Jessica, muttering a soft incantation in a tongue no man could speak, held her wand aloft, just in level with her chest. A light sparkling of gold shimmered from the tip of the wand, dispersing around her like a protective, invisible ball before the soft glimmer faded into nothing. Still, Jessica continued her soft muttering, her voice barely above a whisper, tingling the ears for those who seek to understand her words.

Her words stopped with a soft shriek as Jessica scrambled to bury her fingers through dense, dark-grey fur, her legs attempting to wrap themselves around the thick torso. Afraid of falling off, Jessica dove to wrap her arms around the neck of her ride, hurling a few choice words at the oblivious companion as she clung on for her dear life.

When the beast settled, Jessica pushed off, irritably slapping one side of the shifter’s forearms. “Are you stupid? Do you want to throw me off?”

The shifter turned its head to its rider, one of its canine ears drooping slightly in confusion.

“Oh, please don’t tell me you have flees.” Jessica groaned. The wolf snorted, head jerking as its way of showing exasperation at the witch. “Well, you’ve been waltzing around the forest for a while. Can’t blame me for thinking that, not after you nearly threw me off to scratch at your side.”

Another snort, this time it’s accompanied by a full body jerk which has Jessica shriek in terror, once again scrambling for anything to grip.

“Stop it Yul! You should be grateful I’m wasting mana to keep us both from oxygen deprivation.” Jessica yelled, slapping shifter’s side once again. “How far up are we even going? We’ve been climbing for hours.”

The shifter reared her head back, her brownish-yellow orbs stared right at Jessica. If wolves could roll their eyes. She snorted instead, turning her head forward to the ridge a little further up and carefully made her way.

Jessica was back to circling her arms around Yuri’s neck, tightly wrapping her legs around her torso, even burying her fingers through the long fur as an extra support. As much as she trusted Yuri in protecting her, she was just as sure that Yuri wouldn’t pass off throwing her into the bushes for laughs.

She jerked when she felt Yuri’s hand brush up against her arm. She felt rather than saw her jerk her head, indicating their destination. Jessica followed her snout, her brows furrowing at the sight of the wide ridge that they could get to through a steep climb. The rocky terrain did not look like the easiest pathway to climb, more so when carrying someone else.

“I don’t think we can make that climb.” Yuri snorted, shaking her head. She tapped at Jessica’s arm.

“You lack faith in me, princess. Just hold on tight. I’ll get you there safely. I always do.” Jessica looked to the back of Yuri’s head, contemplating their chances. She pressed her body closer, tightening her grip around Yuri’s neck and torso and shut her eyes.

“If I fall off, I swear Yuri.” She threatened through gritted teeth. All she hears is the echoing of Yuri’s laugher through their mind link.

As her incantation lowered to a whisper a faint, white ball sparked from the tip of her wand, gradually increasing in its brightness the further up it levitated off the ground, and a gasp lodge onto Jessica’s throat at the sight presented before her. A mountain of gold, towering over the two of them, glittered as the bright light bounced off its surface and reflected against the walls. Riches one could only dream off, right in front of them.

And what was the pile of riches without its dutiful guardian?

Jessica took a tentative step back, her fingers gripping her wand so tight her knuckles turned white. Nothing of Jessica’s lessons from the academy could have prepared her for an encounter like this.

Her eyes locked onto a pair of slits surrounded by emerald green, head tilting as she followed its greenish-blue serpentine body uncoil from its protective curl to stand to its full height. Its golden mane seems to dance in the air even though there was barely any gust to disturb them, captivating weaker beings to lull them into a false sense of safety. On top of its head, was a singular antler-like horn, the other one looking like it was broken off, nearly brushing against the top of the large cave, almost as if to boast how humungous it is.

Its head began to lower, lips pulling apart to bare its sharp teeth as it began to emit a low growl from the back of its throat. Jessica broke into a cold sweat. Her joints trembled, barely holding her weight up. The wand in her hand shook from the force of her grip yet her mind was a blank. All the things she learned, incantations of both offensive and defensive magic, wiped clean from her memory.

The hand gripping her wand fell limply to her side. Flight was the only thing in her mind, but her body refused to answer to her will, too afraid to even twitch a muscle. She screwed her eyes shut, waiting for her life to be ripped from her body.

A series of short barks reminds Jessica of her companion and her eyes shoot open. Her hands snap to her side, where she had last remembered Yuri to have stationed herself, only for her hand to come up empty. She looked back to the humongous beast, fearing for her friend’s life, sort of expecting a gruesome sight.

A yell was at the tip of her tongue, mouth parted to call her companion back. Her jaw gives, eyes widening at the sight before her. The humongous serpentine beast lowered its head, lifting its clawed hands as the werewolf came scampering around its legs. Her grey bushy tail swishes in delight as she makes a bolt from one side, rounding the beast’s entire length to come out the other.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Jessica croaked as she fell to her knees.

The werewolf, seemingly wearing a simpering grin, tosses her head a few times with an accompanying low grunt and snorts.

“This is her.” Yuri’s joyous voice bounces in her mind. “This is Taeyeon. She’s who I was talking about. Told you, you wouldn’t believe me until you see her.” She makes a yipping like sound, standing on her hind legs while gently patting the side of Taeyeon’s scally body. Oh, the irony of the sight.

Jessica was itching to slap some sense into Yuri’s dense skull. There, right in front of them, was a being revered by many. The Kings of old. They were the thing of legend, long ago thought to have disappeared from the face of the Earth. And a werewolf was petting it like a dog.

“I suppose you are this friend Yuri spoke highly off.” A new voice, sounding like it was coming from nowhere and everywhere at the same time, disrupts their silent conversation.

Jessica jolts at the sudden movement from Taeyeon, her large head gracefully lowering to the ground in front of Jessica. Green eyes trained unwaveringly at her, as if to inspect her, to evaluate her strengths. For the first time in years, Jessica felt vulnerable, . She was nothing compared to Taeyeon, like a newborn babe, helpless and defenceless.

“A- um.. I-I guess so.” Jessica stuttered. She lowered her gaze, mentally cursing for stumbling at the presence of such a mighty beast.

Taeyeon makes the gentlest of nods. “Yuri is right, you are pretty.”

Jessica blinked, slowly raising her head to stare wide-eyed at the mighty dragon. “I’m sorry, what?”

Yuri called her pretty? She has never sincerely told her. As a mocking joke, yes, usually paired with evil witch, or ice princess, and sometimes even your highness, said in the most sarcastic tone.

The sound of rushing coins draws their attention to the unguarded treasure pile. Yuri’s bulky wolf frame comes barrelling from the back, her tongue lolling as she makes her way Jessica. She stops just barely a foot away from the startled witch and drops a circular headdress over the crown of Jessica’s head.

Yuri leans back, tail wagging furiously. “I knew that tiara fit you just right! Now you really look the part of the ice princess.” she made a short howl of approval. Jessica blanched, her eyes shooting fearfully at the guardian of the treasure pile. She hides the tremble in her body as Taeyeon reared back, the slits of her eyes somehow seeming like they were narrowing.

Taeyeon’s head tilts back, her chest expanding to accommodate the air she’s breathed in. Jessica’s breath hitched, body now trembling as she followed the dragon with her eyes. Her lower limbs locked, her mind blanked out again. She doesn’t see the werewolf shuffling closer to her, worriedly pressing her body against Jessica’s back, body jittering with nervousness at the anxiety oozing from her companion.

Loud barks of laughter bounce around the infinite corners of the cave as Taeyeon chortled wholeheartedly. Her massive body lowers to the floor, convulsing as she rides out the gleeful high of her laughter.

Jessica’s body slumped, terror easing out of her bones as she stared incredulously at the dragon. She feels soft fur pushing against her hand and she absently the length of the werewolf’s head.

Who knew dragons had funny bones.

~~~

A/N: Right, so the tiara didn't really mean anything. It was just something Taeyeon found (stole from a princess a long time ago) that Yuri liked. Nothing else behind that, I swear.

And beating you guys to the question, the mind link... that is a story for another chapter. Don't want to spoil the magic by telling you guys in the most boring way. Hint: Anyone into supernatural novels might know what it means. >.>