"Truth. I want the fucking truth. Tell me truly what your intentions are because Eluscan's brother can never be any different from him."

Alana grew frustrated when she received no answer whatsoever from Leon. He stared at her black orbs with his crimson ones, as if he was dazed. It was neither romantic nor platonic, it was as if out of pure amusement. Leon was getting more and more amused by this girl with each passing second.

It was his first time conversing with a human, thus one could think that this was a normal reaction. However for Leon, the amusement was genuine. All these years, after being caged inside the lavishing Dragonesian Palace walls, Leon had nothing but heard the other Dragonesians taunting the humans. Saying how they were weak and unable to compete against them. How fear always struck them and how they were powerless when it came to the will to survive.

Humans were feeble. That was all Leon had heard and grew up to believe (although not entirely).

Leon was impressed and blown away by Alana's strength. Not physical, but rather her emotional strength. Living days after seeing someone whom Leon once loved dying in front of his eyes, was close to unimaginable for the boy. He, however, had never experienced love before, not from his father or brother; and his mother was dead right after he was born, as he was told.

Alana was truly strong, from her heart.

"Answer me."

Once again, Leon did not answer. As for Alana, she could see Eluscan's blood covered, revolting face in him. Nevertheless, the odd fact was that Leon looked nothing like his brother. Beginning from the crimson eyes to his entire facial structure, he was different. Was he really? Alana seemed to be not accepting the fact.

"Please tell me," tears blurred her vision, but it was not enough for Alana's voice to break. It was the anger that spoke for her, and the desire of taking revenge for her mother's wrongful death.

Receiving no response whatsoever, Alana pressed the blade of the dagger hard against Leon's skin, unknowingly. And what she witnessed next was truly unbelievable.

Leon was bleeding. Of course every Dragonesian bled, but Leon's blood was red. Dark red like that of humans. Alana had no trouble in understanding that the blood was not similar to the different classes of Dragonesians.

The dagger slipped out of her hands, as she hurriedly staggered back and away from Leon. The boy, with nonchalance, sat up straight, his gaze not leaving Alana's for one moment.

"I hope you can fully have faith in me now."

Leon winced when he touched the small cut caused by the dagger's blade on his neck. He took out his handkerchief and pressed it hard to stop himself from bleeding, reminding Alana of her own actions from that very day of the fight in the lunchroom. It was similar, almost too similar, how Alana had as well wrapped her own handkerchief around her wounded skin.

Dragonesians did not feel pain or bled so much due to the attack of one simple weapon, made by humans. They possessed healing abilities along with spectacular physical strength.

Leon seemed quite the opposite.

"H-How is this possible?" Alana asked, her stutters proving that she was bewildered, "Your blood should not have been red like humans. You do not belong to the Evil Class like Eluscan, do you?" Alana questioned, her voice visibly shaking with dubiety.

Leon chuckled in response. "You amuse me every single time Alana. You seem to have acquired great knowledge on Dragonesians."

"Why is your blood red?" being firmer, Alana inquired once again. She needed the truth and the real identity of Leon. He appeared to be different from other Dragonesians. A lot different.

"Again, I do not know anything. At all."

Alana held her forehead as it was getting all too hard for her to understand everything. She should not even have allowed Leon to travel along with her. He was a Dragonesian after all. That being said, the brother of her mother's killer, and the present Dragonesian Crown Prince. However, Leon was still young, innocent, and different.

Just how Alana once was. Young, innocent and different.

"I do not even know who to trust and who to not at the moment. This is all so messed up and new to me. You are Eluscan's brother after all, and this fact does not change," Alana finally murmured after a minute of collecting her scattered thoughts.

"Alana." The girl turned her gaze towards the crimson eyes.

Feeling pleasant had once been a history to Alana. She had forgotten what it felt to be safe, comfortable, protected. Those crimson eyes did not possess any black magic to hypnotize humans, but those orbs managed to put Alana in a trance. Without any knowledge of the world, Alana gazed at Leon, not blinking once until he spoke, in his low, soothing voice.

"I am different, Alana. I might appear as an abhorrent creature to you, but I am not. Eluscan and I are related only by blood, nothing more. We are different. I am different. So please, trust me. The colour of my blood should be enough evidence, should it not?"

Alana moved her gaze away from the enticing stare, and cleared her throat. She almost felt ashamed for behaving in such a manner and that also because of a Dragonesian. The only species she detested too much to almost believe that they were kind. Leon was no exception, Alana told herself. It did not matter if he was truly mellow. He was still a Dragonesian.

With no more phrases, Alana strutted away from Leon, after picking up her dagger and bag. When she heard no rustling of the dead leaves, she turned back in confusion, only to find Leon still standing there, his head down.

"You are accompanying me, or should I leave alone?"

The grin that could make anyone's day bright appeared on Leon's face once again as he wasted no time in jogging towards Alana, with his bag tucked under his arm.

"Am I allowed to have at least one weapon, now?" Leon asked, as the two began walking through the forest once again.

"No," Alana answered, or more like teased, "I still do not completely trust you," only to receive a defeated groan from the male.

The subtle smile that had appeared at the corner of Alana's lips went unnoticed by Leon, however.

Alana knew one thing that day. It was true that Leon was a Dragonesian and related to Eluscan, however, he truly was different.

And deep within, Alana had accepted it.

"The sun is setting," Leon informed, as he looked over to the birds flying towards their respective nests and the orange hue illuminating the whole world, "Is there any inn or cottage nearby?"

Alana scanned their surroundings for a while. They were out of the deep forest for more than fifteen minutes and had been wandering around on a dusty, narrow track, with no sign of any living being. There was even lack of vegetation, except for a few shrubs and weeds that had appeared to grow naturally.

"There is an inn, somewhere near, if I am not wrong," Alana responded, as she proceeded forward, looking for the inn she had once encountered in her adolescent years while being out on her leisurely short trips. Both of them sighed in relief when they noticed smoke coming from somewhere down the small hill top they were on. The inn had to be near, since they could smell the scent of freshly cooked meat, chicken, and several other delicacies, which they were unable to decipher. But most of it included the smell of seasoned pies, tarts, sausages, pork, and possibly porridge, bread, fish, and eggs too.

"But what about my eyes? Would the humans allow me, even after identifying me as a Dragonesian?" Leon frowned, confusion written on his face.

"They will not be able to identify you," Alana explained, "Humans despise Dragonesians too much to learn about them. Although there are exceptions—"

"Like you," Leon chirped in between, the cheeky grin evident on his face.

Rolling her eyes, Alana continued, "This is the rural area, above all. If we had been in the Main City, there could have been the possibility of some humans becoming aware of your identity. Although I am certain you know that humans in the Main City are unable to express their resentment towards the Dragonesians as much as they can do in the rural areas, since the Dragonesian King has a less vested interest in them. In the rural people I meant."

"That is a relief, then."

"Down there!" Alana exclaimed all of a sudden, and soon the two found themselves rushing to the bottom of the hill. They laughed, and they could not stop roaring with content as the soft breeze flew by. Their messy hair tickled their faces, making them giggle. The two, despite already being adults, felt as if they had returned to their childhood.

One had to spend the entire childhood alone, imprisoned in his bedroom, while the other could not experience what the true meaning of childhood was. Giggling and laughing, the two ran breathlessly, feeling the marshy grass beneath their feet. As a result of walking for long hours in their boots, their feet had become damp due to the profuse sweat. They had to thus take off their boots, and feeling the Mother Earth themselves could not be more pleasant than it already was.

And soon, the pair was almost close to the small wooden inn, through which's chimney, the smoke had been emitting off.

"We do not have two single bedrooms empty at the moment," the gruff looking old man grumbled, his big tummy rumbling in the meantime. His scrutinizing gaze ran over Alana and Leon, judging them, "How old are you two?"

The naive Leon was truly going to reveal their ages, if Alana had not stepped in.

"We are twenty-one," with a tight-lipped smile, Alana answered, "We are actually travellers looking for shelter for two days."

The man did not seem to buy their lie, but he stopped prying anyway.

"There is one room with two single beds though," the man informed after a while, "Would that be alright with you lot?"

"It would be more than fine," Alana answered, thanked the man and grabbed the room key before he could ask any more questions.

Leon, who was all too new to things out of wealth, was more than happy to be experiencing the lifestyle of commoners, even though it was under harsh circumstances. The two were on their way to their room through the staircase, when they heard a loud splash, followed by roars of laughter.

The canteen was an open space area, attached to the reception. Thence, Alana and Leon could witness everything.

Everything.

A young girl, perhaps younger than Leon and Alana, dark by complexion, was on the wooden floor, while men surrounded her, and splashed foaming beers at her. And silently, she endured everything with no complaint. The men seemed to have already finished their little shit-show as they all dispersed, leaving the publicly humiliated girl alone, and all wet.

The girl was just a teenager.

A mere teenager.