In Love with the Dragon - Chapter 2

Dollie was more drunk than Qila when the club closed at three in the morning. She drove the car. The others had disappeared by pairs.

"You're home, Dollie." Qila shook her head when Dollie lolled. She carried her over her shoulder.

"Ooh, not so rough, please..." Dollie moaned aloud.

"Sorry," Qila muttered and winced when she bumped Dollie's head against the wall. "Sorry," she said again.

"My head, oh...!"

She dropped Dollie carefully onto the bed. She took off the shoes and pull the sheet over the motionless body.

"Goodbye, Dollie," Qila murmured before turning away.

Dollie was pretty and voluptuous when she was made-up and dressed-to-kill. When she was worse for wear due to drunkenness, her appeal disappeared. Her age was obvious. Around fortyish. Her belly was bulging. Her breasts sagged. She was overweight.

If not for Qila's toned body, she would not be able to carry Dollie.

Qila's desire to explore a relationship with a woman was diminishing fast. She was not made to take care of anyone. Maybe, she was sexless. Maybe, she was one of those who lived and died alone...

She hailed a taxi. She was still thinking about her non-existent sexual desire until she got home.

"House, I'm home," she greeted her attic flat tiredly. She was deeply depressed. The skies were beginning to turn pink, purple, and yellow. It was Sunday.

She fell flat on the bed and slept fitfully. Her closed eyes were moving rapidly from left to right, and vice versa.

Qila was dreaming. She was walking in a cave. She knew where she was going even though it was the first time she went inside. It was dark but she kept moving forward until she reached the belly of the cave.

The stalactites and stalagmites were illuminated by a giant ember. There was a red-hot light from within.

Her footsteps slowed down. She inhaled the smell of burning sage leaves and grass-like smoke. She hid behind a stalagmite and peeped inside.

The smoldering glow came from a dragon!

Qila was standing by the mouth of the dragon's lair. She instinctively knew the dragon was a 'he.'

He had red eyes. His mouth was wide. His moustache long and pointy. His nostrils were flared and breathing smoke. He was dawdling in a pool of fire.

When he noticed her, he squinted his eyes and stared at her.

They gaped at each other for many seconds. Qila was awestruck to see a real dragon.

"Do you believe in me? I am the fire-dragon!"

Qila was startled when she heard a voice. A masculine voice that was very deep and rich.

"Where are you?" She looked at all dark corners of the cave.

"I am here in front of you!" The dragon shifted towards her. He flapped his wings. He grinned at her. Or, at least, he showed all rows of his serrated teeth.

Qila did not move back as hot air touched her face. She gazed at the dragon with fascination.

"Are you real?" she whispered in wonder.

"What do you think?" The forked tongue slithered in and out of his mouth.

"I know I'm dreaming," she reasoned hesitantly. Her hand itched to finger his shiny scales.

"Are you sure you're dreaming?" he challenged her flirtatiously.

The woman in her responded unknowingly. Her heart was beating faster. Her blood hastened along her veins. Her body moved towards him inadvertently.

"Yes. No..." she replied huskily. She wanted to touch his spinal nodes on his back. She had an inexplicable desire to kiss him...

But how...?

One moment, the dragon was staring at her. In a blink of an eye, the serpent-like creature was coiled on her body. Embracing her. Twisting around her loosely. She could feel his searing scaly body but her skin was not scalded. Her clothes faded one by one.

'Wait a minute... I am naked!'

Qila tried to hide herself. She folded her arms before her bare bosom. She had never felt so embarrassed.

"Why are you hiding yourself? You are beautiful!"

"I'm not flaunting myself to you!" she shouted throatily.

The dragon laughed vigorously. She had never heard anyone laughing that loud and that long.

'His lungs must be big!' she thought dazedly.

The forked tongue stroked her neck down to her cleavage provocatively. She was too stunned. She could not react. Her head went to one side.

"Mmm... you taste delicious!"

"A-are you going to eat me...?" Qila asked faintly. She was shaking with excitement--not fear!

"No, of course not!" The fierce eyes surveyed at her closely. "I will make love to you..." His voice lowered seductively. "And you will let me..."

"No..." She voiced her objection but her actions were contrary.

The lilting tone had a hypnotizing effect on her. Qila closed her eyes slowly. Her head drooped backwards to expose her neck. She could feel her long hair on her back.

When his tongue licked her skin again, all her bones in her body turned to jelly. Her knees began to fold. He twined his snake-like body closer. Her weight was supported by him as he nuzzled her smooth shoulder, neck, and bosom.

"D-don't..." She wanted to say, 'don't touch me,' but her voice had deserted her.

"Open your eyes," he commanded in his rumbling voice.

Her lids seemed to turn heavy like leads. She half-opened her eyes. Her pulse was quickening. Her blood became syrupy. The heartbeat was like a drum beating inside her body.

"Look at me..." he whispered to her soft skin. She was forced to allow his wandering tongue to anoint her everywhere.

"What...? Where...?" Qila was confused when she realized that a man was holding her. He was pushing her hair to expose her ear. He breathed hot air towards the shell-like shape as he put it inside his mouth. She shivered in reaction.

"I am the dragon."

She stared at him but his face was in blur. All she could see very clearly were the mouth and the chin.

He had thin lips. Cruel lips.

His square chin had a cleft in the middle. Stubborn chin.

The distance between their mouths was several inches. It was decreasing unhurriedly.

"I can't see your face..." she muttered plaintively. She was gasping as her hands pushed his wide shoulder and chest. Her lower body was pulled by his arms. Her belly could feel his burning hardness.

"You will see me at the right time," he murmured reassuringly.

"I don't know you!" Qila panted helplessly. She found her arms wrapped around his strong neck. Her hands cupped his head. Her fingers combed through his long hair.

She was more confused than before. Her body had a mind of its own!

"But your body does! I want you and you want me, too!"

"No, I don't--"

His open mouth caught the hazy statement and kissed her lips thoroughly. The air around them sizzled. They caressed themselves passionately. The scorching kiss proved his statement. His arms went around her waist and her hips to hold her tightly. She could feel his skin rubbing against her thighs and legs intensely.

There was an angry growl behind her. The deep kiss was cut short.

Qila looked behind numbly.

A wolf! A furiously snarling wolf!

She stared at the wolf with widening eyes. When he let go of her, she stepped backwards and hid her nakedness behind a large pointed rock.

"Oh, you again?" The man spoke to the wolf as though he was human. He had his arms akimbo. His pose was ready to knock back an attack. "You always choose the wrong time! Can't you see? I'm romancing a lady!"

The wolf roared in a frenzy. The sound was deafening.

"You want to fight? Then we fight!"

When the wolf attacked with bare fangs and sharp claws, the man shifted to become the dragon again.

Qila was staggered while she watched how high the wolf jumped. It was not an ordinary wolf. It was an alpha werewolf!

She winced when the werewolf scratched and scuffed the scaly neck of the dragon. The wounds from the pointed teeth were bleeding. The reptile blew fire due to pain. The werewolf flew off to the ground. He yelped as the scorching flame reached his tail.

"Awooooo!" the werewolf cried loud and long.

Qila's hands covered her ears but her eyes remained wide open.

The dragon licked his lacerations with his tongue.

"Awoooooo! Awoooooo!" One werewolf flew from nowhere and clutched onto the giant serpent. One by one, they appeared from the dark corners of the cave until there were a dozen werewolves grappling on the scaly body of the dragon.

Qila could not believe her own eyes. Her heart wanted to jump out of her throat. Her sympathy was with the dragon. He was only one while the werewolves were so many.

A loud cry was emitted by the dragon.

"Dragon! Fight them! Fight!" she screamed piercingly.

The dragon looked at her then bellowed in a rage.

"Run! Run fast!" the sonorous voice instructed.

Qila obeyed blindly and unthinkingly. She paused by the wide mouth of the inner cave and took a quick look when she heard the werewolves cried in unison, 'Awwwoooooo!'

She gasped at the scene she had witnessed. The great dragon was flying above the werewolves from the ground. His mouth and nostrils were blowing red fire to the enemies.

The werewolves ran to different directions until there was none.

"We will meet again," the dragon promised to Qila. "Be ready!"

Qila felt her body quiver as the dragon faded from her view.