An Unexpected Encounter
I was running.
Running for my life.
Running from someone.
I couldn't tell who it was.
I turned a corner.
Dead end.
The mysterious figure caught up to me.
They pulled out a dagger.
It gleamed in the moonlight.
They pinned me to the wall.
Locks of porcelain hair fell over their sapphire eyes as they mercilessly plunged the dagger deep into my pounding heart.
I fell to the floor.
I woke up gasping for air, beads of sweat clinging to my forehead. It's been 8 years since I've dreamt about that mysterious figure.
They always twisted my sense of reality and were awfully spine-chilling.
As I got ready for work, I checked the time. Surprisingly, it was early so I decided to walk on the beach to clear my head. Before I left, I checked myself in the mirror.
Gracefully, I put my long, white, angelic hair in a side parting and a matching outfit of white and gold dress that was left with me on someone's doorstep. My parents abandoned me when I was young because they couldn't afford to raise me.
Tragic I know.
But I don't want your sympathy.
My shoes had little angel wings on the back that gracefully swished whenever I walked, which earned me plenty of strange looks but I didn't care.
When I was born, my birth parents abandoned me and left me on a doorstep, and a mysterious outfit was left with me.
I was an ill child and thy didn't have the money.
Simple as that.
The kind people that lived there took me in and I enjoyed living with them.
Since it was the only outfit I had, I wore it every day and whenever it got dirty, the dirt would disappear like it was never there in the first place.
But this was not the only unusual thing about it. Strangely, it also stretched. Every time I grew, it grew with me and I've just lived with it.
Since I had no money growing up, I just had to deal with it but that all changed when I was 17 since I got a job as a waitress and, when I had saved up enough, I bought adorable golden angel hair clips and a cute golden star necklace.
That's what everyone called me.
An angel.
You would probably expect me to have golden eyes, right?
But no.
My eyes were called wolf eyes.
And they were very rare to be born with which made everyone adore me more. They were a mixture of blue, green, and grey that sparkled in the sunlight full of unexplored ocean.
I now make enough money from my veterinary job to pay the rising bills. I have always wanted to work with animals ever since I was young.
My life was a dream.
Confidently, I strutted out of the painted door, locking it behind me, and slid into my clean, white car. It was a smooth ride to the beach since there were barely any cars on the road.
When I arrived, I got there in time for the sunrise and it was worth it!
The sun was stretching its arms past the horizon to sit on the faint cotton candy-coloured clouds, greeting the world with crimsons, roses, aqua blues, and golden yellows.
I decided to get my feet wet so I sat there on the golden sand, my angelic snow-coloured hair fluttering in the calm, summer breeze.
As the waves lapped at my tanned skin, I shivered in delight. I glanced up at the sunrise and was instantly hypnotised by the beautiful colours. The golden sun was refracting its beautiful colours onto the cerulean sapphire sea, making it look like a forest of colour.
It's fascinating to witness the bright warm sun rising out of the vast calm sea.
A slightly bigger wave washed over my legs gently snapping me out of my daze. I checked the time on my watch.
7:30!
I was going to be late!
Rapidly, I dusted the sand off of my feet, put my shoes back on and grabbed my bag.
Suddenly, just when I was about to leave, a cloth was pulled over my eyes, blinding my vision. I started to panic and threw my hands all over the place, trying to escape the stranger's vice-like grip but they were too strong.
I was quickly dragged away from the water's edge.
'What if this is the person from my nightmares!?' I thought, terrified.
I kept trying to break the stranger's grip and scream for help but there was no one around to hear me. I was thrown into the front of a hard, metal truck and we instantly started moving.
"W-what do you want with m-me?!" I cried out, trying to sound confident but my voice betrayed me and quivered.
"Quiet over there!" The Masked Stranger retorted and banged on what I guessed was a divider.
It fell with a loud thud.
"Don't you recognise me?"
"No, because all I can see is the inside of a cloth."
"Shut your smart mouth, woman."
As he begrudgingly started to walk over, another vociferous noise echoed throughout the truck.
Something was outside!
Metal screeched as it was forced open against its will, the door collapsing straight off its rusty hinges.
Of course these idiots couldn't afford a new truck.
"Oi who the hell are you? Wait a minute, you're-"
The sickening sound of fist meeting skull resonated through the vehicle before the unfamiliar sound of a body collapsing echoed against the worn metal.
Footsteps became louder and louder.
Faster than lightning, the cloth got whipped off my head.
Then, at that moment, I saw the most mesmerising eyes I had ever seen in my entire life!
His eyes were a deep amethyst.
They looked like an endless cave of riches.
I could get lost in his eyes forever.
The man looked about my age (21) and his hair was a gorgeous dirty blonde; it was plaited perfectly and sat over his left shoulder, reaching down to his rock-hard abs that were shaped vividly under his plain wine red vest top. He wore a jet black leather jacket and tight ink-black ripped jeans. He also had the most perfect eyelashes and freckles under his beautiful eyes.
It was like he was a man from heaven!
Finally, I had met my match.
Suddenly, I noticed 2 vulgar things that protruded from above his tanned forehead.
Horns.
I noticed 2 peak-like things, purple ragged and huge, extending from his spine.
Wings.
I noticed 2 sets of jagged spikes trailing down this protuberance however strangely lacking hostility.
Tail.
In that instant, all my dreams had been crushed.
When I saw his added features, I shrunk back immediately.
"Hey, It's alright. I won't hurt you." The man gently said.
"B-but you have horns and wings like a dragon! How can I trust you?" I replied shrinking back even further.
"I have a tail too, dumbarse."
Shit.
There was a moment of silence as I tried to take it in.
My thoughts were racing.
When did dragons start to exist?
According to ancient tales, dragons were known for their trickery and how cunning they were.
I had to be careful.
Thankfully, I wasn't someone who could be shaken that easily.
It's just a dragon in a world of humans.
All good.
Right?
"Just let me untie you." I looked at him suspiciously and he took it as a sign to continue untying me.
He looked at me with wide eyes.
"Wait a minute, Ultymia?" He asked anxiously, but I didn't know the answer.
Nor did the man.
"What?" I asked puzzled. 'What was an Ultymia?' I thought confused.
"Forget it. Come this way." Said the Mystery Hero, jumping out of the truck door.
I was unsure at first, but when he stuck his head back through the door, I followed him just to get away from that truck.
As we went down bustling streets and quiet alleyways, I had a question lingering in my mind but when I tried to voice it only the sound of silence echoed between us.
Suddenly, tears sprang in my eyes. I blinked hard, making them disappear. I tried to ask the question again and my voice obeyed me.
"Why was I kidnapped?" I demanded.
"You were part of our community until the Zodiacs erased your memories." Said the man smoothly.
"Zodiacs? As in birth signs?" I asked confused.
"Never mind. Follow me."
I stopped walking and the words burst out of my mouth like strident music from a colossal speaker.
"I'm not going anywhere with you! I was just kidnapped! What do you expect me to do? Go with a stranger to a place I have no clue if it even exists?"
"Your caution is a great start, but if I wanted to harm you I would have already done so. We just want to keep you safe. I want to keep you safe."
"Fine!" I stubbornly retorted as we started walking again.
"Now will you explain to me what you mean by 'losing my memories' and what an 'Ultymia' is, please?" I asked politely but in a stern tone as I regained my composure.
"l'll do that later. Come this way." Said The Mystery Hero.
"What's your name?" I instructed, completely ignoring what he suggested.
"My name is Nero, I am your personal guardian, the dragon spirit." Nero said proudly.
"I'm Zavia." Since I had calmed down, I stuck my hand out in greeting.
He warmly shook it.
I felt this unusually strange feeling building up inside me, almost telling me to actually trust this creature of trickery.
Why should I?
Dragons were known for being greedy liers.
Not friends.
But this feeling kept nagging, like a flame growing into a raging fire.
Eventually, I sighed and caved in.
"Well, let's get to this safe place of yours," I stated desiring to get away from these alleyways.
"There's no need," Nero replied.
"What do you mean?" I asked confused.
"Do you trust me?"
I gave him a weak glare as if to say 'are you serious', causing him to laugh deeply.
"Close your eyes."
Close my eyes? Why should I?
For all I know this dragon could be an accomplice of the kidnapper.
I had read about these.
The main offender kidnaps the victim and their second accomplice intervenes pretending to be a hero. They take the victim far away from the crime scene and the main offender meets them there etc.
But if this was all staged then would Nero really knock out his accomplice?
It would be stupid if he did.
As I hesitantly closed my eyes, he shifted next to me and gently took hold of my hand.
The touch of his soft hand sent a shiver down my spine.
No! Stop it!
Dragons are also known to be flirts and playboys!
I kept my eyes firmly shut.
Suddenly, a tingling sensation coursed through my veins filling me with anticipation and a dazzling light blinded my vision as it enveloped us.
'Where am I being taken too?'
