The next day seemed to drag by at a snails pace. Vlik left once to go hunting for breakfast. There was something different about him. In a way he seemed so depressed... While We were eating the large stag he had caught I caught him staring at me with his eyes traveling up my body, when he got to my face with my questioning eyes he looked away, his body language suggesting he was embarrassed that I caught him doing it every now and then. Finally after what had seemed like the hundredth time he had done so I couldn't help it, he was starting to creep me out. I asked him, "What are you doing?"

He looked at me in a way that made him seem like a kid who knew they did something wrong. Instead of answering my question, he asked with one of his own, "Why is there an odd scar on your back?" Oh...he had to ask about that... My father told me that when I was young he accidentally knocked over an ax rack when I was toddling by, and I didn't realize what was happening so an blade cut my back open. For the strangest reason I have always thought that, that was an option of the story. The scar never felt like it was cut into me like he suggested, but rather like something was cut off...

Vlik was awaiting my answer, I hadn't realized I was thinking about his words for so long... "I don't know..." I replied softly. I was positioned in front of him, his tail warped around me, it would tighten every now and then as if he was making sure I was still there. It did so yet again and when I looked up at him, his eyes traveled to the ground. "Vlik?" I asked placing a hand gently on his tail. He looked up slightly, with somewhat sorrowful eyes. "Vlik, what's wrong?"

He looked away from me, his jaw moved but no sound came out... He appeared like he was trying desperately to let the words out. A moment later he sighed in defeat. "Nothing is wrong..." He murmured.

"Lier." I grumbled crossing my arms up at him.

He finally looked at me fully in the eyes. But his eyes, that one darn look that I can't figure out for the life of me and a whole bucketload of sadness were in them. "Natalia..." He spoke slowly, softly. "I-I want... I wish... What I mean is... I-I-I..." He sighed heavily again. "Never mind... Forget it." He laid his head on the ground dejectedly.

"V-Vlik please tell me what's wrong..!" He lifted his head slightly, then put it back down again. His sigh almost predictable, I felt a small prick in my eye.

"I can't t-t...I can't..." He shook he head, as if trying desperately to clear his thoughts. I was beyond confused, I was absolutely mortified by the dramatic change in my friend.

"Can't what?" I asked, he made no notation of realizing I was speaking to him anymore. "Vlik! Please tell me what is going on!" I exclaimed, he looked at me with such sadness and sorrow, tears sprang to my eyes. He looked like a terrified animal that was dying or a person losing the most important part of their life. "Vlik..." A single salty tear escaped my eye, "Please..." I begged. The tiny tear fell onto his tail. He looked then like he was debating the biggest and upmost important decision in his life.

"Natalia I... I went to the girl I liked, she-sh-she's leaving me... She's going away from me... She's probably never going to return... And I'm gonna miss her... I loved her..." He looked down... That no good little she-devil! How dare whoever she is for breaking my friends heart! Carefully I placed my small hand on his tail, to reassure him hopefully.

"Oh Vlik, I'm so sorry..." I murmured, he gave me a grateful look, gaining my courage I said, "Maybe if you tell me who she is and take me to her, I could convince her not to leave." I said it with such determination, such confidence I would have believed I could of.

He shook his head sadly, "You can't the... Townspeople keep me away from her..." I felt my heart swell in sadness for this creature extremely larger than my own size, the reason as of why confused me.

"Why didn't you just tell me..?" I asked slowly. He paused for a great while, before answering.

"Because i-it's ...my fault... I didn't tell her my feelings soon enough... She was in trouble and I didn't have the courage to face them for her... I was afraid that if I faced them for her... She would get hurt... Or what if I failed... She wouldn't want a failure in her life... I... Couldn't ... I wouldn't... Be able to live... With myself..." He looked so upset with himself, it wasn't his fault... At least I don't think so..?

Scooting out from my position encased in his tail, I dragged myself over to his forearm and placed a reassuring hand upon it. He stiffened to my touch as he looked down at me in surprise. The reaction vanished as he accepted my kindness with warm eyes, little did I know that this was going to be one of the last few times I saw his amber gaze.

.........................................................................................Later that day, Sunset

I was sitting in my usual spot... The last time I would ever sit there, he forced a smile and looked down at me. "Um, Natalia..." I looked up at him. "Would you like to go flying to a... Place... That I haven't shown you yet..." Ooh! Fun! I suddenly had begun to love the rush of the wind in my veins, I couldn't resist! I do believe I have become a adrenaline junkie.

"Yes please!" I exclaimed, nodding my head vigorously. A real smile, a small one, replaced his fake one. He seemed to stay put holding my eyes for a moment before carefully sliding his claws under me. I felt like I was flying already as a breeze blew into the cave, making my short hair blow softly in the wind. My heart racing in anticipation.

He jumped out of the cave and flew towards a certain point in the distance, the sun was steadily going down. But I didn't know as we crashed down about a hundred feet from a village in a clearing. I looked up at him with questioning eyes. He appeared to be trying to avoid my gaze as he carried us the rest of the distance through the trees.

Finally he broke the awkward silence between us. "Natalia I'm sorry but I'm... Leaving you in this village... It's for your own good." He sounded like he tried to be stern, but it came out more like croak. He's leaving me here..!

This cannot be happening! "What!!! No! Vlik please don't do this..!" I pleaded, my heart was pounding in my throat, my gut had sunk to my feet, I felt like I was going to puke at the taste of my own spit!

"I'm sorry. Here you will be safe from Jason. You shall stay here, you will be happier here..." What is he talking about!

"No! But I won't be happy here! I won't be happy without you..!" Oh no, here comes the waterworks, who cares! I'm being abandoned by my...friend. Suddenly that word feels...wrong.

He sighed. "I'm sorry Natalia but I've made up my mind. I must leave you here." I splayed my arms across his chest chest in a half-hug sobbing against him. As I felt myself crumble on the inside out, I could hear his heavy heartbeat picking up quickly. For what reason? I don't know...

"I won't leave you..." I mumbled.

"But I must leave you." He growled in his throat. We emerged from the trees into the town clearing and he set me down on the ground.

"Vlik..! No..! You promised!" I exclaimed trying to stand.

I fell back down, luckily he caught me setting me back down gently. "Yes and this is me keeping this promise." As he set me back on the ground, the townspeople spotted Vlik in the remainder of the sunlight. We heard a shout and people started to notice him, people started growing frantic and screamed at the sight of him, others started to grab swords, clubs, daggers, and pitchforks and let out battle cries. Vlik turned to me so much sadness filling his eyes... He opened his mouth and closed it again as if he was trying to speak but lost his voice in the process.

He tried again this time he spoke. "Natalia... I... I need to tell you... No I have to tell you... Nata..lia... I...I...I l... I lo..." He looked down and in a dragon whisper he said, " I'm sorry." He looked back up with an angry expression, he reared up and let out a roar. He held his wings out and jumped over top of me shedding dirt in my eyes. As soon as he touched the ground he roared even louder, sending some people running away, and the rest pausing for a split second in case he breathed fire. Vlik turned around and quickly with a great flap of his wings took off towards the mountain... I watched as he left, his wingbeats were sloppy as if he was pained... I guess he and I both feel the same way...

A stabbing pain entered my heart... I felt torn, shattered, in two... Incomplete.

I tried to get up and run after him, but no sooner than as I put pressure on my fractured leg, did I fall on my face. I didn't care, I crawled dragging my bad leg behind me. I felt pressure on me as something pushed me back on the ground.

"Stay down the devil might come back!" Said a gruff male voice overtop of me. A sharp intake of breath was heard behind me as more people started to see my broken leg. "Luke!" Said the voice overtop me. "Keep a lookout for that... Thing! I'm going to take this lass back to the wizards house!"

"On it!" Said a voice that must've been Luke's. I felt the guy turn me over and pick me up bridal style. I did nothing in reply, I didn't even struggle.

I didn't care...

I hung limply from the guys arms as he carried me through his town, I felt eyes on me and heard murmurs but didn't even acknowledge them. I just focused on trying to figure out why Vlik was acting the way he was. Was it all just an act? Was he pretending to be my friend? Was he really sad or was he faking? Did he just get rid of me to get out of having to fight Jason? Who did he like? What was he stuttering about? Did he really go see the girl he liked? Or was that another lie? Why on earth was he looking me up and down? Why did he leave me here? Who would break a great guys heart like Vlik's? Why was he kind to me the past few days? Why did he leave me here? Why would he break his promise like this?

A headache had already formed in my head, but I didn't care as I let the questions swirl in my brain. I heard voices of people around me but I didn't care to listen or look what was going on. I only cared about the horrible twisted pain in my heart...

"Hey Wizard! We have an emergency!" Yelled the guy at the two story stone cottage, He looked down at the the me, I felt pale and hadn't moved since Vlik flew away. "A dragon has been sighted! It dumped a girl here! And she has a Broken Leg!!!" A light flickered inside the cottage. The door opened and a man with black hair ushered him inside.

"Set her on the table." He ordered me. "Melanie! I need herbs! Swiftly!" The dude set the me on the table with my leg bent at an awkward angle. The wizards wife came in with a brown satchel full of plants that were unknown to me. She then after giving her husband the bag went back into the kitchen and came back with a wet wash rag. She went to the my head and started to wash my face clean of the grime and dirt. The wizard set my numb leg mumbling words in an unknown language. After he straightened it then he started crumbling herbs all over it.

He kept mumbling and did strange hand gestures over it. A dark blue glow started to form around it and you could hear a strange humming noise. In minutes the blue glow faded and the wizard stopped chanting, he hiked my skirt up a little to remove the bandage. He then expertly started to feel the bones for any more fractures.

He sighed with a face of concern. "She isn't one of the towns people, is she?" He asked, the man who carried me shook his head.

"All we know is that she was carried here by the beast." He said. "That thing was hideous, it could of burnt our village down, killed our people, it just flew away. The poor girl probably got snatched away from her family by it..." I interrupted him by sitting up.

"His name is Vlik." I stated with a scowl. How dare he insult my friend!

"I beg your pardon?" He replied. His confusion was so easy to read I wanted to slap it right off!

"The beasts name, as you referred to him as, is Vlik." I stated again. "And I wasn't carried away by him. I was traded to him." I explained huffily to this doof.

"You got traded to it?" I nodded, "I'm having a hard time believing that." Of course you would. I had a hard time believing it myself.

Either way, elaborating my answer should help him understand. "My father and brother were fighting him. He nearly killed my brother until my father stepped in and traded me for my brother." Just like he did to my sisters...

"Then explain why it carried you here." Geez, do I need to write a book for you?

"Because the prince found his original lair and found me inside. He declared he was going to make me his bride... So he flew to a new cave and then he carried me here... To protect me..." Tears sprang into my eyes... This hurt the worst...he dumped me here alone with strangers who don't believe me...

But the guy's face was priceless. "Wizard... I think this girl might have shock or something, Hallucinations." Seriously? That's the best he can come up with?

"Drew..." Said the wizard, I could tell he was tired. He sat down on one of the many chairs surrounding the massive table and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hands. "I already did a magical scan... Nothing else is wrong for her, except for her heart. And I can't fix a broken heart." Yeah...I'm not even sure time can help me fix what Vlik did to me.

"Then how on earth could she have imagined that then." He turned to me, a accusing glare evident on his visage. "Are you a witch?" He growled.

"What?" I asked, confused as of why he would ask such a dumb statement.

"Well you claim to know the beasts name, and the only way it could of told you was if you understood it. So are you a witch?" Are you dead serious about this dude?

"No..." I was now confused. Until it hit me..."Wait a minute do you mean... You can't understand what... He says... What any dragon says?" This isn't making sense! This cannot be true! Tell me this is a lie!

"No. We don't." He flatly said. My eyes grew wide, and my breathing picked up. Thankfully the older woman intervened before Drew confused me any further.

"Drew..." She said softly, "I know your the mayors son and all. But I do believe you need to leave the poor girle alone."

"Fine. I'll be back tomorrow." Then he left leaving poor me still wide eyed and to figure out why I could speak to Vlik. A question I might never figure out.