"You could've mentioned that before we took flight," he said dryly.
Freya threw her arms up, frustratedly and still flustered "Oh, sorry! Between being abducted by a beast and displayed on stage like a fruit, tgenydangling thousands of feet in the air, I totally forgot to pack a snack!" Her sarcasm was pretty much alive and she hoped to be able to frustrate him to the extent that he'll change his mind and drop her ass
But if he was annoyed at her tone, he didn't show it. He didn't even respond right away, just stared at her with that infuriatingly calm look of his—the one that made her want to throw rocks at his perfectly symmetrical face. Then, without a word, he reached beside his chair and pulled out a small pouch. He tossed it at her feet, the leather thumping softly against the ground.
"Eat."
Freya blinked, suspiciously eyeing the leather satchel. "You're not gonna...poison me, right?"
"If I wanted you dead, little one," he said with a poker face, "id have done it a while ago ."
"Wow, really comforting"
Still, her hunger won the battle. She knelt and sniffed the pouch before opening it. Inside were flat pieces of brown dried meat, a chunk of dark bread, and what looked like berries...though it glowed faintly blue, which didn't exactly appeal to her.
"What's this?" she asked, holding up the glowing thing.
"Moonfruit. Restores energy."
"It glows."
"Yes."
"It's glowing."
He tilted his head slightly, his golden eyes narrowing. "Is that a problem?"
" Isnt it like.... going to.make my inside start glowing too?."
He huffed, which she suspected was his version of a laugh, and turned his gaze toward the dark starry sky. "Eat. You'll need your strength."
For what? she wanted to ask. But she decided she might not want the answer. Everything that was happening was against her will so she'll rather not know.
Instead, she bit into the bread which tasted a bit stiff and dense around the mouth but it was not awful.
Hesitantly, she hold the fruit between her thumb and index finger, swirling it around. She wasn't sure to eat it but she also at the same time wanted to taste it.
She threw it in her mouth, her teeth squishing the juice out.
It was sweet....oddly very sweet. The warmth that spread through her was almost instant, chasing away the chill in her bones. It was the exact type of fruit Maria would love to eat. She had a sweet tooth for things like this so she didn't get to eat much till she died...
Her heart pang painfully at the memory but she quickly try to get it off her mind, not wanting to break down in front of him. She wouldn't give him the pleasure of seeing her cry.
He stood up, stretching his long frame.
"You said we're in the Midlands?" she asked, chewing the last bit of bread.
He nodded. "The borderlands between mortal and draconic territory. Neutral ground. Only few dare to tread here."
"Yeah, I can see why." She glanced around at the landscape: The forest area lacked ' green' and that speak very much of it. The whole place looked burnt, with half trees that had burnt tops . She couldn't help but wondered what happened here"It's very… disturbing."
"Peaceful," he corrected.
"Sure," she muttered. "Let's go with that."
The dragon, Lulu, lifted it's head again, watching Freya with one massive, gleaming eye. Freya met the gaze, her heart hammering but her chin tilting up anyway. "What're you looking at?"
Lulu let out a low rumble, something between a purr and a warning growl, before lowering her head again with a sound that could only be described as...a sigh.
Her master smirked. "She finds you annoying."
"Well, it's not one sided."
He ignored her, walking toward the dragon's side and running a hand along it's scales. The creature leaned into his touch like an overgrown cat, and Freya felt a weird tug in her chest—a strange envy of how effortlessly he connected with something that terrified her.
Lulu closed her eyes then he turned back to her. "She is almost well rested. We'll move soon."
She was quiet for a while, the fact that this might be her last time on a mortal land sinking in her head. She didn't want to leave...she didn't want to be subject to a beast's call and order.
She took few steps back , her fear reigniting " I am not going with you".
His eyes darkened as all amusement seems to have wiped away from his face "You speak as though you have a choice."
"I do have a choice," she snapped, taking a step forward before instantly regretting it when Lulu's eye slit open again. "I just… haven't figured it out yet."
She could run when he and the dragon have fallen asleep...
The faintest curve touched his lips, as if he knew what was running through her mind. " If you run again, I can't guarantee what will happen to you . The Midland is not kind to human ."
Freya clenched her fists, glaring at him. Somewhere in the distance, a low howl echoed, making her pulse jumped.
"What was that?" she asked, the fear in her voice evident. She was subconsciously taking few steps closer to where he stood
"A reminder," he murmured. "That there are creatures worse than dragons out there "