You're The Only One - Prinxiety [COMPLETED]

Chapter Four: Dante

Virgil inhaled the crisp night air, watching as it condensed in front of him when he exhaled. He always enjoyed the way the temperature dropped at night. Without the sun beating down on his back, he could enjoy being out under the sky.

Stars twinkled above his head; they seemed to beckon him to come play. A small smile crossed his lips as he ducked his head. They would have to wait. He wouldn't be able to join them alone.

The trees were relatively thin on the edge of the castle grounds but the further you traveled into them, the more dense they became. It grew darker, the moon casting tall shadows on the ground before him. Though he used to be anxious about going into the forest at night, he'd learned to be comfortable in the dark. There was always more happening when the sun went down and he didn't want to miss out on it because he grew too anxious to step foot into the forest.

As he walked, Virgil's feet stirred fireflies that were resting in the foliage around them. He smiled more broadly at the comforting sight of their warm glow. Ahead of him, the stable boy could see moonlight shining more clearly, as though there were no trees to block it.

His steps slowed as he cautiously approached the clearing. His eyes carefully checked the treeline around him as his ears listened for the tiniest sound out of the ordinary. Hearing none, he stepped out into the clearing of deep green grass bathed in moonlight. He knew there was no turning back from this point. He had committed to this.

The trees swayed around him eerily as a chilly breeze flowed through them. It ruffled his hair and caused goosebumps to rise along his skin. Virgil looked around uneasily, feeling as though the air was charged with electricity.

A twig snapped to his right, making him tense and whip his head in that direction. He was tense and prepared for a fight as he approached the sound. "Who's there?" he called, voice not very loud despite the accusation in his tone. There was no response from the source and he inched closer. "I won't hurt you unless you give me a reason to do so..."

He was still for a moment, staring into the dark bushes. That's when he made out two large purple eyes in the shadows. He didn't have time to gasp before it lunged for him.

Virgil's back hit the grass as the beast's weight knocked him off of his feet. He felt the air leave his lungs forcefully as he made contact with the ground, wincing slightly. There were two heavy feet on his chest that were pinning him in place. His heart was racing against his rib cage as he looked up at the great beast.

It stared back with wide, glowing eyes and let out a low rumble from its throat. Its head came closer to his face and its mouth opened. The stable boy found himself closing his eyes. A puff of warm air hit his face, making him giggle a bit.

"Alright, alright, you win this round," he said, reaching up to push the dragon's head away. The dragon used its snout to swat the hands away as he nuzzled his chin and cheeks. This earned more giggles from him as the warm breath from the creature and the gentle grazing of his scales on his skin was tickling him. He tried to sit up and push him away again with a grin. "Dante! Come on!"

The dragon huffed as though he was laughing as he got off of him. Dante was a dragon of the sky striker kingdom, able to radiate electricity from his skin and fire it from his mouth as his primary weapon. He was a very rare class of dragon and was known only to a few as a Lightning Glider. His species wasn't easy to find, usually inhabiting mountain ranges too dangerous for even the bravest warriors, and they were incredibly dangerous in the wild. When their skin is electrified, it could kill a man with a single touch.

Dante was a beautiful dragon. Though smaller than other species, Lightning Gliders had large and powerful wings. They were strong enough to fly through hurricane level winds if they desired; wild ones often did, finding hurricanes very enjoyable to play in. Many Lightning Gliders were white, silver, blue, and black, but some of them held traces of purple, gold, and red. Dante was one of those that had been born with purple scales that shimmered among his black ones. On his underbelly, he had silver armor plated scales that protected him from attacks to one of the most common weak points of animals. Similar silver armor like scales could be found on the backs of his legs, protecting his ankles from being slashed open and preventing him from walking.

Virgil got up from the ground and dusted himself off as he approached his best friend. The dragon only passed his height barely when he raised his neck. He took his head into his hands and ran his fingers along his cheek scales, earning an affectionate coo from the beast. His snout was round and he didn't have any spikes along his spine. Lightning Gliders didn't need spikes to defend themselves considering their entire body was a weapon.

The stable boy's hands traveled along Dante's spine, petting him carefully as to not agitate him. He was sure to take his hands away as he reached his tail. Lightning Gliders' tails thinned out into whip-like shapes with flared tips. They were hyper sensitive and didn't appreciate being touched.

"Do you want to go for a flight?" he asked the dragon as he returned to petting his head. He ran his hands along his long ears, earning a happy rumbling sound from the beast. "It seems like it's going to rain tonight, which I know if your favorite time to fly."

Dante huffed in agreement and butted his hands away in excitement. He laughed and pulled the bag from his shoulder that contained the riding equipment they needed. He felt his own veins pulsing with excitement and adrenaline as he attached the saddle and reins to his best friend. Riding the dragons from the stables was fun, but nothing could compare to riding Dante.