Touch of Flame

176 Self discovery

Ares walked around the island lost in observing his surroundings. Bright colorful homes in the different shades of blue and green mixed. Some were mansions and others were smaller homes.

Some of the creatures living there lay on the beach, enjoying the sun and others went about their day.

Day? Sun?

It was night when he left. Now he was even more confused. He came by a man selling pearls and other stones he had never seen.

Ares stopped, hoping to speak to him as he pretended to buy something.

“You are new here,” the man said before Ares could say something.

“Yes.”

“Where do you come from?”

“Land.”

“An arozak from land.” He nodded.

“What is an arozak?”

“A halfbreed.”

“Of what?”

The man chuckled. “This all must be new to you.”

“It is.”

The man motioned for him to sit down on the chair next to his table where he placed the stones. Ares sat down.

“We are called marozaks. We are both land and water creatures. You are a meraz, a male, and females are called meriz.”

Ares nodded. “What place is this?”

“These are the lands in which we live and can only be found by us. There are more of them and this one is called Herasekin.”

“How did you know I was an Arozak?”

“Your skin. Your scales are slightly different and not so prominent.”

He looked at his scales and tried to compare them to the man’s scales. He was right. His scales blended more into his skin.

“Can you tell which of my parents could have been a marozak?” Ares asked.

The man shook his head.

Ares never thought of trying to find his parents. It was nearly impossible and he had just accepted that fact but now he wondered if there was a possibility to meet one of them if they were here.

“You want to find your parent?” The man said.

“Yes. But… I have never met them.”

The man shook his head with a sad expression. “It will be difficult.”

It would be.

“Can you tell me what I can do as an Arozak that a human can’t? Well, besides the scales and sea things.”

“I don’t know much about humans. I just know they have short lives and we live much longer. If it is your first time shifting, I am sure you will notice the difference with time.”

Ares nodded, “Thank you for your help.”

“No problem. I am Azaan.”

“Ares.”

“Welcome to our world, Ares. I live at the teal house across the road.” He pointed. “Next time I could help you meet a few arozaks.”

“I would appreciate that.”

Azaan smiled. He had a friendly face despite his masculine features. His hair was a beautiful golden, matching his golden scales.

Ares thanked him for his help and went on to explore. He got to speak to a few more and ask them questions. What he got to know about his kind was that they had stronger bodies, healing abilities but they would have to spend enough time in the water, they had better senses, and longer lifespans and they ate fish. Raw fish and many other sea creatures he didn’t even know the name of.

What shocked him was that they consumed blood. Human blood. So sometimes they would have to go to the human world, find a human of their taste which they could tell through smell, and consume their blood.

“You kill them?”

“Oh no.” They chuckled. “We just take the blood. Just make sure to erase their memory.”

Huh?

“How can I… do that?”

The man and the woman looked at each other and then at him again. “Just look deeply into their eyes and when you feel like they can’t look away, you tell them to forget.”

Oh well. He wasn’t going to do this anyway. Most of the people he met were friendly and willing to talk, except for a few.

“But be careful. You are half-human and some of us have a taste for that.” The woman told him.

Oh, so he would become the meal now? Great. Would explain the certain glances from men and women that he passed by. He didn’t know why but the glances felt a little sexual too, as if he wasn’t just a plain meal but more like flesh in every way.

When he found his way back to the sea, he decided he should go back home before everyone accused Nazneen of his disappearance.

He dived in and this time just knew to let his body take over but he didn’t know where he was going and how he was going to find his way back. But somehow the waves guided him, and he felt the temperature and flavor of the water changes, sensed the strong waves, and heard the rain above. He was back home.

His body began to change form before he was even out of the water and he wasn’t sure why. He struggled again, the waves drowning him. He fought his way up and gasped for air. Cold rain poured over his head and he was already back to feeling cold.

The waves spit him out on shore a little forceful. He was completely and got up to find his wet clothes. He wore them shivering and then went back home.

This was real.

****

Nazneen watched the rain pour outside her window while she sat on the bed. Everything was comfortable and the maids took well care of her. They put fire in the hearth and served her tea to help her sleep after helping her get into a comfortable nightgown. Even the nightgown covered her more than their traditional clothing.

She kept thinking about her conversation with Ephraim and she remembered all her tantrums and all the harsh things she said to Ares. Even before him, before she was locked away, she was used to having it her way. Her behavior was what got her cursed to begin with. The bloody witch wanted to teach her a lesson. A lesson that wasn’t only to be restrained. Now she understood why the witch made it so that only her breedmate could release her. He knew, her breedmate wouldn’t be a dragon.

She chuckled darkly. Well done.

Going to the window she looked outside and watched the rain pour over when she saw Ares come into sight as he climbed up the hill. He opened the small door in the gate and stepped inside, shoving it closed before hurrying through the distance. He was pale and shivering.

Nazneen quickly left the room to meet him down the hall, wondering what had happened to him. She thought he went to sleep and now it was late.

She stepped out of her room and followed the sound of his footsteps. He came around the corner and into sight, soaked and with arms wrapped around himself.

He took notice of her as he neared. She looked at him questioningly. “You are still awake,” he said his voice vibrating. He was forcing his teeth not to chatter and his lips had turned a light shade of blue.

Nazneen followed him. “What were you doing out in the rain this late?” She wondered if it wasn’t the rain. Did he go to dive?

He didn’t reply and just walked faster. He flung the door to his room open and as soon as he stepped inside, he took off his boots. Water poured from them. Then he began to undress in a rush.

Nazneen kicked the door shut behind her so no one would see him but then she was left there with him. She felt like she should help him from the way he fumbled and couldn’t help his body from trembling but she just stood there.

When he grabbed his pants and just took them down her gaze wandered around the room. She thought humans were…discreet. Maybe not. And then she just couldn’t help herself and looked at his back as he went to the dressed and pulled out a towel.

He had a nice firm bottom and thick thighs. She wanted to touch him, dig her fingers into his bottom as he sank into her. Her insides tightened at the thought and then the sight in front of her was replaced with a white towel that he wrapped around his waist. Then he picked another one and began to dry his hair and body.

She could see how he curled and uncurled his toes to warm himself up.

“Did you go dive?”

“Yes,” he breathed, turning around. He walked back to bed to get under the covers. He let out a sigh of relief but he kept trembling still. She could see how he tried to stop his jaw from moving.

She went to sit beside him on the bed. “Did you discover anything?”

He closed his eyes sucking in a sharp breath. It was difficult to speak.

Nazneen stood up. “I can warm you,” she said.

“Now is … not… the time.” He shivered.

“I don’t mean it like that. My body adjusts so if it is cold it gets warmer.” She explained.

He opened his eyes with a slight frown. “Alright,” he said desperately.

She walked closer and motioned for him to make a place for her. Getting under the covers with him, she paused. “It will be better if I am naked.”

She wasn’t trying to seduce him. She needed to feel the cold against her body so that it would get hotter.

He just let out a pained breath.

Still, under the cover, she just removed the dress from her shoulders and pulled it down then pushed it off with her feet.

“Hug me instead,” she then told him.

Without hesitance, he pulled her closer.