Nusantara: Taming a Dragon ✔

Made for me

Merry Christmas again, darlings! Hope you all had lots of fun with your family for the holidays, ate lots of delicious food and got all the presents you wished for. And now, we're getting ready for a new year! I thought I'd give you, lovelies, another chapter before the year is out.

So I'll stop ranting and just wish you guys a Happy New Year (a bit early, I know). Hope to see you all happy and healthy in 2019! Cheers~ ( ˘ ³˘)❤

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By the time the young Komodo had returned to Mitra's side, Aleera was still clinging tightly to him as though she was afraid he would run away. He would have liked nothing better than to assure her that there was nowhere he would have wanted to be, but there with her... yet that would have to wait. This was neither the time nor the place to give in to his urge of comforting her.

Swallowing his concerned questions, Mitra now led the way back towards Loma village; hopefully Tamara had gotten there by now with the other women, children and elders of Digdaya, and they were preparing to empty the village and make for the secret shelter they had used during the war against the Komodos. It was imperative that Aleera joined them, although he knew there was a possibility that Reksa would want to take her to his village where, if his theory was correct, she would have been safer than anywhere else on the island.

Upon arrival in Loma he was pleased to see the warriors gathered there, helping the villagers prepare to leave their homes once more. And yet his heart cringed; this attack had come at the worst possible moment. Their ranks had thinned after the final battle against the Komodos... and there was no guarantee that Silva would come to their aid. Yes, they were at peace now, but like any good Chief he could choose to keep his village a secret and avoid conflict altogether.

For a moment his troubles vanished when Tamara ran out to greet them and joyfully leaped in his arms; and they promptly returned in full force when she turned her concerned gaze to Reksa and the young woman in his arms only to realize Aleera had fallen asleep on the way back.

"Is she alright?"

"She's fine, just a little rattled." the Komodo nodded.

"Thank God..." the female sighed in relief.

"Are the villagers ready to move out?" Mitra asked.

"Granny Sukma says it'll take some more time... earliest we can leave is dawn."

"That might be too late."

Kissing her forehead, he went into the village with the intention of seeking Yuda out and getting a report on the situation, leaving Tamara to gesture for Reksa to follow her.

"How did you even know to go there?"

"Let's just say the Goddess loves her." the Komodo retorted, his eyes moving to the sleeping girl in his grasp.

Nodding in understanding, she now smiled softly when Reksa unintentionally leaned his cheek against the redhead's forehead.

"It looks like the Goddess isn't the only one who feels that way." she goaded him.

His annoyed glare made her stifle a giggle; even in the dim lights of the torches they passed she could still tell when his cheeks turned red.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of. I'm happy that you were able to open up to her. You deserve to have someone who loves you for just being you, just as much as anyone else here."

Silent for a moment, the young warrior merely returned his gaze ahead to the path they were walking.

"That doesn't change the fact that she refused me." he finally replied.