Crimson Eyes

Chapter 34

Eruhaben guided the three children to their room to rest, it's been a long day for them, specially for the tiny black dragon who had been learning magic from him non stop. It was the first time he had chosen to teach a dragon without asking for anything in return.

Eruhaben is the most respected Ancient Dragon in the continent, every dragon fears him. He was the most stunning, too, and everyone had high expectations for him. They had thought that he will be a Dragon Lord, the strongest dragon that exists.

The strongest of the Dragons are called the Dragon Lord. The existence considered to become a Dragon Lord is not something that is passed down through the family blood line, but it is determined by nature and the world. In order for the Lord to be acknowledge by other dragons as the Lord, the Lord needs to show enough strength and magic abilities. They are expected to have class and dignity, they are someone who are calm and acts the most rationally during calculated situations than anyone else.

The golden white dragon, Eruhaben, doesn't see himself as one.

He had a terrible temper and easily annoyed. In fact, when he was a young dragon he would always get in trouble since other dragons would always challenge him. And dragon never back down no matter who their enemies are. As Eruhaben grew older, he attracted different kinds of troubles and enemies. His existence was very threatening to all creatures.

However, as he reach the age of 300, he met a young man. He was very brave and talented in magic. The young man protected Eruhaben as he reach his final growth phase.

He still remember his first time meeting the man.

Eruhaben was wondering around the forest and under the warm afternoon, a man with jewelries all over his body sat in the shade of a giant automn tree feeding a goat. It was a very strange sight but Eruhaben was focusing on the man's gem stones. It was one of a kind.

Dragons love jewelries.

So he attacked the man without notice but the weird young man just blocked it with magic and grabbed Eruhaben's foot using the ground. The man was powerful but Eruhaben managed to give him a good beating.

They weren't friends, they weren't enemies either.

But they would often meet in forest by accident, and that continued the next and next and next day.

And one day, Eruhaben felt his vision turn fuzzy and his body started to heat up. It was the symptoms of a dragon going thru their growth phase.

The weird young man, who noticed the sudden changes dragged the haft-awake white dragon to a cave somewhere in the forest.

He took care of the dragon for days, until.

"A war broke out, I have to go. I'll be back, please wait for me Eruhaben." That was the last thing he heard after the burning pain prevented him from staying awake.
As he woke up, he was inside a cave. It was a giant fancy cave that has a giant villa and spectacular statue and there were symbols he couldn't understand engraved on them.

As he trace his finger on the engravings, he felt a light spark then he was suddenly teleported and found himself standing on the weird young man's usual spot.

He was thrown back into their meeting place by an unknown force. It wasn't magic as he could not feel any mana from it.

He started to wonder outside the forest and found out he has been sleeping for two long years, and a war broke out in those past two years.

"Everyone died, but we had managed to be victorious." A old lady explained as she smile happily at Eruhaben who had his hair and eyes dyed black.

He felt his world fall apart with the news. He looked for the weird young man, he looked everywhere. He was strong, it was impossible. There was hope.

Ten years.

He looked for the man for ten long years. But no trace of the young man was found.

He doesn't even know his name, his age, his family background or how he learned magic. Where he got his jewels, and why he smells like nature. They both never told anything about themselves. They would just talk about jewels and their travels.

All the white dragon knows was that his brown hair was fluffy, his orange eyes were warm, and that he smells like nature.

He searched the entire forest in those ten years looking for the cave again and again where the man had dragged him, hoping he's there waiting for him. He told him to wait.

'He must be waiting for me.'

But he never succeeded.

Then he met the strange red haired in the same spot where he used to meet the weird man.

Was it a coincidence? Did the Gods listened to his silent prayers? Was it fate?

Eruhaben buried those thoughts as he got to know the child.

He thought that maybe this time, it'll be different. This time, he can feel something again.

He had already forgotten the weird man's face and voice. There was no use in comparing the two human.

This time, Eruhaben let the child introduced himself. He didn't blocked what he said unlike how he did with the weird man.

He promised, this time, it'll be different.

Am I being selfish? He would always ask. Was it selfish to yearn for someone to care for? Was it foolish for a dragon to be attached to a human? Is it alright? Is it wrong? Would the Gods let me be happy after all the years?

Again, the Gods and Universe did not listened to his plea.

"You know, universe is such a bitch," he remembered telling the bloodied Clopeh Sekka. "... Ha... She feels like she's very important. She doesn't even listen, when you wish for something, she would give it to someone else and force you to believe that you don't deserve it."

Just like Eruhaben, Clopeh Sekka also ran away from reality as they had already lost hope.

The dragon already lost another human he cared for. He doesn't want to feel pain again.

He closed his eyes and let the hot tears trace it's way down to his cheek.

Two trembling cold hands captured his cheek and a warm lips kissed his away his tears.

"... Don't let the universe fool you. We might be looking at different skies, but you know... we're always looking at the same moon..."

'Yeah... I guess that's what matters...'