A single a ray of light shot past all the obstacles and down into the cave where Zitao slept. He sniffled then sneezed when the dust particles from where he slept went into his breathing system.

Yifan watched from the other side of the cave through the small hole. It has been a while since he's saw another human. Being alone on the island drove him into a state of silence and seclusion and he thought upon meeting the younger he would probably choke on his own words. But much to his surprise he spoke fluently in the boy's tongue. 

Zitao was very interesting to him. The way he walked with a slight swing of his hips that would go unnoticed unless one was really looking at him, the way he smiled unconsciously when he spoke even with tears in his eyes and how he manages to look tough yet cries more than a young.

The boy stirs in his sleep and a single eye shot open. In his fright Yifan quickly moved from the hole so Zitao wouldn't know he was watching him sleep. The younger slept lifeless unlike himself so the cloth he wore to cover his upper body fell off his shoulder giving view to his chest and a pink perky .

He didn't think Zitao would like to know he saw. He already stole the boy from his village he can at least let him have his decency. 

Tao wiped the last bit of sleep from his eyes then looked around. He facial expression fell when he remembered the horrible predicament he was in. Trappped in the cave of a beast's, that's supposedly a dragon, lair. Perfect.

About a few inches away from him was what seemed like to be fish on the ground. He moved closer to it to see if he was seeing wrong. But there was actually a fish lying there dead, obviously, raw and all. The eye still had a little twitch to it so he knew it was there that long.

His eyes climbed from the fish to the hole in the wall and something told him his new found friend was the answer to the dead fish. He was about to call for the other prisoner when he remembered the screams he heard when the dragon attacked him yesterday. Yifan sounded as if the dragon was digging into his skin itself.

He clutched at his chest in fear and what felt like sorrow. He gasped when he felt his hand came into contact with bare skin and he quickly covered the showing skin. A subtle blush ran across his cheek.

"Yifan?" Zitao called out timidly. He feared that he wouldn't get an answer which would confirm his theory that Yifan was mauled by the dragon.

"Yes." The gruff voice he knew bounced back off the walls.

"Oh! You're alive!" He was quite shocked to know the other prisoner wasn't dead, a bit happy too.

"Yes I'm alive. Have you eaten the fish?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I can't eat so soon after waking and I don't like raw fish. I really appreciate your kindness though. Where do you get it?" 

"From the sea?"

"Sea? Are we close to the sea?" Zitao aksed with a bit of excitement in his voice. Living so far inland the sea was always just a dream for him.

"Yes this place is actually an island." Zitao eyes widened. This was definitely a dream for him. Many times he'd wanted to travel to what the old men of his village called the sea. They said it was beautiful especially at nights. Tao always envisioned himself at the sea just staring out into the vastness they described. 

"How did you get it though, how did you sneak past the dragon?" 

A cough resonated and after a while Yifan answered. "The dragon sleeps during the day."

Tao nodded his head. He walked closer to the hole until his face was directly there. "I can't see you, where are you?"

Yifan smiled slightly at that. Tao wanted to see him. He wasn't scared of him. He moved to stand directly in front of the hole. 

Close up he seemed more handsome than he did far away. He had met him during the night so Tao couldn't make out the smooth features Yifan had. This man is beautiful. Tao quickly backed away a little flustered. He cleared his throat as if to clear away the tension. 

"I've thought of another plan for us." Yifan visibly flinched just like he had before when Tao proposed his idea to him.

"You can't escape the dragon." 

"Have you ever tried?"

"No."

"You've never tried so how can you say that huh?" Tao spat beginning to raise his voice.

"It's useless." Yifan said solemnly. He turned his back to walk away.

"Coward! You are just a worthless coward!" 

A growl vibrated off the walls. "I am not."

"Yes a coward!" Yifan turned and slammed his fist against the wall of the cave. The stone wall rattled frightening poor Tao.

"I am not a coward!" Yifan eyes glared fiercely at him in anger. He backed away again crouching as he held his abdomen. "Agh!"

Tao backed away frantically. He fell over a stone that had fell from the top of the cave, scraping his foot. "Yifan?"

"The dragon is coming! He's here..." His voice trailed off taken over by a growl.

"Yifan! Yifan!" Tao in his fright took up the stone he tripped over and began to hit the walls. "Don't leave me alone Yifan!" He could hear some grunts of pain. Salty tears ran like a river down his cheeks.

Thw wall gave way after a particular hard hit. Tao crouched and covered his head to protect himself from the tumbling stones. After the last pebble fell he looked up and around. The cave he was in seemes to be inside a cavern itself. No wonder Yifan is trapped for so long. Too many caves. 

A grunt of pain made Tao look over where the sound came. A man, on his knees, clutching his chest, his body glowed, fire seemed to glow out his chest. Tao squeaked. Yifan looked at him. Tao began to run. Yifan chased him. Tao ran out the cavern on the edge of a cliff. Yifan looked on him in horror.

"Tao, be careful." The glow in his chest began to die.

"You're a monster." Tao took a step back.

"Please just come here, I promise nor to hurt you."

"You are the dragon, you plan to keep me here." 

"We can talk about this later, just move from there it's dangerous." 

"You're dangerous. " Tao felt the cool breeze of the now evening on his wet cheeks.

"I won't hurt you though, I can't."

"I don't believe you. You took me from my home, left me in a cave, you tried to attack me."

"I can explain to you."

"You don't have to I'll die here. You won't be the one to kill me." With that Tao leaped off the edge. Yifan followed him.

In mid air Yifan grabbed a hold of Tao spin their body so he would be the one to get the impact and for the first time in his life, he willed the beast out.

Tao watched in fear and awe as Yifan transformed. It began with his arms. The vein and arteries thicken and pumped blood so hard it look to burst. His chest would then to glow as if his organ were on fire but instead of burning Tao, he felt warm. Lastly his eye changed from the pupil of a human to that of a reptile. Then his body magically changed into the beast.

He didn't have enough time to fly away so instead he fell. Yifan knew despite what he was the fall could possibly kill him. He didn't care. Tao was safe.

He wrapped his leathery wings around the boy before they crashed onto the rocks below.