Chapter 13 - Bait
'This sky looks eerily familiar,' Liana thought, twisting her hair in her index finger.
She had been lying on that water bed for hours. The liquid moving, and shaping, adjusting to her curves. It felt quite good, like a massage therapy,she thought.
"Damn. I feel like an old hag!" Liana complained as her bone cracked as she tried sitting up on that bed. "Is that smoke?"
There was a whirlpool of white smoke at the center of the room. She learned to have a better look.
"It does look like smoke, but it has no smell."
Liana sniffed the air like a dog.
The smoke spiral upwards, reaching where the ceiling should have been instead of the sky.
It glowed in broad daylight. Reddish yellow, like a neon light.
"HUMAN! "
It roared.
"Ahhh! Why does it talk like Draco? Is he playing some trick?"
Liana rolled her eyes as the smoke took the shape of a creature. It had big eyes, a bigger tail, huge scaly wings and body, along with clawed limbs.
"HOLY SHIT! A REAL DRAGON!"
Liana stared at the creature as realization struck.
"DRACO? IS THAT YOU? IN YOUR TRUE FORM?"
"THE INCOMPETENT DRACO MUST HAVE GIVEN YOU TOO MUCH LEAVE FOR YOU TO ADDRESS A DRAGON LORD BY NAME!"
It roared.
"So it isn't Draco!" Liana murmured, scratching her head.
"YOU SEEM TOO WEAK TO BE EVEN A HUMAN BRIDE. WHAT DID DRACO SEE IN YOU TO CHOOSE YOU AS HIS MATE! "
The voice of the creature rumbled around the room even though its tone had sublimated a little bit.
Mate? Me? Wait. Wait. Wait. You got it all wrong Mr. Dragon."
But the creature continued without paying any attention to the words she just spoke.
"I HEARD YOU FOSTERED OUR PRINCE? ARE YOU NOT INTRIGUED ABOUT HIS WHEREABOUTS? "
Liana thought she caught a hint of smirk as it finished its question.
"Why should I? Dra..., I mean his father said he was well taken care of. Besides this is this kingdom. His true home."
"THEN YOU MUST HAVE NO IDEA HOW HIS BIOLOGICAL MOTHER WAS KILLED TRYING TO GIVE BIRTH TO HIM. YOU MUST EVEN BE UNAWARE OF HOW RELUCTANT OUR KING WAS WITH THE WHOLE SITUATION. " Liana was not stupid. She could easily make out there was something brewing in all these speeches.
"Do you know where he is then? Can you tell me how he is?"
She decided to play on.
" OF COURSE I CAN. BUT WOULD IT NOT BE BETTER IF YOU COULD SEE FOR YOURSELF?"
It asked just like the evil Jinn from Aladdin, as far as Liana could remember.
"Is that possible?"
"OF COURSE. IF YOU AGREE, I CAN LEAD THE WAY."
Liana wanted to see the end of it. Where and what this creature was leading her to. It clearly was in antipathy with the ruling King.
She nodded to show her consent.
"GOOD. I CAN GIVE YOU A RIDE. COME HOLD ONTO ME."
The creature lowered its wings and bent under Liana, like a camel hunched to load its ride.
Liana stepped over it with her right foot, then flipped the other around what looked like it's scaled shoulder and neck.
It felt like she was sitting on a cushion, inspired by its spiky appearance. Perhaps it was due to the gaseous form. She wasn't very familiar with their nature.
The creature slithered its way from under the doorway. Liana was sure she would get crushed but somehow she too had taken the characteristics of the ride she had mounted.
It made its way through gigantic Hallways. Majestic and grand. It had sophisticated engravings everywhere which Liana wanted to stop and admire.
She passed what seemed like a long corridor. Though too big to be described as one. It had lanterns of different shapes hanging in different levels and a hooded veiled lady seemed to be standing and staring. They then passed what looked like some swampy drainage. Too unworthy of being in such a grand place. It smelled and stink like something dead was rotting inside.
Liana held her breath as they crossed that part. Her heart suddenly felt trepidation.
Slight hint of sweat formed in her forehead. She quickly wiped it, unwilling to let the creature know her fear.
Soon they were in another set of Hallways. The creature jerked to a stop as it reached a spot.
"YOU NEED TO WALK INSIDE FROM HERE. "
"Why? Are you not coming as well? "
Liana asked knowing full well it was hiding something, but she acted on as she was doing.
"GO FIND THE PRINCE INSIDE. I WILL BE WAITING HERE."
It was a command more than a favor.
"Why is that so? Maybe you are not allowed to get in there? Tell me who you are. Why did you really bring me here? What are your true motives with my Damian? Did you take me for a total fool? "
"HOW DARE YOU? YOU SULTRY LITTLE BITCH. DO THINK FUCKING WITH THE DRAGON LORD GIVES YOU THE AUTHORITY TO TALK TO A MIGHTY DRAGON LIKE ME, LIKE THIS. "
It slashed its tail at Liana in rage. She ducked, but was too slow. Liana saw the red flames reach her like a bolt. She crossed her hands against her face just in a reflex.
"BANG! BOOM! "
Liana slowly opened her eyes, to check the damage. But what met her eyes was Draco standing in his God like avatar in front of her, shielding. He had the tail of the creature in its hand. Its eyes burnt further with red hot rage with a sprinkle of
utter terror.
"COME ON. I had been waiting for you a lot."
Draco smiled in his malicious way.
"So you had it all planned with this whore.I should have thought why else would you bring back a piece of trash to your kingdom."
Suddenly the grandeur in its voice was gone. As if it resigned in front of Draco's splendor. But it still leered.
Draco's expression changed.
"LUCIAN STOP IT. IT'S GOING TO SELF EXPLODE."
Draco yelled his command at another white speck in the sky, approaching fast like a heavenly comment in their direction.