiness that came with the voice pulled him deeper into a fretless sleep. As the hands grasped his consciousness, Haolin faintly heard her call to him one more time mournfully. 'Haolin.' Shao Dai Lu surveyed her surroundings with a complicated light within her mono-tone eyes.

Her lips pursed tightly, she regarded the large hole the silver king rested within with conflict. How long has he been here? With the sun as her guide, Shao Dai Lu took in the ancient ruins belting them and the dragon's resting place as the center in a stifled manner. She could sense it easier now that she had somewhat calmed down and was in the midst of the storm. This dwelling...it was a ghastly, lonely, and haunting place. The sinking feeling in her stomach wasn't wrong.

This grove is heavy with both human resentment and loss, yet it was the resting place of one of the most mighty kings in all of history. Despite the danger the beast gave off, why did it want to protect the grove where humans once lived? It was her first time seeing such an intelligent dragon, actually, he was the first dragon she had ever seen in person. But, he was also very different from what they had been warned about. His eyes held wisdom and awareness that she never expected. Hao Feng also expressed astonishment and bafflement. It wasn't like their instructor would lie to them. For centuries, dragons were recorded as vicious and catastrophic beasts that killed everything in sight. Rare as they were, if a dragon was around then the chances of a crude graveyard filled with thousands of human remains was bound to be nearby too. That was what the history books told them.

She had trusted her instincts and avoided the area, yet even after they had crossed into his grove he hardly spared them a glance before leaving. Not to mention this village, there had been no records of humans and beasts living in harmony. So why would he be reluctant to leave this broken-down place that no one inhabited anymore? The dragons their instructor told them about were all recorded as beasts with nothing but destruction and mayhem in mind. Not wise and tolerant. Dai Lu was only gambling that he would understand and allow them passage.

Were the history books wrong? As she rested on the sidelines while Hao Feng who was more proficient at the arts than herself treated her brother. She had time to ponder their situation more clearly after realizing her twin would be fine. He was badly injured, but he wouldn't die. As long as she and Hao Feng kept at it, Dai Ling would be able to recover. But the problem now lay in their time limit, they were supposed to make it to the capital in three months and achieve results before then.

How could they achieve anything with Dai Ling in critical condition and stranded within a nameless valley? If they didn't return within the time given, the academy would send a search party but they would be automatically disqualified for failing the task their instructor gave. The blood and hide of a high-classed beast, elite-classed jade, or the advancement in the arts at a rating of three stars. Hurting the deity that helped them was out of the question, they would die if they showed even a hint of aggression. Not to mention, he had saved them. Shao Dai Lu bit her lip and tried to calculate the distance they could travel once her brother had fully recovered in his communicator. A digital map of their surrounding area appears before her, she almost grimaces when reminded of the intimidating walls surrounding them.

"Your brother is sleeping after the treatment, but he's expended a lot of energy and can't keep his consciousness for long." Dai Lu turned to Hao Feng, uttering a quiet thanks for his efforts. "Thank you, for coming back to save my brother with me." Hao Feng waves her thanks away, just as they did when he thanked them the night before. His suit was torn and ragged, and since he had helped in carrying Dai Ling the whole way he was also covered in dried blood.

Hao Feng lowers his head and finally smells himself, his nose wrinkling because of the stench he gave off. Looking around the ruins helplessly, he asks out loud seemingly unable to stand his dirtiness any longer. "There's got to be a well around here, right? Although I'm not a stickler for being clean, this level of dirtiness is honestly unbearable." Shao Dai Lu pondered his question. She wavered again, before standing up and making her way toward the hole where the silver king was resting and had yet to awaken.

Seeming to sense her intentions, Hao Feng's heart was rattled and he made to stop her with wide eyes. "Wait Miss Shao-" However she moved faster than he anticipated slipping out of reach meters from the hole, he didn't dare to overstep and held his breath. Shit-! I take it all back! These siblings really are crazy!! Haolin's heavy eyelids twitched. Nostrils flaring he lazily lifted an eyelid and spotted a familiar indecisive, and nervous human at the top of his trench. "Sir deity?"

She calls out softly as if scared to anger him, the silver king opens one eye and cooly gazes back at her. Seeing as he didn't seem too upset with her for waking him, the butterflies in her stomach finally settled as well as the suspicions within her heart. He...doesn't seem to be hostile toward humans. If Haolin heard her thoughts and the label of "Kind Deity" he received from her. He would have snorted with derision and labeled the woman as delusional. Dai Lu seeing she had gotten his attention softly asks the sleepy dragon for the location of a water source.

Confident that a beast that had once lived amongst humans must understand human language. True to her assumption, after hearing her question Haolin eyed the human's dirty and messy appearance slowly before snorting. Her ears grew a light red, and the fierce woman under the dragon's scrutiny seemed to become just another normal young woman who was ashamed of her continuous requests for assistance. Haolin did not disdain her for too long, and while making to get comfortable again his long silver tail expertly flung a rock out of the hole toward the direction of the nearest well. A bit startled by the rock being tossed out. She blinked once at the dragon who closed his eyes again before hesitantly following the direction the rock was tossed in.

When she was starting to doubt if she read the dragon right, she came across an old well and expressed a bit of surprise. Her hardened features softened, and she couldn't help the tiny smile that arose afterward. He really deserved to be called a deity. Haolin listlessly opened his eyes a tad bit and spotted the smile before the woman hid it. "..." Lowering his heavy eyelids he allows the ghosts to lull him to sleep. Haolin dreamed of children laughing, of the world burning.

He dreamed of his father for the first time in awhile, his arms outstretched and face full of horror as he was tossed from harm's way. The large boulder flew high and fell from the sky..before relentlessly landing on his father splattering the world in red. He remembers the war, the harsh winter, and the small group of people who looked up to him for guidance. Their eyes filled with tears that mixed with blood as they fell down the faces of dozens of his people. The dragon's ear flicks the tiniest bit "-deity? Are you awake?" Haolin's bronze eyes slowly open themselves under the persistent and annoying whispering above him. It was that human again. With her calls, Haolin caught a scent he hadn't smelt in a long time.

The aroma of roasting meat, his stomach which seemed to have forgotten hunger after his eventual transformation into an immortal dragon lightly rolled. He was slightly dazed by this smell as faint memories of a human that seemed so close yet out of reach came to mind. However, they were interrupted by a feminine hand that reached further into his abode holding an offering. Her eyes held a bit less fear than this morning, she had stopped trembling at least. Haolin eyes her puny offering that, to him, could barely be considered a snack. Not understanding her gestures or intentions. Shao Dai Lu also felt her offering was a bit embarrassing, however, pushing her black hair behind her ears.

She still crouched at the edge of his trench, holding on tightly to the gift for the deity who seemed to do nothing but sleep. "Since I was the only one who got any sleep last night I offered to hunt something for my group. My brother needs proper nutrition to be able to recover his energy." Shao Dai Lu, even if she was afraid of Haolin still had a bit of a temper herself and was unsure of how to speak before the intelligent dragon. Her wavering eyes hint at her inner embarrassment and frustration because of her own awkwardness. "Anyway, this was the only way I knew how to thank you for letting us stay here." Unexpectedly, the danger in her stomach had long gone away after spending half the day with the dragon nearby.

He never made a move to chase them out of his village. This ease became even more apparent after he generously sent her in the direction of the well. Haolin observed her sleepily for a few more seconds before closing his eyes not even lifting his head. "..." Dai Lu felt a bit of disappointment. But taking another glimpse at the abandoned and broken-down village around them she felt more upset for the silver king than anger towards him for rejecting her gift. Haolin ignored her. Listening to the woman walk away with the roasted rabbit she came with without another word.

Dai Lu and Hao Feng traded duties for the next few days. The young man still had trouble sleeping especially after the events that occurred just a few hours ago. But after being awake for several hours in a row he eventually crashed like a plane that had run out of fuel and broke its rusty wings. After waking from his slumber once although it was uncomfortable, it was easier to fall asleep the second time. Dai Ling didn't get a fever. Once Hao Feng helped clean him up they kept a flame by his side at all times watching his condition for any signs of worsening.

When he finally stabilized, Dai Lu and Hao Feng both gave exhausted sighs of relief. Although Dai Ling ate most of the meat and familiar veggies they collected after wandering around the edges of the grove. The grove was surprisingly abundant in small game that would otherwise be hard to find. Dai Lu had suspicions it was because of the ever-slumbering deity protecting the area. Haolin came in and out of sleep, occasionally he would be woken by Dai Lu who carried a variety of roasted rabbits, pheasants, doves, and anything else she would find during the day. However, despite her efforts to show gratitude.

Those offerings would one hundred percent of the time end up in her own stomach or Hao Feng's. Haolin didn't drive her or her party away, nor expressed any interest in them unless she asked for something and he would flick another rock or pebble in a general direction. Dai Lu, on a particularly lovely day, sat on the lip of the trench and just quietly observed Haolin as he slept. Neither calling out to him nor going away. The fear she at one time felt had turned into curiosity. Seeming not to care if she continued to stare at him or not, the silver king slumbered in peace.

"Don't you get bored of sleeping every day, sir deity?" Haolin reluctantly lifted an eyelid when she finally spoke but didn't do much else besides this. Dai Lu pulled up her left knee and rested her chin on her arm as she fearlessly peered back into his handsome bronze eye. The silence between the two wasn't stifling, but filled with a clean serenity Haolin wasn't used to sharing with another person. Her sharp grey eyes which would usually pull into a stern angle around Hao Feng or other people were softer around him. He didn't know if it was because she thought he really was a beast who knew a bit of human tongue. Or if she was just tired of pulling a face all the time.

"You're so strong, can't you escape from those old chains with your strength alone?" Both of Haolin's eyes opened and a hint of irritability appeared in his heart after she asked this. Not expecting the dragon to raise his head Dai Lu was a bit startled and jerked upright. He wouldn't be mad enough to hurt me, right? A bit apprehensive about this Dai Lu leans back a bit. But contrary to her first thought, the silver king coldly blew smoke into her face causing her beautiful face to crinkle. Only then, did Haolin feel a smidgen of satisfaction in his heart. Unbeknownst to himself an emotion besides disdain finally entered his bronze gaze. "*CoughCough!" Trying to wave the smoke he conjured into her face away Dai Lu's eyes turn a bit red and also fill with anger because of his actions.

"You-!" However, a puff of smoke may seem small to him but was a lot for the weak human. Dai Lu aggravatedly covers her mouth and nose glaring at the smug king. After the satisfaction of teaching her a lesson passes, Haolin leans over again. Dai Lu, thinking he was going to repeat his actions made to stand up and run. Yet, he did something that wasn't within her calculations again. The silver king blew a cool wind at her clearing the air around her evoking a look of surprise from the woman who thought she was being driven away.

Haolin ignored her look of surprise and after seeing she was alright, rested his head on top of his claws to continue his slumber. "..." Dai Lu's bewilderment evolves into conflict. However, even if she was even more curious about the dragon's past she smartly kept her mouth shut and took back her place at the edge of his nest.