The Summer I Met The Goblin King (ONC 2023)

Chapter Eight: Dragon's Be Dragon's

It wasn't that Meme liked JJ, far from, this lady dragon was an absolute lunatic which he had learned the hard way through their relationship. However, he did bring a human into her cave and needed to atone for his actions. If only JJ would stop looking at him with big eyes expecting some kind of romantic gesture.

JJ leaned into Meme as they walked past a tavern where a chair sailed through the window. "It's been too long since we've just walked together. It's romantic, don't you think?"

A human sailed past them, landing only a few feet away.

"Yes. . . Romantic while everything falls to chaos around us, that's definitely my ideal time, oh yes," Meme said, sarcasm dripping off of every word.

Either JJ was oblivious or she chose to ignore it because she did a little happy trot and went to the nearby pond. It didn't appear that there were much or any fish in the pond. They'd probably have to leave the city to find somewhere that hadn't been cleared out—not that Meme needed more time alone with this dragon. What if he slipped up and made her angrier rather than a peaceful solution?

JJ dipped her head in the water and splashed it all over her scales, then flicked her head back and forth. She turned to Meme and fluttered her eyelashes.

"Aren't you worried you're going to catch cold?" Meme walked up beside her and poked at the frigid water.

JJ licked his cheek.

"Has anyone ever told you how unsanitary and completely disgusting that is?" Meme rubbed at his cheek and put a distance between him and JJ.

It only took a second before she closed the distance and purred. Oh no, she thought this was a date. Then they'd get back together and Meme would be trapped forever with Miss CrazyPants. What was he going to do?

Make it the worst date ever so she never wants to see me again.

Leaning towards JJ, Meme 'accidentally' pushed her into the water.
"Oh no, you've been submerged." It came out monotone and completely suspicious. Meme would have to try harder at this bad date thing.

JJ leapt out of the water and shook herself off. "It's okay, just don't knock me in again—"

Meme slipped over a few stones and headbutted JJ, causing her to fall in again. That time had actually been an accident, but the fury on her face was worth it. The way she snarled and huffed smoke as she climbed over the side indicated that either this was working or that Meme would in fact die today.

"Let's go to the tavern, I'd rather order fish and drink from there than get dunked in this stinky water again," JJ stated, leaping away from the edge and trotting towards the tavern.

Meme hung back a little bit and nodded at the person who had been flung out earlier. They groaned in response.

Taverns were not a place Meme had ever liked and going to one with JJ made it that much less likable. Wasn't Sir Godly and Hella supposed to be hiring in the tavern by now? Unless they were still chasing that thief who stole the knights coins. Meme chuckled to himself, watching that knight trip over himself after a child was the highlight of entertainment. 'The best knight' indeed.

As the door swung open, Meme had to dunk to avoid a large bottle hitting him in the head. It shattered on the wall beside him. JJ was already at the bar, having climbed up onto a stool.

A fight was in full swing to the right, but the tavern owner paid it no mind and went about his work.

Meme climbed onto the stool beside JJ and reached over to knock her off. "Oh no, clumsy me."

JJ glared up at Meme. "Why do you keep doing that?"

"Doing what?" Meme asked innocently as he swished his tail and knocked over the drinks. "Oh no, not the drinks."

"Meme—" JJ spewed fire across the countertop. "I'm going to kill you!"

Immediately getting up, Meme plunged into the tavern fight, dodging the fire sent his way. This had been a bad idea. Making up to JJ? There was no making up to JJ, she was just crazy.

A hand grabbed him from behind and hoisted him into the air.

"Unhand me you vermin!" Meme cried, wiggling around. "Or I'll bite you, I'm poisonous."

The man he came to face laughed. His face was covered with some kind of armor, only showing his blue eyes. "Go ahead and try, dragon, I'm a beast handler, I have protection against such things."

Beast handler? Those were the sort to deal in illegal dragon trades among other intelligent creatures that shouldn't be sold off like puppies. Meme bit the man's gloved hand, only to find steel beneath. The poison from his fangs hissed but did no damage as it dripped off the man's arm.

"You're a rather pretty dragon, aren't you?" The man dropped him in a sack, making the world go dark around Meme. "You'll fetch quite the price."

Meme tore at the sack with his teeth. There was no way he was going to be sold by some crummy human. Nothing he did seemed to do anything. Until a wave of fire crashed over the bag and melted it.

JJ stared him down with a violent look in her eyes as Meme fell to the floor. "I'll give you five seconds to run."

Scrambling to his feet, Meme fled from the beast handler and his ex, avoiding fire and ropes. All he wanted to do was make peace! How did it turn into this disaster! Meme left the tavern behind, trying to locate his group. He could smell Hella's magic and followed after it into a forest. The trees behind him glowed a bright orange and the man still called for him.

All he had to do was make it back to the group. One of them would be able to help him out of this mess. That was when he came face to face with a frozen ogre. Meme yelped and stumbled back, straight into the beast handler's cage.

"Where's Meme?" Casey said from only a short distance away.

"He's not with you?" Hella asked. "I haven't seen him since he left with JJ."

"Help!" Meme cried, hoping they would hear him.

The flash of a sword swung, pinning the beast handler to a tree. "What are you doing with our dragon?"

"Your dragon? I didn't realize he belonged to anyone, honest," the beast handler said quickly as Sir Godly took out a knife and pointed it at him.

"Then unlock the cage sir, and be gone."

The beast handler did what he was requested just as JJ appeared over the hill.

Sir Godly and Meme looked at each other with the same idea in mind. Run.