Independence

A/N Hello everyone. I’m sure most of you thought that I was kidnapped by aliens and flown away to another galaxy based on the number of weeks I’ve not be updating, huh?
No? (laughs) Anyway, here’s a small present from me to my faithful readers for Labor Day. (Well, it’s Labor Day in my country anyway.)

I hope that everyone’ll be able to relax and enjoy the story today. So go on and enjoy!

BTW, this chapter is not beta’d so I apologize for any mistakes you may find.



Chapter 9: The Chase, the Fall and the Ri Doctor




Lex knew that he was in deep shit. The stunned silence in the room and the many heated stares of the dominants, roving over every inch of his naked body, told him as much.

Lex was really beginning to wonder why he even bothered getting up that day at all. It would have been better if he had simply stayed in La-La land and avoided situations like these altogether. With his luck, running about in an unknown place in only his birthday suit was practically a death wish. And right at that moment, Lex truly wished that he was already buried six feet under. ANYTHING was better than walking into a room full of dominants, wearing nothing but a bloody collar which, he was sure, only made him look more like a pet or some sort of sex slave.

And of course, it also had to be a room full of world-renowned politicians. Lex wondered if he was somehow still in La-La land and if this was all just a horrible nightmare. But his nails, digging into the side of his clenched fist told him that this was really happening and it wasn’t just some figment of his imagination.

‘Why couldn’t the roasted chicken be drugged?’ Lex thought silently. ‘I wouldn’t be in this situation if the bloody chicken was drugged! The first time I WANT someone to drug me, and they don’t! How unfair is that?!’ Lex mentally complained with a huff.

The stunned silence in the room seemed to stretch on and Lex wondered who would make the first move. He had been in one-too-many of these situations where he was in the nude and stared at by dozens of dominants to know that he could not simply walk away and pretend that he had never intruded in a gathering of dominants in the first place. Lex was pretty sure that the moment someone even took one step forward or in his case, backward, the chase would be on.

And, this time, he wasn’t going to let himself be caught.

But in the mean time, Lex’s feet remained firmly rooted to the ground. He felt like fidgeting under the intense scrutiny he was being treated to but instead, he held his head high and glared right back at the dominants.

He wasn’t some flighty and cowardly Ri.

No, his whole life he had faced troubles and challenges head on. He wasn’t about to start squirming just because a couple of dominants were staring at him. Who cares if he was naked? He’d already been put on display in a hall filled with hundreds of dominants. A couple of Ro’s certainly weren’t going to scare him anymore than the ones in the hall did.

An unexpected shout coming from somewhere on the level above him snapped him out of his musings.

“Lord Lucien! Lord Lucien! The Ri’s gone!!” came the frantic shout as the red-haired teen, who Lex had met earlier, came bounding down the stairs two at a time until he reached the bottom wide-eyed and panting.

“Lord Lu….oh!” exclaimed the teen as Lex, taking this as the cue to make a run for it, rushed pass him and bounded up the stairs, leaving behind a gaping teenager who stared after the naked submissive in disbelief.

“Wh-wha-?” questioned the confused teen as the person he had been calling for, rushed pass him and merely leapt up the stairs in two powerful leaps before reaching the top and making his way after the fleeing Ri.

The red-haired teen merely stared after the two Dragons in confusion before shaking his head and bounding up the stairs in pursuit of his Lord and his Lord’s mate-to-be.




(break)




Lucien didn’t know why he was currently running after his Ri through the many corridors in his hilltop manor. He had given strict instructions to his servants to feed, wash and keep his mate-to-be comfortable in the room he had left the blue-eyed submissive in. He was even sure he had made it clear that the Ri was to be kept in the room until the meeting was over and he could personally see to the submissive.

But instead, his Ri had somehow been let out of the room and left to wander around the manor, alone and unguarded. Lucien growled under his breath, as he thought about the lewd stares that had been aimed at his Ri the moment the submissive appeared at the entrance of the meeting room.

At that specific point in time, the appearance of his naked Ri, wearing only a collar, had stunned him into a state of shock.

So, dumbfounded was he, that all he could do was gape at the brunette in shocked disbelief until a frantic shout, broke him out from his stupor. A young servant, whom he had known ever since the boy was an infant, came rushing down the stairs, shouting about his missing Ri who up till a moment ago, had stood naked at the entrance of the meeting room.

When he had finally come back to his senses, Lucien had addressed the members of his clan with a quick, “The meeting has been cancelled until further notice”, before taking after the fleeing submissive.

And that was how Lucien found himself running around the manor in a game of Catch-The-Ri.

He had been running after the blue-eyed submissive for what seemed like over twenty minutes and still, the Ri managed to slip his grasp. Every time it looked like he had chased the submissive into a corner, the Ri would cleverly jump out into an opposite balcony and take off from there. For the first time in his life, Lucien had cursed himself for installing so many balconies in the manor. How was he to know that they could be used as means of escape? After all, nobody would be stupid enough to even sneak into a dominant Dragon’s threshold. Therefore, escape had been the furthest thing from his mind when he had designed the building.

Now, though, Lucien was regretting his oversight. Who knew submissives could be so clever?

His own frustration aside, Lucien was really more worried about his mate-to-be. Although the balconies were only a small distance apart from each other, that didn’t mean they were easy to jump across. The bars surrounding the balconies as safety measures were rather high and difficult to grasp for support. If his Ri so much as miscalculated the length of the jump or accidentally lost hold of the bars, he would surely fall. And that was the one thing, Lucien was most afraid of.

They were over five stories up and if Lucien didn’t get to him in time, the fall would surely be fatal to the submissive. Lucien couldn’t picture a world without the blue-eyed Ri who he, only hours ago, had brought back home to his manor. There was still so much he wanted to discover about the Ri.

There was still so much he wanted to teach him, show him and experience with him. There was so many things he wanted to do with his Ri. He could even imagine them years from now, talking and laughing as they lay naked and entwined in silk sheets while they waited for the coming dawn. Yes, someday he wanted to converse with the blue-eyed Ri and see the blue eyes bright with joy and laughter.

But those things take time and time was what he wanted with his Ri, hours and hours, years and years. He couldn’t possibly lose the Ri simply because of one accidental slip or misjudgment.

A small yelp of pain followed by the sight of his blue eyed Ri slipping off the bars of the balcony caused Lucien’s mind to go blank. The very thing he had been afraid of had happened.

Lucien’s more animalistic instincts surfaced at that very moment and before he knew it, he had caught the falling submissive. Wings sprouted from his back as they began falling from the balcony in a vertical drop and then they were up in the air, flying away from the manor and into the glare of the midday sun.




(break)



Lex was in pain. And not only was he in pain, he was frustrated, annoyed, angry and downright in a terrible mood. The pain, of course, was entirely his fault. He had been too overconfident, too rash. After escaping Crescent’s grasp every time the dominant came close enough to catch him, he had been too high on the small victories and had miscalculated a jump to another balcony. He had twisted his ankle and lost hold of his footing before falling off the balcony and into the waiting arms of his savior who had caught him in the nick of time.

His savior however, was the source of his altogether foul mood. He was supposed to have escaped, not end up being carried high up in the air in to who-knows-where, in the firm but gentle hold of the Dragon’s claws. Yes, claws. The Ro had transformed into his full reptilian form moments after catching and taking off with him. Lex knew that at that point he should be scared shitless, but somehow, instead of feeling afraid, he felt only the sense of familiarity. It was as though after only being carried around the whole total of two times, he was beginning to get used to the dominant’s hold of him as they flew through the cloudless sky.

Lex wondered why that was so. After all, don’t the chics in the movies always scream hysterically when they were being carried off by dragons at this point in time?

‘Yeah, but most of the dragons were going to eat them in the end,’ came the small voice of reason in his mind.

Eat, yes, he was sure he was going to be eaten. But not in the chew and swallow way, but in the fuck-you-till-you-can’t-walk way.

Lex sighed and wondered how he was going to escape when he was hundreds of feet above ground level. He certainly didn’t want to go plunging to the ground and to certain death, so escape for now was positively out. Besides, he didn’t think that Crescent would let him drop to his doom even if he clawed and bit into the strong claws that curled around him in a surprisingly comfortable grip. This thought surprised Lex and it made him wonder if he was somehow beginning to trust the dominant. Well, the Ro HAD saved his life so perhaps that was the reason why Lex was thinking so kindly of him.

‘Yes,’ Lex thought, ‘that was the only reason.’

But the pain from his throbbing ankle reminded why he had been put in that situation in the first place.

‘Stupid dominants, kidnapping innocent Ri’s,’ grumbled Lex in his mind. ‘Wouldn’t be here if they had simply left us all alone,’ his ranting continued.

They were descending steadily through the sky now and Lex looked down, hoping to get an idea of where they were headed. The land was mostly dotted with trees and the occasional meadow as they flew through the forest terrain. He wondered if he should feel more concerned of their destination but right at that moment, Lex couldn’t really care less.

He was sure that he had twisted his ankle, so running away would certainly be impossible. Unless of course they were heading to a busy city where he could probably sneak away in the cover of the hustle and bustle of everyday city life and call a cab to take him back home.

‘But you’re naked,’ his mind supplied.

So, there was the part of being undressed but Lex was sure that he could come up with a suitable excuse. Like, ‘I was kidnapped by huge reptilian beasts and they stole all my clothes!’ Yeah, he was pretty sure that would work.

But right then, Lex could only wait and as they say, enjoy the flight. It was somehow rather thrilling to be suspended hundreds of feet in the air with the Ro’s claws as his only means of support and safety. A Dragon’s flight was always seen as something majestic and right then, Lex believed it. The beat of the powerful wings as they glided through the sky and the feel of the rippling muscles as they maneuvered the direction of the flight sent thrills of appreciation through his spine. Even if he never liked dominants, Lex could certainly admit that their flying was something to be admired.

Lex glanced down the moment he felt Crescent begin to slow down. He could see their destination now.

They were headed towards a solitary white building standing tall and proud on top of a small hill. From the top, it looked like some official parliament building but as he got closer, Lex could tell that it was more of a medical centre than a meeting place. After all, there was a person standing outside the main doors dressed in a pristine white overcoat which he was sure were only worn by doctors.



(break)




The place was just as he had remembered it. A middle sized building, sitting on top of a solitary hill; situated some miles away from any form of human or Dragon settlements. In other words, the ideal place to bring in injured or sick Ri’s for treatment.

The person in charge of this particular centre was a one of the best healers in the world and also, one of Lucien’s oldest friends. Lucien saw him standing at the main entrance, patiently awaiting their arrival as they slowed to a stop in the middle of the landing area.

Michael Asa, from the clan of Qi, was known as the best Ri doctor in all of Dragon country. Ri doctors were healers who specialized in treating submissives and as they were handling Ri’s of other dominants or sometimes, unmated submissives, they were required to already have mates of their own. Ro’s were altogether jealous and suspicious creatures when it came to their mates and as such, would only trust an already mated dominant to treat their Ri’s.

Dragon’s from the clan of Qi were known for their healing abilities and for their founding of hospitals and various healing facilities around the world. They were one of the smaller clans in the country but they were never without adequate funds as donations from all over the globe poured in at regular intervals. The council of Dragons itself donated at least one eight of its funds every year to the clan. And that, was enough to feed a small country for at least three years.

“Lucien, how nice to see you,” greeted the dark haired Ro as he smiled at the dragon who had already transformed and was striding, with a rather naked submissive in his arms, towards the main entrance.

“Michael,” Lucien greeted with a warm smile, “It’s good to see you too.”

“So, unless this is just a friendly visit, which I am sure it is not, what seems to be the problem?” he asked as he eyed the naked submissive, glaring daggers at him from where he was being gently cradled in Lucien’s arms.

“Let’s go inside first,” suggested Lucien as he walked pass the other Ro and headed towards the closest examination room which he was sure was just around the corner.

Michael followed amusedly after him and into examination room number one, closing the door silently behind him as the other dominant gently lowered the naked Ri onto the examination bed.

“So, what can I do for you?” asked the healer as he approached the Ri sitting tensely on the bed.

“I think he twisted his ankle when he fell off the balcony,” replied Lucien as he moved to touch Lex’s injured leg.

The submissive however, used his other leg to kick Lucien’s wandering hand away and proceeded to glare angrily at the Ro.

“Fell off the balcony?” asked Michael in disbelief.

“It’s a long story,” replied Lucien with a small fond smile on his face as he looked at the glaring submissive who had only recently kicked away his hand.

“He’s yours then?” questioned the other Ro.

“Why wouldn’t he be mine?” asked Lucien, raising an elegant eyebrow as he looked up.

“Well, I thought you were bringing in another Ri accidentally hurt by those idiotic imbeciles we call hunters,” replied the healer.

“No, he’s mine,” Lucien said softly, bringing his hand to stroke the Ri’s dark brown locks but was immediately shoved away by the grumpy looking submissive.

“I’m sure,” said Michael with an amused shake of his head as he observed the Ri.

“So, has this behavior been going on ever since he fell?” asked the healer as he moved to examine the injured leg Lucien had reached out for.

“Behavior?” asked Lucien, perplexed.

“It’s unusual for submissives to have this type of aggressive behavior,” commented the Ri doctor.

“Aggressive, you say?” asked Lucien again as they both looked down to where the Ri was now staring suspiciously up at them.

“Have you perhaps realized that he’s been glaring daggers at you and looking like he wants to bite your fingers off the moment he gets a chance to?” asked the healer with an amused smile.

“Hmm,” was Lucien’s only reply as he stared fondly again at the glowering submissive.

“Ok-ay,” said the healer as his expression grew even more amused. How many dominants had walked into this centre with expressions of hopeless adoration etched on their faces the moment they looked at their mates?

Answer?

All.

Every last one of them.

He shouldn’t be so surprised of course, he was sure he looked at his own mate the same way. But looking at THE Lucien Crescent staring at someone with such soft eyes made him realize that miracles really did happen in this world.

He had known Lucien for many, many years and in all those years, Lucien had always chosen to remain alone, without a Ri. The dominant had never taken an interest in any of the Ri’s they had found over the years and many of the Ro’s friends, including himself, had been worried that he would never take a mate. He himself had already been mated for close to a hundred years and even after all those years, he couldn’t bear to spend more than a few days away from his Ri. He couldn’t imagine a life without his mate.

How he had survived all alone those years before his mating, he really didn’t know.

“No, he’s always been like this,” answered Lucien as the healer began his examination on the Ri.

“Then this aggressive behavior is normal?” asked the Ri doctor.

“I wouldn’t call it aggressive, merely, spirited,” replied Lucien as he thought back to when he had seen his mate-to-be in the Viewing.

“Oh? So the rumors were true,” commented Michael as poked and prodded the injured ankle. He had thought that the Ri was surely going to kick him off after all the glaring and shoving he had seen earlier but the submissive remained tensely still during the examination. The glare however, remained etched into his irritated expression.

“Rumors?” questioned Lucien.

“Think about it Lucien, someone as well-known as you would undoubtedly be the highlight of the year after that stunt you pulled off at the Viewing. And of course, people will want to know more about the Ri you had so fiercely claimed as yours in front hundreds of other dominants,” replied the healer with a small smirk playing on his lips.

“Rumors have been going around that your Ri is a spitfire of a creature,” continued Michael, his green eyes dancing with delight.

Lucien merely groaned and rubbed at his temples.

“Gossip mongers the lot of them,” he said, clearly annoyed.

The other Ro merely laughed.

“Well, looks like a typical sprain,” the healer concluded as he smiled comfortingly at the still-annoyed looking Ri.

“Will he have to stay here?” asked Lucien with his eyebrows furrowed, clearly concerned.

“No, I’ll just put a bandage on it and he can go home. I’ll probably heal in about a week or two if he keeps off his feet. But just in case, you should bring him back here a little after a week for another check-up. Other than that, I’m sure he’ll be fine,” said the healer as he patted Lucien’s shoulder in a comforting manner.

The sound of the examination room door creaking open made all of the occupants in the room turn to look at the source of the noise.

Large light brown eyes that were almost amber peeked into the room and after a while, small dainty hands appeared to push the door open a little wider, revealing a small and fragile looking Ri with light blond hair and caramel colored skin. The Ri smiled shyly at the other occupants in the room before rushing towards the Ri doctor and huddling behind the Ro’s larger form.




A/N I would like to apologize again for the late update. Really, it seems like nowadays I only have time to update when there’s a public holiday of sorts. (Sigh) Oh well, at least I do update right? ^_^

A big thank you to all my reviewers!!! I love you guys!! You give me all the love and support a person could ever want! And I would like to especially thank betrayed for reviewing every week and sometimes more and also to MiraMira who also reviewed as often as possible. Both your reviews really made me laugh! I wish I had your e-mail adds, you would have probably been spammed with LOLOLOLOLOLOL….all the way. Haha, kidding. And of course all my other reviewers don’t feel left out; I love you guys very much. Ah, my own personal harem of cheerleaders… how wonderful is that?

And as to your questions, well, you’ll just have to wait and see. I wouldn’t want to be spoiling the story would I? Until next time…sayonara…