…Unire…

…oo2: Sheraga…

Sheraga. It was a unique and beautiful name. I half-wondered if it was his real name but I knew that dragons never introduce themselves with their true names. Yet, there was something not quite right about this dragon…

…He felt too human.

But Rafael was already talking to Sheraga. “That is my dear, sweet girl Blair. She’s the one you’re working with.”

Those cold eyes turned to me and I almost stiffened. I have a feeling my job would be very awkward from now on… for me, anyway.

To my surprise, he actually gave a polite bow. “It is a pleasure, Miss Blair.”

“Just Blair, please,” I quickly told him. I don’t remember being this awed since I met Keiran…

Could Sheraga be in Keiran’s level?

But I doubted it. No… Keiran is definitely more powerful.

Yet there is something about this one…

“We still have to finish our discussion, Keiran,” Rafael announced as he walked towards the door.

But Keiran didn’t budge from his place. “I think we can do it here, Master Michelangelo.”

Rafael stopped himself from stepping out through the door. He then closed it and walked towards a round table.

“Then here, perhaps?”

Keiran didn’t answer for a moment but he moved slowly, deliberately, gracefully towards the table. The way he moves is always hypnotic. He glanced at me before sitting from across Rafael.

Maybe they were going to discuss the reason why Keiran was gone for half a year. Well, he is an ambassador to harmony between humans and dragons. That is the reason why he is in Unire. Humans are unaware that dragons still exist. After all, if they did, wouldn’t you see them around? After all, they’re too big to hide.

But despite their size, humans are actually very adept at killing. Many dragons – those not powerful enough to take on human shape – were destroyed. Almost all of the dragons in existence now can shape-shift. After all, survival of the fittest, is it not?

I know that Keiran is the same age as Hiranga. They are merely children as dragons yet they are more powerful than many who are much older than they are. If they shape-shifted to their human forms with an age parallel to their dragon age, they would be only about twelve years old, if not younger. That was how I met Keiran. He had the form of a twelve-year old boy while I was merely four years old. He still retained his twelve-year old form even when I was ten.

It was after that he began aging like humans do.

Hiranga and the others followed his example. By others I mean the dragons that are the same age as Keiran and Hiranga. They’re like Keiran’s groupie only they’d get really annoyed if anyone dared to point that out. Most of them are Western and Northern Dragons though more Eastern and Southern Dragons are joining as they enter Unire, such as Hiranga.

Northern Dragons are more muscled and heavily-built than Western Dragons with broader muzzles. They also lacked the crown and their spikes are triangular instead of the Western Dragons’ sharp, pointier, claw-like spikes. The biggest difference is that while Western Dragons have four limbs, Northern Dragons either have two or six.

Eastern Dragons are basically like Chinese Dragons. They are wingless, their bodies serpentine and they possess a mane and horns.

Now, Western Dragons and Eastern Dragons didn’t get along. The same goes for Northern and Southern. Why? The Western Dragons scoff at the Eastern Dragons for having no wings. The Northern Dragons scoffed at the Southern Dragons for having no limbs. I am not exactly clear on this but the Western Dragons and Northern Dragons taunted the other two for being “snakes”. Now, that is a great insult to dragons, especially to the Eastern and Southern Dragons. I’m not sure why as I believe that snakes are beautiful and impressive creatures. They live through anything! Hot, cold, wet, dry, anything! But I’m not a dragon so what do I know? Hiranga once tried to explain something about snakes living crawling on their bellies while dragons soar the skies. I don’t really care.

Anyway, there was a great war between the dragons, which just helped decrease their numbers more. The Western and the Northern sided while the Southern and the Eastern sided – and it’s not difficult to see why. Even Keiran – who taught me all this – isn’t sure when this great war happened, only that he was born after it. So it must have been at least four thousand years ago.

But seeing as they would all be extinct if they continued, they had an uneasy truce. But it is only really now that they are becoming more friendly to each other. Of course, there are still some little spats but not to the degree of having another full scale war. I can only shiver at the thought of these great creatures fighting with everything they have with the world as it is now.

I always wondered… Was the world shaking during their time of war?

“What are you thinking of?”

Startled, I quickly looked up and saw Keiran looking at me with amused eyes. He was still seated in front of the round table but he had twisted around to look at me. “Uh… Um, nothing!”

How did I end up thinking about that much again?

Oh yes… Keiran.

Keiran smiled at me, that beautiful smile which made his eyes warmer and gentler. I adored that smile and it always made me smile back.

“You are forgetting your guest, little one,” he said gently. My eyes widened and I quickly looked back at Sheraga.

He had a blank look on his face. But I knew he was watching me the whole time I was thinking. How rude of me!

“I’m sorry Sheraga,” I said apologetically.

He stared at me for a while longer before shaking his head. “It doesn’t matter.”

An awkward pause. “Oh! Do you want to sit down?” I sat down on one of the velvet chairs to encourage him to follow.

He could have gone to the seat Keiran had vacated earlier since it was closest to him. But he stared at it before moving towards the one Rafael vacated. I raised my eyebrow at that.

I wasn’t sure what to talk about. Did he know what the rules are as to being a mediator or do I have to tell him myself? Where would he be staying? Would he be going to classes too?

But what came out of my mouth was, “Are you a dragon?”

Though it is a simple enough question, when that green gaze turned to me, I suddenly felt as though I asked the rudest question I could ever ask. That confused me.

What is it with this guy?

But his answer surprised me. “I thought you can tell with just one look.”

I frowned. I usually could. It was an ability Keiran’s brother, Paris, gave me along with his blood. But not with this one.

“I can’t with you,” I answered him truthfully.

He didn’t answer immediately. “I am a human.”

“That is not the whole truth,” I accused. He couldn’t be! He’s giving me all these dragon vibes!

But he’s giving me human vibes too.

Then a thought caught me.

I swallowed slowly. “Are you… Are you a hybrid?”

I always thought it was impossible. Keiran told me that it was but it was highly improbable. I have never met one before and I have met numerous dragons. I’ve never heard of any whom I’ve met who also ever mentioned the word ‘hybrid’.

A small, mocking smile touched Sheraga’s face. “I am glad to see that you are a sharp girl.”

So I’m right!

Suddenly, I was very excited. Excited enough to ignore the condescending smile he gave me.

“What dragon?” I asked eagerly. He gave me a wary look now.

“Eastern.”

Though the different dragons were given North, South, East and West as names, that did not necessarily mean that Eastern Dragons were only found in the East, Western Dragons only in the West, etc. Keiran explained that they were named that way because the majority was found in these directions. The majority can even mean 51 percent of that type of dragon.

I frowned at him. “I would have thought that an Eastern dragon-human hybrid would look more… Asian.”

He just smirked. “You would, wouldn’t you?”

This time, the humor actually reached his eyes so I let the implied insult go. I was starting to feel better about Sheraga.

“Will you be going to classes too?”

I bombarded him with questions, which he just answered patiently. He would be going to classes like me as Rafael gave him the same lecture he gave me. I also learned that’s he’s actually the same age as me! He’s not some old, ancient half-breed dragon. He also mentioned that he was aging physically naturally. He even told me that he got warned that he would stop aging physically at around his twenties or thirties. Sheraga is to stay at the boys’ dormitory a few meters from mine. Like me, he wouldn’t have a room mate to disturb whenever we had to take off.

But Sheraga wouldn’t tell me where he came from before Unire. I figured that since he wouldn’t answer that question, he wouldn’t answer any other question related to before now. But that was fine with me. After all, I have my own secrets.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and I automatically looked behind me. It was Keiran and he had a smile on his face.

“You seem energized compared to when you first came in,” he commented. I gave him a sheepish look. “I was told that you have not had proper sleep and that I only made it worse by wanting your presence.”

“Don’t take all the blame, Keiran,” Rafael said with a grin. “I wanted her here too so I could introduce her to Sheraga.” He placed a hand on Sheraga’s shoulder, which the half-dragon just ignored.

Keiran spoke again so I returned my haze to him. “I wish we could talk some more but you probably prefer sleep to talking so I shall take you back to your dormitory.”

I wanted to talk to him too… to ask him why he had to leave and why it took so long. But he was right. I wanted sleep more than anything else.

I stood up at the same time Sheraga did. I smiled at him.

“It was nice meeting you,” I said sincerely. “Believe me, I’m happy that I’ll be working with you.”

He only nodded. “Likewise.”

“Good night, Blair,” Rafael said, blowing me a kiss. “Sleep tight. I’ll tell your teachers you’ll be late tomorrow.”

I sighed in relief. “Thank you.” He just grinned

Rafael led Sheraga through a different door while Keiran took my hand in his and began leading me through the one I went through with Hiranga.

I was going to ask why everyone else left so suddenly but decided that I really didn’t want to know the answer that badly. So I just allowed Keiran to lead me through the hallways.

When I was four, I almost died. I don’t remember exactly how. All I knew was that life flowed out of me along with a river of blood. I was alone even though I couldn’t even see past my own blood.

“Little girl… Are you alive?”

That voice was calm yet curious. My cold, cold world suddenly became warmer while the darkness began dispersing with incoming light.

Then there he was, holding me…

Paris…

He healed my broken body and I was conscious through it all. Yet I felt no pain, only peace and serenity. But mending my damaged body was not enough.

I lost too much blood.

“Little girl, why did I find you?”

Paris returned my life by giving me his own blood. I do not know why he did it but all my four-year old mind cared about was that he was making everything better. It did not matter what his reason was, only that I was being pulled gently away from the arms of death.

“Little girl, you are alive.”

He took me to a small mansion. It was not his home.

“Keiran, this little girl is your new charge. You will teach her everything.”

Everything… Keiran taught me everything I know about dragons. He was also the one who patiently trained me on how to defend myself from such creatures.

For three years, I lived with the young Western Dragon. I learned a lot about him then… How he was respected despite his youth… how powerful he was… is. Not only that but powerful Paris is his brother – one of the most powerful of the Western Dragons, and all the dragons. If there was any dragon royalty, it would be Keiran and Paris’ clan. But Keiran, despite all his power – most of which are dormant – is still young. So those who are older still have some power over him. At the end of those three years was the second and last time I saw Paris.

“Unire will be your new home, my little girl… You are the instrument who will bridge the dragons with the changing times. You are my mediator.”

There are only whispers of Paris’ whereabouts now. Keiran is now the one shouldered with Unire. But he is still young.

I looked up at Keiran. I wonder if he met up with Paris in the six months he was gone…

Keiran is known to be the most powerful of the Western Dragons.

But that did not mean he could use all the power in his grasp.

We reached the roof. This roof had lights and a mark – it is an official landing site for dragons. However, it is meant to accommodate only one dragon.

Keiran opened his arms to me and I stepped into his embrace. Unlike Hiranga, Keiran did not have to lean forward to fly forward. He could do so in his human form standing vertically upright. Also, whenever he flew, it was as though wind was not present. The fact of the matter is that the wind around Keiran is like river water flowing past a boulder, only the wind didn’t touch him. Whenever Keiran flew me around, I also never feel how fast we are going.

Unlike Hiranga, he went directly to my room’s balcony. I didn’t have to worry about anyone seeing us since we were most likely invisible. As we touched down, Keiran kept an arm across my back, his hand on my waist. He is eight inches taller than me, only four inches short of being a foot taller than me. As we walked towards my door, it opened on its own. I know that I locked it before but for a dragon, unlocking and opening doors is a piece of cake.

I turned on the lights even though Keiran most likely didn’t need them. Well, I needed them.

My room is not small. I actually have a small kitchen and a bedroom, unlike some students who only have a room with a bed, a desk and a drawer.

“Do you want anything to drink?” I asked even though he probably didn’t. I was just being courteous.

Keiran shook his head. I really missed his long hair. He didn’t shave his hair or anything but compared to before, when it reached his waist, his dark hair barely went past his shoulders though they still framed his face. Not quite as much as before though.

“You should go to sleep, Blair,” he said softly. “You are tired. It is not healthy for you to stay up any longer.”

I excused myself and dressed in my pajamas. I was never shy with him when wearing them since he’s seen me in them ever since I was little. When I returned, he was sitting in my kitchen, studying the photos I posted up on the wall.

“Keiran?” I said questioningly. After taking me to my room, he usually just left straight after.

He got off the stool and walked towards me, graceful as always. He stopped less than an arm’s length away from me.

“Blair…” he hesitated. On a lesser person, I would have thought he was nervous. But nervous just didn’t suit Keiran. Finally, he sighed, as though saying, “How hard could it be?”

“May I stay here for tonight?”

I stared at him for a moment, surprised. The last time he asked to sleep with me was when I was nine years old. After that, he just never asked again…

…until now, that is.

Pushing aside the questions in my head as to why he was asking now, I took my hand in his.

“Of course you may, Keiran,” I said with a bright smile. I began leading him towards my bed.

I climbed in first before shifting and making room for him. Thank goodness I have a double bed! He pulled the covers over both of us before he wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me close, our foreheads almost touching.

“I missed you, my Blair,” he whispered, his eyes piercing into mine. Paris never called me by my name, only “little girl”.

It was Keiran who named me.

“You must hate your name,” he murmured. “It’s meaning does not match you.”

Blair meant ‘plain’. Keiran admitted that he did not know what the name meant until after he gave it to me (he is a dragon after all). After he found out, he regretted it but I kept it anyway because he gave it to me and it is the only name I will ever know.

He was right. I am anything but plain. Just the blood in my veins is far from making me plain.

“I don’t care about what the name means,” I told him. “I was happy when you gave it to me since I got to be called something else besides ‘little girl’.”

He chuckled and finally smiled again. “I should have searched for a name that means ‘precious one’ because that is what you are to me.”

I don’t know – and I think I’ll never know – what I did to gain the affections of such a beautiful, mighty dragon. I don’t know if he loves me but I know that he cares about me. I care about him too since he is family. Well, the only family I know. He basically raised me before entrusting me with Rafael Michelangelo, who gave me his name. I love Rafael too but Keiran is special.

Paris is special too. After all, he saved my life. I still remember the first and only time I saw his dragon form…

Nothing could compare to it and words can never describe how majestic it was.

Paris is a golden Western Dragon… the only one currently in existence.

I have always felt humbled that one such as him would give me some of his blood to preserve my life.

This is why I hate wasting my time.

Keiran caressed my cheek with the back of his fingers.

“Go to sleep, my precious Blair.”

I closed my eyes.

A/N: Another chappie done! YAY! Thanks for the reviews! I got more compared to the prologue! Please keep them coming!

Snow Wolf Alpha – My first reviewer again! This chapter is dedicated to you for being the first… again! HAHAHA! Now for your questions: Unire is the chosen city by the dragons, as I mentioned in the prologue and in this chapter. Humans are unaware that dragons still exist and they believe that they are still myth. As for Sheraga, this chapter also reveals what he is but of course, you can expect more mystery from him! Thanks for the long-ish review!

Tecna – Is this update fast enough? LOL! Well, I hope you’re still interested after this chapter! Thanks for reading and reviewing!

Mean Titan – Thanks for reading! I hope this update is fast enough! Cheers!

Symgeleta – Creative? Aww, shucks! Thanks! Blair technically has had only one life. She’s only calling it her second life as she believes that it is not actually hers since she was rescued, thus she believes that she owes her life to her rescuer. I hope this chapter makes things clearer! Thanks for reading and reviewing!

By the way, Hiranga's age changed in the first chapter. Please look back at it. I previously mentioned he was a thousand years old... Well, now it's 3-4 thousand. Cheers!