An Orochi is an eight-headed dragon. They are an abomination even among the dragons because they are powerful and all but also because no one knows which head is dominant on the Dragon. It could be the evil one, the intelligent one, the greedy one, or the short-tempered one. It was seldom kind or helpful because other emotion always empowers these meek emotions inside a living being.

But they are myths, even for someone like me. They were just some horror story; the baby dragons were told that they would be cursed and turned into Orochi if they do bad or killed innocent living beings. Obviously, bad dragons killed people just for its sake, but this never happened, so how did this Orochi exist.

They have the power to sense aura, which meant he might know after this meeting.

That didn't worry me though, his interest in Rhianon did. Because I already saw the weird dream about her being killed, and it made me wary at how the attack might happen or who might want to harm her.

"Your silence is more annoying than your words." Rhianon reminded me with a light tone.

She didn't seem worried at all, just like she didn't react when I told her I was a dragon. She was defensive when we first met as if  I scared her more than this Orochi did, which definitely hurt me a little. She seemed like a strong-minded person, but she had a strong barrier just against me for some reason. Now that she has loosened up, and it seemed like it happened ages go, but I wanted to know why she was so strongly against getting to know me?

Did I feel like an enemy? 

"Is something wrong?" She asked, her voice filled with concern for me.

And I was pulled back out from my misery. 

"You hated me more than that Orochi at first. Why?"

She laughed like this was not even worth a concern. It mattered to me after being called a freak and hated for almost all my life.

"I never hated you." She said, and I didn't realize I had heaviness on my chest before she said that.

"Then why were you so harsh to me."

"A man who could touch me and makes the chains visible give me nightmares of my worst fears and pains. Are you sure you wouldn't act the same?"

Ok, that is understandable. I mentally sighed in relief.

"After that?"

"You were very obvious with your intentions of getting in my pants."

"Do I not make it obvious now?" I said, surprisingly feeling better and more like myself now.

She scoffed.

"You are a slightly better person than you actually behave."

No, I was definitely not.

"I was attracted to you, which you obviously knew and played it to your full advantage." That words brought a smile to my face.

"But somehow, I was also wary of you, even now." And the smile was gone.

"Why, as my Keeper, you should not feel like this?"

She smiled softly, looking straight ahead and not at me.

"As a girl, I was wary of you."

"I think I have been sharing all my feelings quite blatantly to put it in your words," I said, understanding what she was trying to say.

"You are a handsome, rich man who is also famous. You are surrounded by gorgeous, talented girls and are not as pitiful as I am. I have never had a proper life, let alone a love life. Can you imagine what thoughts I had in my head when someone like you approached me? Suspicion."

I had to laugh at her thought process.

"Handsome, rich, and famous. You sound so shallow at the moment." I said, rejoicing at the fact that she indeed considered me handsome.

"I am just stating a fact. If I were simply drawn to these qualities, I wouldn't have resisted all the times you flirted."

"Why suspicion, though? Have you seen yourself?"

She rolled her eyes.

"It's a human trait to have self-doubts. Not everyone is overconfident as you are."

She doesn't know how much I hated myself, and I realized she was right because even I wondered why she was here with me when she knew I am a dragon.

"Anyway, stay clear from Orochi, please," I said, trying to keep severe agitation from my tone.

"It's not like I am going especially seek him out." She said rather dully.

"And I hope shaman gives you an amulet too because it worries me how he sees your chains."

"I never knew you could be such a worrywart." There was amusement in her tone, which made me realize she enjoyed this, being taken care of.

I smiled to myself. If only she knew what kind of worry Orochi brought, she would be stressed too. If something as powerful as him will be around her, Rune Castors will find her one day.

As I reached the Shaman's place, I warned Rhianon, "She can be a bit rude."

"I can handle it." She said like it didn't even matter.

She must have handled many rude people in her life span, which annoyed me for some reason.

We entered the small warm place built like a cafe on the front but behind the counters stood the Shaman's apprentice, who greeted me with an excited smile. I nodded in return, but she kept smiling at me nevertheless.

"And this is why I was suspicious of you." She reminded, chuckling a bit.

We entered the Shaman's familiar room. The apprentice walked away to get us the usual tea because Shaman never had anything else, and I hated how her tea tasted almost bland. Still, she insisted on it, so we had to drink it.

"Oh, you brought your Dragon Keeper." She said in a bored tone as she walked and sat down in front of me.

Rhianon was curiously staring at everything around us.

"Take it easy; she is not aware of everything yet."

The shaman observed her.

"She seems to know more than you think."

But looking at Rhianon's expression, I doubted she did.

"What is a Dragon Keeper." She asked, and the old lady chuckled like she found it funny.

"As the word suggests, the keeper of the dragon. You are bounded by fate to protect the dragon your tied to. Many Dragon keepers have died protecting their dragon as you might have noticed not many dragons are left."

My heart clutched in my chest at her words. She won't die; I won't let her.

"A protector," Rhianon said, the words softly mostly to herself.

"It's not rare to feel the emotions you feel around him, your need to protect him over everything else."

Rhianon nodded as if realizing her feelings for the first time.

She always felt the need to protect me, and I felt grateful for that.

"And the romantic feelings?" I asked abruptly.

"That is completely her own. Not all Dragon and Dragon Keepers are lovers."

I sighed in relief, and such joy radiated within me that I Knew a shaman could feel it.

"But your attraction to her is.... unreal." She said in a soft whisper and extended her hands towards me.

As always, I placed my hand in hers, and she closed her eyes.

Rhianon gave me a questioning look, and I shrugged.

After a while, she opened her eyes and smiled mildly, "Your vitals are almost as strong as it should be naturally. And your chains, three of them have unlinked."

I knew this because I could feel it within me, but she said it felt like a miracle was happening. She was actually my hope at life without pain.

"Then why is my attraction to her weird?" I asked, curious about that part.

"Unreal," She corrected, "Because you are most emotionally tied to someone for the first time in your life. It's like you are tethered to her; if she moves, you will move along with her. It's unreal seeing you feel so much."

"I keep telling her, but she won't believe me. She thinks I am just a usual bad-boy heartbreaker." I said, to which Rhianon hit my shoulder.

"Careful child," Shaman warned even the hit was nothing.

"What?" Rhianon asked immediately, worried about me.

"Your strength?" She asked as if something was wrong.

She extended her hands towards Rhianon, and I nodded so that she could do the same as I did. 

As soon as she placed her hands in Shaman's hand, the room trembled a little.

Shaman gasped but kept her eyes closed, and worry flickered in Rhianon's eyes as she looked at me.

After a moment passed, her eyes opened, and she looked at Rhianon; her eyes widened in shock and awe.

"Speak Shaman, you are making this too dramatic," I said rather sharply.

"Dragon Keepers are known to have great strength; physically, they can also beat a dragon. They are also born with a trace of magic as Dragon keepers are also a line of Rune castors and other minor powers like healing their Dragon, knowing the best escape routes, and photographic memory. Still, you don't have any of them, some traces but not any power."

I should have felt worried about how my protector was not at the peak, but that didn't even matter.

But there was an understanding on Rhianon's face.

"Even if I survive, the binding would kill me." She mumbled, and I turned towards her in shock.

"Rhianon," I said, but she looked at the shaman.

"A man in dreams said. Is my power gone or restricted due to the binding?"

"What binding?" The shaman asked, and I was even more surprised that she couldn't see the chains.

"You can't see them?" I asked.

She shook her head in a no.

"Red chains, just like he has gold ones, I have red chains on me."

For the first time, something left the older woman speechless.

"A binded Dragon Keeper, that is bad."

"What is that suppose to mean?" I said harshly.

But Rhianon seemed curious than worried for herself, and that part bothered me.

"I don't know much, but there has only been one binded Dragon Keeper, and there is nothing but suffering in their fate. I don't even know how to unbound your red chains; I mean, I can't even see them. Only your Dragon can seem them just like she can see you golden chain even when no one else can."

"Someone else saw it too," Rhianon said immediately.

"What? But....that is impossible." The shaman said, leaning towards us like her life became interesting for the first time.

"Another supernatural..." She said, squinting her eyes as if trying to remember what the name was.

"Orochi, an Orochi."

The shaman winced.

I hoped she would say this is a joke and they are a myth, but she said something worse than all the things we have heard so far.

"That means she is the Dragon Keeper for two of you. She gets to decide who she would protect." The shaman said, and she looked at me with a smirk like she was enjoying this.

"Just so you know Drakkon, hypnosis or mind control is one of Orochi's power."

I glared at her, but she just stated calmly," Have some tea, dear."

➸⇸➸

Relish in the shocking cliffhanger y'all! :)

HA! Happy New Year, I hope I write more books this year, complete the pending tasks. Because honestly, I have four stories lying in my laptop pending folder.

And you will be surprised how emotional and mature two of them are like they exist to show my state of mind. xD

Anyway, I hope you like the turn this story is taking, and you are most welcome to pick a favorite moment.

HAPPY READING!