Chapter 6: Antica

Only the whistle of the chilly wind and the dragon's occasional roar could be heard during the dragon ride. The sky had magically turned orange, signalling the approaching dawn. Sage had her eyes closed and appeared at ease in the coat. Her butt was starting to hurt after sitting on the dragon for up to seven hours. "Open your eyes, we are here." A deep voice echoed soothingly behind her. Sage frowned, scrunched her nose, and her eyes fluttered open. "Wow!" She exclaimed, her jaw dropping at the enormous, ancient castle that could house the entire Credia. With snow covering the roofs, it stood strong and proud. She glanced at the ice dragon, who was staring at her without blinking, and it made her frown. "Do not stare at me." She growled. His lone eyebrow rose, then he rolled his eyes and stood on the dragon. Sage gasped dramatically and placed her hand on her chest. "Did he just roll his eyes at me?" She asked herself, offended. She looked up at the ice dragon, who had his eyes narrowed at the castle. He looked like an angel and was even more attractive as the wind blew his clothes and his hair. Sage swallowed hard, ignoring his looks. "You rolled your eyes at me!" "Do not fall, Parrot," He said, ignoring her words without glancing at her. Sage frowned and stood on the dragon. "You rolled your eyes at me! Parrot?!" She yelled, and the dragon immediately glided, aiming to land on the ground. Sage squeaked as she lost her balance. The ice dragon knew that the dragon was about to la, which was why he told her not to fall. Sage closed her eyes as she fell off the dragon. 'This is it, I will die without killing him,' she said calmly in her thoughts, and began to scream as she was heading to her doom. She unexpectedly landed in someone's strong arms and wrapped her arms around the person's neck, breathing hard. "Do not drop me, do not drop me, do not drop me." She chanted, whimpering, and buried her face in the person's chest. A thud was heard, an "Sage!" Katherine yelled. Sage moved her face away from the person's chest and opened her eyes, looking at his face, seeing the ice dragon staring at her like she had killed someone dear to him. Frowning, she growled, "Release me." And he did, letting her sit on her butt on the snow-blanketed ground. Sage couldn't believe that he let her fall on the ground, humiliating her in front of the dragons and dragon guards. Katherine ran towards her and helped her stand up while the ice dragon walked towards the dragons and dragon guards. "Are you alright?" Katherine asked worriedly. Sage nodded and touched Katherine's forehead to feel that it was hot. "So sorry, you were scared, right? You shouldn't have come with me." Sage knew that Katherine had a small fear of heights. Katherine smiled. "I am okay, I am used to it now, I spent more than seven hours on top of a dragon." She said. Sage nodded and looked at the ice drago, who was talking to the guards and dragons. She didn't want to listen to their conversation, even with the large coat she was wearing; her butt hurt like crazy. 'What if he didn't catch me? What did he save me?' She asked her thoughts and frowned, clenching her fists. She didn't want her enemy to save him; she was going to stay out of trouble. She watched the dragons get engulfed with a bright, fiery glow and transformed into drop-dead handsome men. "Dragons are so handsome, evilly handsome," Sage said, shaking her head in disappointment. "They fire-breathing dragons, aren't they all suspicious? I thought fire dragons and the ice dragons were enemies." Katherine said curiously. "Well, we are here, and we will find out everything. They do not seem to be threats, so we are safe, for now." Sage said she was on high alert in case anything happened. The ice dragon walked towards her with the dragon guards behind him. His eyes narrowed at her while she stared at him like she wanted to rip his head ouoffis body. "Welcome to Antica, my home and your home too, parrot," He said calmly, his expression cold and still. "I am Cryus Dragos, the last ice dragon in existence." His pink lips pulled up at his calm words. Sage froze at her spot, blinked rapidly, staring at the gorgeous man in front of her. She couldn't help but notice the sarcasm in his voice when he said, "The last ice dragon in existence." 'Why is he calling me a parrot?' She asked her thoughts. Clearing her throat, she feigned a big smile, "I am sure you know who I am; I don't need to introduce myself to you. Why did you marry me? You are working with the fire drag, right?" She a pointing her finger at his face. Kath,erine, who was watching, widened her eyes with shock. Sage hated the ice dragon and didn't bother to hide it. Katherine sighed and shook her head at her friend. They had never been out of Credia, only in the forest. She never imagined that one day, they would leave their home for a whole new world. "Take her friend in," Cryus told Arthr, who bowed with a big smile, looked at Katherine. "Follow me, milady," He said cheerfully and walked away into the castle with Katherine, who was hesitant. Cyrus, without looking away from Sag, who still had her finger in front of his face, rolled his eyes at her, earning a shocked gasp from her, "You are as dumb as a rock, parrot, marrying who you do not know. What if I were someone else, an icky monster, or a rotten corpse that wanted to trick you and get married to you?" He spoke flatly. Sage, whose mouth formed O due to Cyrus rolling his eyes at her, closed her mouth and inhaled once again, feigning a smile. "Well, I am glad that you aren't a rotten corpse, you are an evil ice dragon that I am going to kill!" Sage immediately regretted her words. She hissed and covered her mouth with her hand. Cyrus stared at her blankly while the guards behind him looked slightly surprised. "Sage!" She called her name with a hushed whisper, looked away from the ice dragon, and rubbed her lips rapidly to stop herself from talking. "Go in, tell the duke and duchess that I am not going to attend any meetings tonight," Cyrus told the guards behind him. "Yes, sir," They all said at the same time, bowed, and walked into the castle. People are living in the castle?!" Sage exclaimed with shock. The castle was enormous, but she thought that he would be alone without anyone in his life. "Yes," He replied and took a step towards he, scanning her from head to toe, seeing her looking so tiny in his coat. "You will be taken to your room. om, I have some business to take care of." He added, turned away from her, and started walking in the opposite direction from the castle. "What! Where are you going?!" Sage shouted, but he ignored her. "Stupid Ice dragon!" Sage yelled at the top of her lungs as he disappeared from her sight. Catching her breath, she glanced at the compound that looked like a winter wonderland and the trees on the vast side of the compound that had frozen leaves. Sage snuggled in the warm coat and sighed. She missed her father already; dragons being around her were making her anger rise every second. "Milady," A feminine voice suddenly called behind her. Sage turned to see two women smiling at her. Their uniform revealed that they were maids. They bowed their heads at her, and when they lifted their heads, "We are your serving maids, milad., I am Ava, and she is Amelia." Carmel-skinned maid, Ava said. "You two are dragons?" Sage asked hesitantly. The maids exchanged glances with each other, then back at Sage. "What else would we be?" pale-skinned maid, Amelia, asked puzzledly. Sage clenched her fists, her green eyes turned threatening, and she growled furiously, "Stay away from me!" The maids' faces paled in horror. Sage was furious; she didn't want dragons around her, marrand ying one was enough. "M.. milady.." Ava stuttered fearfully. "Don't call me!" Sage turned away and started running in the direction where Cyrus disappeared, while the maids ran after her.