"A... A..." Ava pointed overhead while the dragon's body cast a shadow over an area of several square meters.
The soldiers didn't seem surprised at all. They watched the dragon vigilantly, as if communicating with it, and released their hands from their sword hilts. And oddly enough—Ava only noticed it now—the captain had let go of her the moment the gigantic creature had appeared.
The dragon let out a bone-chilling roar that made the earth tremble and echoed across the hilly landscape. Ava covered one ear with her free hand, pressing the other against her shoulder. As she did so, she didn'ttake her eyes off the monster for a second, holding the strange find pressed to her chest and ready to jump aside immediately should it breathe fire.
The dragon roared loudly and the soldiers saluted as if it had given them an order. Ava could swear it had something against her. Not a problem. She would just leave, all of this had just been one giant misunderstanding. Slowly, so as not to provoke it, she walked backwards, but the guards noticed.
"Stop!" The soldiers immediately tightened the circle and made to grab her again, whereupon the dragon roared once more. It was loud and aggressive, probably about to breathe fire and kill them all any moment.
As the guards' eyes shot skyward, Ava's heart pounded in her throat. Once again, the voice echoed in her head.
"Please protect me. Hide me in your bag!"
She didn't know what was happening, but this voice touched her heart. It was connected to the warmth inside her and crept into her soul like a child's cry for help. She had no choice, no matter what trouble it might bring her.
Quickly, she wrapped her scarf around the stone, stuffed it into her handbag, and placed her leather jacket over it. When the soldiers turned their gaze away from the dragon, her hands were empty.
"Where's the stone? Give it to us!" The captain stepped closer threateningly and raised his hand to strike, but another guard held him back.
"The dragon wants us to let her go."
"But I don't answer to him, I answer to our king."
Ava didn't move an inch and kept her eyes fixed on the beast. The dragon sized up the men with its snow-white shimmering eyes. It beat its wide wingspowerfully and descended lower, a deep growl escaping its maw.
The soldiers exchanged alarmed glances while Ava went stock still. If it spewed a jet of fire now, that would have been the end of her life. And the men's lives as well.
Mortal fear gripped her as the soldiers argued. The leader hesitated, but the second one nudged his arm.
"You can't seriously want to take it on!"
The captain eyed Ava with narrowed eyes, pointing his finger at her. His eyes sparked with anger. "I'll remember your face."
Now they wanted to let her go?
Panic was starting to paralyze her and kept her from taking a single step. What if the soldiers were wrong and the dragon just wanted for her to move a few meters to the side so it could incinerate her?
The soldier who wanted to comply with the dragon's wishes stepped decisively in front of the captain and nodded condescendingly to Ava. "You may pass." He didn't sound friendly, though.
The other three grumbled, but in the face of the massive dragon, they dared not object. They held their swords and lances tightly, as if waiting for the dragon to fly away. If Ava wanted to escape them, she had to seize the opportunity now, even though the dragon's snow-white flashing eyes still rested on her.
Was it friend or foe?
She looked up at the dragon, who made no move to attack her, and dared to take the first step towards home. But the dragon growled again, and it was probably meant for her since she was the only one who had moved. Damn! Did he want her to go in the other direction? Towards the city?
Slowly, she took a step in the opposite direction, though her legs felt like jelly. This time it remained silent, probably because she was doing what it wanted. Which hopefully meant it would let her live.
Her heart was pounding so hard it seemed to beat against her ribs. She glanced warily at the men. The soldiers watched her every move with eagle eyes but didn't stop her.
Why had the dragon intervened? Was she to be its dinner? That was a thought that didn't appeal to her at all.
"Quick, go, before they ask for me again,"the child-like voice sounded in her head.
Now it was official. It was the shimmering find that was speaking to her. What did that say about her mental state?
Despite her doubts and mortal fear, she walked towards the city. The soldiers watched her with a mixture of hostility and tension, as if just waiting for the dragon to disappear. But it remained a constant shadow above her as she climbed the next hill and the one after that, making constant progress towards the medieval city.
Tensely, she looked up at the giant body of the dragon above her, but it paid no attention to her, keeping its gaze fixed on the border guards and beating its wide wings steadily. She quickened her steps. She would have liked to sprint away, but she dared not make any too sudden movements. Who knew how the dragon would react?
