The Priestess and the Dragon (Dragon Saga Book 1, Wattpad Version)

Chapter Thirty Six

They continued their climb the next day. Other than a few playful jibes, there was no talk of Suzume’s disappearance. Suzume was withdrawn most the day, but no one seemed to notice or care for that matter. Her sullen silences were nothing new. The climb was difficult and even the immortals struggled over boulders and slippery slopes. The side of the mountain was steep looking up made Suzume’s head spin. The sky, gray and bleak reeled overhead. Her poorly placed foot sent a cascade of loose gravel rolling down the hill. The stones were craggy and tall, Kaito had to give her a leg up over one, assistance that she resented. Tsuki helped Rin by grabbing her arm and pulling her up over a particularly large boulder, with a smooth surface.

Suzume did her best to keep up with them and reduce the complaining to a minimum, because she could never really stop complaining all together. It was midday when they stopped for a rest, mostly for Suzume’s benefit. She sat on a oblong boulder which made for a convenient seat and took a swig of water out of her water skin.

Kaito paced back and forth restlessly. Suzume watched him. The muscles beneath his clothes rippled with tension. Tsuki was in control of the body he shared with his sister, and when he saw Suzume watching Kaito he smirked at her. She looked away at the last moment, but the damage was done. She was going to hear about this later she was sure of it. That is, if there is a later. If I get Kazue’s heart and harness her power, then I’ll be back at the White Palace this time tomorrow. Just the thought brought a smile to her face.

“If you have enough energy to smile, then I think we best head out again,” Kaito announced. The tension in his body had transforming his normally smiling face. There were white lines circling his mouth from his jaw being clenched shut.

Suzume scowled at him. She knew Kaito was on edge but she could not help but argue. “What? Are you trying to kill me? How much further is this place.? If we go any higher, we’ll be in the kingdom of the eight.” It was an exageration of course, the eight’s holy kingdom was only reachable in the afterlife.

Rin snickered at Suzume’s joke and when Kaito shot her a look the smile wiped away from her face.

“I would not want your highness to grow tired. Should I carry you on my back?” Kaito turned his back to her as he squatted down, as if he were offering up a piggy back ride.

She scoffed. “I would rather not. I’d probably erupt into flames again.”

“We wouldn’t want that, now would we?” Tsuki said with a smirk.

She glared at him as well.

“Its just a bit further, come, Suzume, I’ll carry you if you like. And I promise you won’t burst into flames if you touch me, at least not any visible part of you.” He did not wait for her answer and instead went to go swoop Suzume off her feet. She screeched as her feet left the ground and she kicked and swung at Tsuki who was laughing uproariously.

“Put me dow—” she could not even finish her sentence before Kaito plucked her from Tsuki’s grasp and planted her back on her own two feet.

“You’re capable of walking.” He said. His tone was tense. All trace of humor from before were wiped away. Suzume opened her mouth to explain but clamped it down again. I don’t owe him an apology just because he thinks I belong to him. I am no man’s property. Suzume brushed off her robes and said to the ground, “I’m ready to go if everyone is done horsing around.”

Kaito had started walking already. She looked up as he walked away. Tsuki was still standing next to her.

“He’s a bit dense,” Tsuki said.

Suzume looked at him from the corner of her eye. “What do you mean?”

Tsuki laughed. “Nothing really.” He swung his arms behind his head and clasped his fingers against his neck. He whistled as he followed after Kaito.