The Dragon's Vessel

“You didn’t have have to come all the way out to walk me home.” Kimi’s blue eyes gave Natsu a fleeting look as they walked the dimly lit streets, navigating their way home and one step closer to dinner.

“I was in this area anyway,” Natsu stated matter-of-factly. “Besides it's too risky for you to walk home alone at this time of night.” He finished, wrapping his scarf tighter around him.

Kimi pouted, it had barely gotten dark but she knew he was right. “Last thing I want is a another lecture from Mama Jin,” Kimi laughed as Natsu joined in, once they had quietened down the stillness of the night settled over them like a blanket. “It’s so silent,” Kimi remarked as she noticed the further they walked the denser the fog around them got. “Natsu?” Kimi looked around but couldn’t see his pink hair anymore. “Natsu?!” She called louder but a grunt stopped her from calling again. Panic forced its way up within Kimi and she took a step back, almost tripping on a cracked piece of pavement.

“Kimi, run!” Natsu’s voice echoed around her and Kimi took off, unsure of which direction to actually go but she made out an alleyway and ducked behind some dumpsters. Breathing heavily Kimi dug her hand into her coat pocket and sub-consciously speed-dialed the house number.

Heart racing Kimi covered her mouth as a scared whimper caught in her throat. The streets were back to being silent, was Natsu okay? What was happening? Kimi tried to stop herself from shaking but couldn’t. A sudden bang is heard and Kimi moved to peer out from her spot, hoping to spot something, anything.

Kimi spotted shadows down the alley under a street light, three or four of them seemed to be assaulting a lone shadow and it fell into place. Natsu was the lone shadow fending off the others, the question was were these just random muggers or trained agents?

‘He just fed, he’ll be okay, right?!’ Kimi inwardly questioned as she watched a guy get knocked down and not get back up, feeling slightly relieved as she watched Natsu fight back. In that moment Kimi glanced down to check her phone but a shadow loomed over her and she snapped to look up at a black and purple masked man.

In the matter of a second Kimi was thrown across the alley and into the wall of the building opposite. Crying out in pain as her body slammed against it and slid down she landed, she was unable to move as she gasped for air.

“Kimi!” A mixture between a roar and an animalistic scream echoed down the alleyway as Natsu ploughed into the assailant, knocking him back and getting between him and Kimi. A ferocious growl escaped Natsu’s mouth as he smelt his vessel’s blood and he crouched down, a tail erupted from his lower back and Kimi watched in horror as he began to morph.

“N-Natsu…” Kimi moved to lift her hand toward him, trying to stop him from shifting, after all that’s what they wanted but it was too late. Horns burst through his temples and curved backwards as the bones in Natsu’s back shattered, giant skeletal wings tore out and tug into the ground, breaking concrete beneath them as they landed. By now Kimi was recovered enough to slowly sit up, watching the agents flock to them. Beneath their masks Kimi could almost feel the glee they radiated at seeing a dragonic shift. Feeling sick to her stomach Kimi struggled to stand up as she moved forward to stop Natsu but his tail flicked up and stopped her from getting any closer to him.

“Sorry Kem, but these bastards have me all fired up now!” Natsu growled as he launched forward, his hands had transformed into clawed talons as he went to swipe at the closest agent.

One by one the agents seemed to drop but as they fell others seemed to step in. Why were there so many of them? They must know about her dragons. A howl bought Kimi out of her thoughts and she glanced up to see Natsu get jumped. He went down and Kimi felt a painful sensation in her lower back.

“Natsu!” She called out in panic and someone close by turned and slammed their foot into the side of her head. She reeled off to the side, her ears rung and as she moved to curl up in pain she was dragged up and given no chance to recover.

“Careful!” One of the agents barked out to the man clutching Kimi, “she’s a rare one.”

“Ain’t they all special?” The man laughed without humor as his grip tightened around her forearms.

“Get off me,” Kimi slurred, trying to push him off her.

“Vessels are easier to break than their counterparts.” The man laughed as he moved to drag her off.

“No, no!” Kimi continued to put up a fight, thrashing wildly as she noticed the man take her towards a van. Another roar echoed out and Kimi struggled to see what was happening with Natsu. Finding her footing Kimi threw her head back and connected with the agent’s mask, for a moment he loosened his grip and Kimi managed to slip out of his hold and duck under him.

“Fucking bitch!” The agent snarled as he lunged toward Kimi. A grunt escaped her mouth as he collided with her, sending them both to the ground as Kimi flailed around trying to push him off of her. A cry escaped her and her eyes widened in horror as something painful sunk into her lower abdomen, the agent got up, cursing as he realised he had stabbed ‘the goods’. He glanced around, the humanoid was also lying in a heap of blood but so were almost all of the agents sent out. He cursed again, especially when he heard a roar from a different area but it was closing in and fast. He had to go and now.