Drakkon

Chapter Eighteen

Yat-sen was sparring once more with a random soldier, and although he wasn't doing badly, I noted that Atreus was much better at fighting than him. Not just Yat-sen, however; I noticed that Atreus was much better than most of the soldiers around the base. His movements were more quick and fluid, and he was leagues stronger than most of them. Whereas some soldiers might've been more experienced than him, Atreus could beat them with his skill and raw strength.

People from Sanguis truly were monstrous when it came to fighting.

Speaking of Atreus, he was seated against a tree watching a few soldiers as they sparred. He had a faraway look in his eyes and his green eyes were cloudy with thought. Light brown hair tousled and skin as tan as gold, he looked younger when he wore a somewhat lost expression on his face.

"He's improved in fighting," a smooth voice called from behind me.

I gasped and turned my head to see Meilin standing a few feet behind me. He had his eyes on Yat-sen and was watching his movements critically. His dark eyes moved towards me and he smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes.

"Yes, he's good at fighting," I said carefully. "He's learning."

"He was horrible when he first began. Now he's steadily becoming better and better," Meilin mused as he watched Yat-sen. He leaned back against one of the trees that was near me and glanced around the field, where multiple groups of soldiers were sparring. His gaze lingered on Atreus's lone figure before he turned back to me. "You'll be leaving to the palace soon."

I furrowed my brows together and looked over at him. "How soon?"

"A day or two," he said with a shrug. "Nikator unexpectedly came and said that he's going to be taking you to the palace."

"But I thought that Vita was supposed to be my bodyguard," I said in confusion. I didn't know who Nikator was, but since his name was foreign and I vaguely remembered his name coming up when Yat-sen had spoken to him, I was assuming he was a part of the Peccata.

He nodded, his eyes still following Yat-sen. "She was supposed to come, but unexpected things happened. The letter telling her to come here was somehow mixed up and given to him instead of her. He was closer to our location, anyway, so he came here. Vita will try to rendezvous back to the palace. Before she's there, though, Nikator will serve as your bodyguard."

"So he is here? This . . . Nikator man?" I asked him hesitantly. Although our relationship had improved, in my eyes, after he told me about the dragon's blood, our 'bond' was still very strained. It was hard for me to completely trust him.

"Man?" Meilin laughed and turned his obsidian colored eyes to meet mine. "He's hardly a man. He's only sixteen. And yes, as to your first question, he came to the base early this morning."

I wondered what type of person he would be and what he would look like, since I hadn't seen many foreigners in my life. He was a member of the Peccata, which already struck my interest. He was, after all, one of the few that Meilin had raised himself and even admitted to loving.

We both watched Yat-sen spar a little bit longer, and it was then that I remembered Meilin's promise to me. I rose to my feet and dusted off my clothes, watching him from the corner of my eyes. He was invested in Yat-sen and seemed to genuinely care for his growth, which surprised me.

"Your Majesty," I said suddenly. "Yesterday when we were talking about your blood—"

He turned his eyes to me and the corner of his lip lifted into a half-tilt of a smile. "You want me to show you my strength?"