Crimson Eyes

Chapter 23

"Why are you so good at this, child?" The cold wind blew making his white hair dance beautifully with the wind. He rested his chin on his hand as he stare at the child wrapping a gauze on his bleeding ankle. A thin smile formed on his lips.

"I like to plant, how about you? Where did you got your wound Eruhaben-nim?" Cale finished what he's doing and stood from the ground. He undust his knees and smiled feeling proud of his work.

"Ah, someone wants to kill me." Eruhaben yawned. The red haired tilted it's head to one side.

"Why do they always want to kill someone pretty?" Cale's empty voice caught the dragon's attention.

"My mother died few days ago. She's really pretty. More pretty than you."

"Oh," Eruhaben awkwardly avoided the child's eyes. He doesn't have a family. No one to care for and not like he wants to. Dragons are prideful and having someone to worry for will just serve as your weakness. So it's better to be alone. In his almost 1,000 years of living, he only helped fellow dragon's by providing them shelters as they reach their first growth phase. After than, they leave. He's been living his life just like that.

The loud silence made Eruhaben uncomfortable that he unconsciously hugged his legs. He glanced at the child.

He looks like a small puppy. Eruhaben smiled at the thought.

"Eruhaben-nim, what does it mean to be strong?" Cale spoke, his back facing Eruhaben as he watch the fire flies the dragon made with magic.

"Hmm? Strong? Maybe it means to be me. I'm strong." Eruhaben answered and created glowing butterflies too. Cale gasped.

"Dragons really are so cool" Cale whispered and Eruhaben laughed. It was pretty entertaining watching a child be amazed by something he doesn't even need effort in doing. He could destroy a mountain with just a small ball of mana.

"But you know, I'm not a dragon... How can I be strong then?" Cale's voice cracked. He was swallowing his tears as he spoke. The butterflies reminded him of his mother.

"They said I need to be strong and brave b-because mommy's gone now. But I'm not good with swords," hot tears made its way down to Cale's cheek. "I don't want daddy to abandon me..." Hiccups after hiccups. Cale silently cried and the dragon just watched his back. Eruhaben felt his heart clench. He doesn't know what it feels like since he never met his parents and survived alone.

"Uhm, I could teach you swordsmanship? If you want that is." Eruhaben doesn't know why, but he just felt like saying it. He never felt this way before, he felt like finally living.

"B-but you're a dragon. Dragons are mighty and I don't want Eruhaben-nim to do it because I'm crying." Cale looked at the dragon and smiled.

The dragon frowned. It was the first time someone doesn't want anything from him.

"Don't be such a pushover, child. Follow me I'll show you something cool." Eruhaben extended his pale beautiful hands to Cale.

Cale furrowed his eyes brows and looked to the hand then to Eruhaben again. As he place his palm on Eruhaben's hand he felt his body warm up. "Close your eyes, you might vomit."

Cale closed his eyes tightly and as soon as he did, he felt his body float and suddenly dropped. His stomach felt like it did backflips, as soon as the feel subside he immediately opened his eyes and puked. Loudly. With egg and sausages.

"You unlucky child." Eruhaben sighed as he pat Cale's back.

"Plehhh..." Cale wiped his mouth with his sleeves. His haft closed eyes shoot open as he realized what's Infront of him.

"Am I dreaming?" Cale muttered as he looked at castle made of glass but you couldn't see what's inside. It was bigger than his house and there's flowers and trees everywhere. What caught Cale's attention was the white roses planted on the side of a giant door. Everything was shining.

Eruhaben held Cale's hand and walked inside. Cale's eyes widen more. There was a lot of plants and there are three sleeping dragon's from a far. They were inside a giant glass room that's surrounded by different flowers.

"Welcome to my house." Eruhaben snapped his fingers and the lights turned warm yellow. He approached one of the rooms as touched it's forehead and his hand glowed. Cale watched outside with mouth hanging open.

"Are they having a bad dream?" Cale's quiet voice echoed in the whole place. Eruhaben got out of the room and shook his head.

"They're just having their first growth phase. They'll wake up in a month or so." Eruhaben explained, he snapped his fingers and his clothes changed into human clothes and his hair was tied in a pony tail.

"Uhm, why am I here?" Cale finally asked. He doesn't remember agreeing or asking to any of these.

Eruhaben frowned and looked at like he's crazy. "You unlucky child, I'm just going to teach you swordsmanship. It's nothing much. You can stay for how long as you like."

Cale's face brighten. He can finally get stronger. "Are you the one the maids are talking about? The one fighting beasts inside the Forest of Darkness?" Eruhaben looked at Cale in confusion.

"No, that's another person, I saw him one time. He has black hair, I don't know why he's there but his swordsmanship is the worse."

"Oh," Cale scratched his cheek.

Time flew. Cale just wanted to stay for a week but he he stayed longer and realized it has been six months. The three dragons already left one week after they woke up. Its just Eruhaben and Cale.

"Say Cale, do you want to stay here forever?" Eruhaben asked as he watch the red haired stuff sausages inside his mouth. Cale just laughed.

"I want to but my father would be worried."

'I won't be surprised if they didn't thought you were already dead.' It may seem selfish, but Eruhaben had used magic on Cale to forget the flow of time. He adores Cale. Somehow, he feels familiar and smells nice for a human. It was the first time Eruhaben wanted something so bad.

"I can be your dad if you want." He smiled and drank his wine.

"Doesn't Eruhaben-nim have kids?" Cale chugged down the apple juice.

"I don't lay eggs." He rolled his eyes and sliced his steak.

He felt bad for using magic on a innocent child.

"It's been six months, right?"

"Yeah... Wait wha-" Eruhaben's golden eyes widen. HOW DID HE KNOW?!

"It's too early for me to return. I'm still not strong." Cale muttered while Eruhaben watched the child in horror.

After weeks of observation he realized that something on Cale's brain was refusing the effect of his magic.

It was too strong, that even Eruhaben, the oldest dragon in the continents' magic didn't worked.

"Cale, want to learn magic too?" Eruhaben approached the training child with a smirk plastered on his face. He might be creating a monster but it doesn't matter.