29. Drakonis
29
DRAKONIS
C lara was taken. That damn Pythia held her prisoner, fueling her insecurities about their differences, and somehow Kazimir was a part of it.
“You dragons will pay for this! You allowed harm to come to our holy Pythia!” A hooded guard yelled while another was wrapping her wound. The older woman was shaking and sweating, but she deserved every minute of pain.
“The pain you are experiencing is minute compared to what you will experience if you do not get out of my sight,” Drakonis growled. The hooded men looked at him wide eyed. His glare was ice cold. This mess…he would have to take care of it quickly and go for Clara. Nero could not take her far.
The Pythia watched him.
“What is your relationship with…”
“Don’t you dare speak her name,” Drakonis interrupted, drawing his sword. His eyes cut to Kazimir. “I warned you.”
Kazimir looked pale.
“You can do nothing brother.” Kazimir looked to Konstantin. But not even their father could stop him.
“Drakonis! You both are my sons but that does mean you can duel each other.” Konstantin’s voice quaked. For once he feared one of his sons. Drakonis caught it.
“Drakonis, dear.” He could feel his mother’s gentling touch on his arm. He stiffened. This was not the time.
“Kazimir, you better hope that I can find my mate.” The air staled in the room. “If I cannot get her back, then you will die by hand in the most horrendous way by our laws.”
Mates were rare among dragon kind, and because of the caste system, many did not enact their rights, fearing repercussions. But Drakonis had no fear. He saw Clara’s visions, and the way she suffered. He saw Phaedrus and heard his possessive words. His time as the Heir would come whether she wanted to reveal it or not. He was now up against his own family and his ancestor. Clara had said publicly that humans could not love dragons, but she declared him her only love to Phaedrus.
Drakonis would be victorious.
Wings extended from his back. His hands and feet grew enlarged and scaly, this time not pure purple but white lining each scale, and some scales completely covered.
Half transformed, Drakonis broke through glass as he flew out. Outside was painfully normal . How could the sun continue to shine without his Clara? How were people able to walk, work, and talk? His most beloved love had just rejected and run away from him?
His white eyes scanned the skies. He could not see Nero, but he moved northwest. That was the way he would have to move if he were trying to get out of Ouroboros. Once he was close enough to get Clara’s scent he would track them down to the end of the earth. He would get her back.
His wings narrowed as he dove into the woods. Just as Nero, he would allow no one to see him open in the sky. He glided under branches, and when his boots touch the ground, he ran. Not even in war did he move with such haste where his heart hammered against his chest.
He would never force her, but he would never leave her. Clara was his mate. She rejected him for now, but he would do everything he could to change her mind. He had finally found the other half of his heart and soul. She was his everything. She was what he was looking for in life, yet never knew it.
A black dot appeared in the distance. Drakonis bared his teeth and pushed himself harder.
Two heartbeats. The black dot was black wings and horns with a bundle in his arms.
“Clara!”
As he said the name, Nero threw red flames in his direction. He dodged with ease, using his own white flames to tear branches or make blockades. Had Clara not been in his arms, Drakonis would have targeted Nero directly.
Another fireball came at him. Drakonis flexed his claws, withdrawing his sword and colliding with it, deflecting it to another direction.
Had the two of them been mated already they could communicate; they would be linked in a way no other could be. Not only could they feel each other’s feelings, but they could communicate telepathically. It was what made mates so dangerous. A communication that could not be tracked. A way to plot and kill without evidence. And a way to also torture another in the worst possible way. A small doubt formed in his heart. Did he really want that vulnerability?
An image of Clara’s smile appeared; the way she glided along the dance floor in the dress he had made only for her, and the beautiful blush she had when he presented her his kill at the Hunt. Yes. She was worth it; an honorable woman who lost herself in caring for those in her family, whose only desire was to be special to someone and just be herself. Just like him.
Gavril had always called him special. His mother had always wanted him to keep his dragon a secret. There were so many things he had to be to his soldiers, nobles, his brother and parents. But to Clara he was simply Drakonis. And it was the best feeling. One that he was never going to let go.
Drakonis broke off in another direction. Nero thought he knew the lands, but Drakonis knew them better than any other.
He jumped from tree branches and sped through long sharpened boulders that shot from the ground. He was moving like light itself, narrowing his wings to make him move with the wind. They were far from the castle. Far from evil eyes and near the border.
To his side, he saw the pair. Nero slowed down, glancing over his shoulder. Drakonis took the opportunity to jump from his spot in front of them. He heard a squeak and saw Clara’s wide eyes from Nero’s shoulder. Jealousy ate at him as he saw her tiny arms wrapped around his neck.
“You’re a fool.” Nero said.
“Clara.” Drakonis said, disregarding Nero. “Please.”
Don’t leave. Don’t shatter the heart he just discovered. Give him a real chance to confess. Give him a chance to love her the way she deserved. The way he wished.
There was so much in that one word he did not truly know which one he would pick.
“You are a danger to her. You know that,” Nero answered for her.
“I’m also a strength,” Drakonis countered. “An ally. And someone who loves her ferociously.”
“Those are sickening sweet words, but empty. You know that if you take her back to Ouroboros she will be killed.”
Drakonis spoke to Nero but held Clara’s gaze. There was conflict in those beautiful golden orbs. “Then I will be emperor. I will be an emperor and kill all that threaten my mate.”
“This woman is not your mate. She is a princess of Oceanus, and sister to my queen, and my queen has demanded that I take her if I feel she is danger. Look at her Drakonis! Does she look protected?”
Drakonis’s claws flexed. Bruises lined her delicate cheekbones and remnants of chains along her wrist and neck. Dried tear tracks ran down her round cheeks. His soul screamed in pain. If only he could have taken that pain in place of her.
“Give me another chance,” Drakonis said.
“Another chance will mean her death,” Nero answered for her.
“Clara,” Drakonis said. “Just let us talk. Please. Nero can say all he wishes, but he ultimately must do as you command.”
“I do as my Queen demands bastard.” Nero narrowed his eyes.
“Would your Queen want to hear you tore her sister from her lover just as she was from hers?” Drakonis did not know the details, but he did hear the great stories of how Ragnar, the immovable gargoyle king, took on the sea itself to get his queen back. He sacrificed his own self for the woman he loved. At first, Drakonis thought him a fool, but here he was, doing the same.
“Y-you must return your highness,” Clara said with a tremble.
“Must I punish you again princess?” The words were playful and earned him a faint smile. It was a small but one all the same. “Give me a chance to talk with you. No more secrets. Whatever frightens you, tell me, and I will help. Nero protects you out of duty, but I will defend you because of fervid love for you.”
Clara was still cradled in Nero’s arm. She was staring off in the distance, her hand grasping Nero’s tunic under his cloak. Nero’s eyes never left Drakonis’s, but nothing missed his eye. Drakonis knew his attention was fully on Clara. His duty to his king, and by extension his queen, was unshakeable. Nero leaned forward and whispered. Despite his sensitive hearing, he could not hear.
“Clara…”
Nero’s gaze narrowed.
“I want much from you,” Nero said to Drakonis. “You want time with her you will give me what I want.”
Clara gasped when she looked up. “Lord Nero…”
“Name it.” Drakonis would give him anything.
“Come. It is too dangerous to talk in the open,” Nero answered.
“Give me Clara.” Nero chuckled with an arched brow. He flexed his wings and flew off with his princess in his arms.
He expected a cave, a home in the trees, or a cavern behind a waterfall. Instead, he was in the dirtiest slums of his kingdom. A desolate part of Ouroboros that many pretended never existed. There was hardly any food, with the citizenry monstrous in hunger, and living off mostly forest creatures that scurried too far from their path. The sky was darker, covered in ash and soot flowing from the volcanoes of Lav in the distance. Drakonis’s heart lurched as he saw men, women, and children starving along the street. It was not as crowded as the last time he walked through there; but reality screamed the reason at him.
He continued to walk, his boots making imprints in the soft black dirt. None looked at him, Nero, nor Clara. It was the one place that Nero did not wear a disguise nor hide the fact that he was a gargoyle. No one cared. To them Nero was just another unfortunate.
They entered a small shack that could easily be blown down by a storm. Nero never released Clara’s arm. He approached a wall with the walls covered in broken shelves and torn tarps. Broken pottery sat on tables and half empty bags filled with moldy grain sat on the floors. The only visible art in this home was a faded and torn picture of his father. Drakonis did not see how, but Nero swiped something from a table, disappearing behind a tapestry. Drakonis followed, entering a closet with three pots. Graffiti coated the walls in crude symbols of their language. With a tap of his foot, a trap in the center opened, and Nero led the two of them downstairs.
It was dark even with his superior dragon vision. Nero had a fireball that led them down moldy stairs. Clara stumbled. Drakonis stepped forward to catch her, but Nero caught her, hauling her up to his shoulder. Drakonis growled. This game he played was getting old, and if they did not reach the meeting spot soon, he would steal his mate away from him.
Just a demure look over her shoulder, had his heart hammering. She looked haunted. A part of him briefly thought she could be leading him into a trap, but his heart stung. This honest woman would never do anything to hurt him. If she did, she never would have pushed him away.
Nero finally led him to a room that was more livable than what they had been through. It wasn’t as lavish as a noble’s room, but it was comfortable with a bed, fireplace, and a table where food and drink were. It looked occupied, but there was an emptiness about it.
Nero sat Clara down on a wooden chair. Her eyes were wide as she looked around, taking in the sights as he. Nero moved about like a ghost, grabbing a pitcher and pouring Clara water, and a compact majority of women used for their makeup.
“Put this on your bruises,” Nero commanded. Clara nodded without a noise and applied as commanded. Drakonis stepped towards her, intent on helping, but Nero stepped to block him.
“You have me here already,” Drakonis challenged.
“You know the rules of this game. We played it in war. Look but do not touch. An excellent bargaining chip when trying to get what you want.” Nero leaned towards the fire.
“Hurry and speak,” Drakonis growled.
“I know you are the Heir, but your position as Crown Prince is unknown,” Nero began.
“The Heir will be the Crown Prince.”
“The vision was interrupted. You know your bastard brother better than I. Kazimir is in a corner and will strike as prey does,” Nero gestured towards Clara. “He knows you are the Heir. That is why he called the Pythia. You are about to shatter the position he has upheld for at least three hundred years.”
“Five hundred and twenty,” Drakonis clarified. How could he forget the day his brother nearly killed him?
“I have worked with your ministers to get your nobles out and created a plan to get as many innocents as possible. I am giving you a chance to talk to Clara alone. ” Nero emphasized the last word. “Now I want something in return. As Heir, or Crown Prince, you will provide me with your power.”
“I do not even know my own powers. How do you expect me to help you?”
“I know this woman’s visions are solid. My queen has educated me on her own experiences, every one Clara’s had in Ouroboros has come true. She says you will have the powers of Hades and can move between the realms of the living and dead. Ragnar will need that power. You will give it to him.”
“Ragnar is the greatest warrior on the continent. He does not need me,” Drakonis answered, crossing his arms and tilting his head to the side, his neck cracking.
“Ragnar is the most powerful, and he needs all the strength he can get. He has told me of certain…enemies that need to be taken care of,” Nero answered.
“What enemies?”
“Enemies that are on a need-to-know basis, but if I’m being frank, killing your brother would be a good start.”
“Lord Nero!” Clara grabbed his arm, pinching him. She looked like his cute carbuncle when he wanted more treats.
“For what you have done for my people, and Clara, I will give you assistance,” Drakonis said.
Nero’s smile became wide. “Not afraid of being a traitor?”
“Kazimir’s words are smoke. Your kind are right bastards, but ones that I can rely on more than my own. If I may add to this agreement of ours?”
“Speak.” Nero’s stood straighter and stepped closer.
“I need my mother out. After today, I worry about what Kazimir’s actions will be towards those that aren’t perceived as loyal.”
“He’s a man that would kill his own birth giver? My, are we sure there are no god like qualities about him?” Drakonis rolled his eyes. Nero looked back at Clara then headed towards another door that he didn’t notice before. “I have things to do. If I have time, I’ll speak to the empress. Clara is not to leave this room. And please do well to not draw attention.” Nero smirked as he finally left.
Tension from the day seemed to drain from Drakonis’s shoulders.
The only sound in the room was the crackling of the fire. Clara was red-faced as she stared at the floor. She had snuck a few glances before and now she refused all together.
A human could never love a dragon.
I desire none but him.
He was about to see which statement held true.
Drakonis took the compact from her hand, caressing her fingers with his as he did so. Her breathing quickened, but she kept her lips shut to try and hide from him. Drakonis bent on one knee, while caressing the side of her face with his free hand.
“Clara.” She shook her head. He traced her body, running down her neck, shoulder, arm, and all the way to her tiny hand.
“I-I’m sorry,” she finally said.
“For what princess?”
Clara bit down on her lip until it faded white. Using his thumb, he pulled it free. Drakonis leaned closer, eager to taste them once again.
“I wanted to stop the awakening. I wanted…” Clara shook her head. “At first, I started this journey for my sister. My family. But then you became so wonderful.”
“I thought I was intolerable?”
Clara coughed out a laugh, her eyes glazing with tears.
“I can’t stop your awakening. In fact, I sped it along.” A tear left her amber eyes. “If I had just stayed in Oceanus then maybe this would not have happened.”
“If you had stayed in Oceanus, I never would have met you.” Drakonis wiped away one tear, and all the others as they fell. “I would still be a prince kept in the dark about his own history, and a son who is fighting petty battles all for a crown.”
“But Kazimir…”
“If you had not come, Kazimir would have found another way to undermine me. You’ve seen the way my father supports him. He would do everything he could to keep capitalizing on it. The Fates sent you here, Clara, to be my strength and heart.”
“The Fates sent me here to destroy you!” Clara raised her voice as she grabbed the lapels of his silken vest. “Listen to me Drakonis! I’ve seen your future.”
“You said you could not.”
“Phaedrus made sure that I did. He showed me more than that dream so long ago. There are no other possibilities. Your awakening will kill you. By proxy, I am killing you.” Clara pushed at his chest, the chair screeching across the stone floor as she paced the room. It was the most out of control he had seen.
“Clara…”
“No! Listen to me Drakonis! Phaedrus is your dragon! He has been grooming you your entire life! Once you awaken, he plans on forcing you to take his place at Hades’s side!” Betrayal stung his heart. Everything was starting to make sense, especially his dragon’s actions in the ruins. “When you flew me to the ruins it was the first time I spoke to him. Right before you fought that cyclops with the Drakaina he told me the plan. And during my vision today he…” She balled her tiny fists at her sides. “The awakening is a death and rebirth. The dragon you are today will not be who you are anymore.”
Drakonis stood. “Clara my death will not be final.”
“You will be changed in a way I cannot see. You are taking this too lightly!” Drakonis took a step towards her, and she stepped back. She was shaking. “I nearly lost my sister because I did not listen to the Moirai when they showed me Axel’s evil. My home was destroyed! Gods be damned if I destroy your life. I won’t do it Drakonis!”
“Why are you fighting so hard for me Clara?”
“Because I care for you. You have been nothing but kind to me.”
“Is that the extent of it?” Drakonis pushed. “This awakening will be an asset to the continent for this future war you and Nero have talked about.”
“We can find another way. I’m tired of sacrifices.”
“And if I choose to accept my destiny?” Clara’s breath caught in her throat. Drakonis continued. “Answer. Why are you fighting so hard for me?”
“I did.”
“You avoided it. Do you love me?”
Clara could not lie. It was dirty to ask such a direct question but just as Nero said, there are tricks he knew from war.
“Why would you ask me that? Why now?” Clara asked.
“I remember a certain book you found in our library. Tell me, what happens when a dragon finds his mate?” Clara licked her lips. Her eyes looked him up and down.
“T-they become the very heart of a dragon.”
“That’s right,” Drakonis confirmed. “A mate is a rare thing to find for it’s a dragon’s greatest weakness and strength. A dragon would walk through the Underworld, swim through its seven rivers, fight every god in their path, if he knew his mate was awaiting him.”
“There are no records of a dragon mating a human. You said so yourself.”
“I have been wrong before.” Drakonis grabbed her shoulders. “Clara, we are not as we once were. My attraction to you has become an obsession. In the forest, I tested this. After we left the ruins, I was positive, but in the garden…” The tips of black and silver hair intertwined with hers. “I knew it. Down to my bones I knew you were my mate. You complete me. Thrill me. Make me yearn.”
“I will lead you to the Underworld,” Clara whispered.
“Then we will escape on Cerebus’s back. All these burdens you feel, I will shoulder.” His locked her chin in between his fingers. She had all the power, but he would not give up. “Tell me you love me, princess, and I swear to you I will become victorious in all our battles. I will give you everything you desire and bring all that insult you to ruin. Just make this burning stop.”
He would not make the same mistake as his mother and Gavril. Even for political gain he would never take another wife or lover. There was no other than Clara.
“What about your home?” she whispered. Her hands inched closer to his chest, albeit with a shake.
“You are my home. My heart. And the very air and fire I breathe. I swear upon my honor.”
Instead of touching his chest, she grasped the hand on her chin. He moved with her. She kissed each digit and caressed every knuckle.
“Drakonis…I…I love you.”
The last word barely left her lips when he kissed Clara. Fire consumed him. One hand cradled the back of her head while the other pulled her close by her lower back, fingers digging into the tops of her bottom.
“Clara…my princess,” he said in between kisses. Her hands ran under his vest, pulling his kymu . A whine left her lips making him chuckle. Clara bit his bottom lip with her adorable glare. “Say what you wish, my mate.”
Reasoning melted away leaving a blushing face and curious eyes. Her fingers started at the scales on his cheeks, down his neck, back to where her hands just were.
“I want to see how far your scales go,” Clara whispered.
Drakonis’s mouth became dry. Heat built in his lower belly, swelling deliciously. He grabbed her by the behind, hoisting her up. He swiped away everything on the small, rounded table, and pressed himself into her as his lips crushed hers once again. With every caress of her tongue his actions grew wilder. Clara pulled the silk zakh from his waist searching for the waistband of his batluns . Drakonis did as she desired, removing his vest and kymu , exposing his wide chest to her.
“Clara…” he panted, feeling her kiss every scale along his pectorals and sternum. He guided her head, keeping her from cutting her beautiful lips on his raised scales. Drakonis stepped out of his boots and reached for her dress.
Her silhouette grew up the walls, exaggerating the curves of her neck and back, each of which he would lick and bite. The fantasy he had since he saw her in the waterfall and the gardens would come to fruition.
The table shook when he pushed his hands up her thighs, under her thin dress. Her heat was pulsating the higher he went.
“Remove your clothes,” he growled. He would not be as patient as the gardens. He had nearly lost her, and this time he would bind her in a way she could not escape.
Clara reached for a string behind. “Keep your eyes on mine.” She nodded. He watched as she released string after string, the tops of her cotton dress melting off, her golden breasts and brown hardened nipples reaching towards him. As his tongue played with one pearl, his fingers played with the other after ripping all the fabric from her petite body. They could have been torn. He honestly did not care. All he wanted was her.
“Drakonis!” She ran her fingers through his hair and down his back as he suckled. Her body arched towards him, her hips bucking. Her fingers teased the scales lining his spine, and he pulled her thigh, making her fall back an inch or two.
“Tonight, there is no turning back. We will complete our mating. You will be mine.” Something primal drove him. Pulling apart her knees he felt like a man lost in the dessert. Human women were small and frail, but he would fit. She was made for him. “Touch yourself Clara.” Her took one of her hands that was anchoring her from the tabletop, having her insert a digit inside herself. He remembered how glorious it felt, and he wanted her to experience it too. “I want to see you desire me.”
He wanted her to moan his name and beg.
She was hesitant, but did as he requested, first with one finger. He moved his thumb through her dark curls and over that hidden pearl.
“Move in circles,” he said, his eyes not leaving. She would mimic his movements and ease her body in preparation for his. Another finger joined as she rolled them over herself in a circle, diagonally, in all ways until she had lost herself.
“Such a good girl,” Drakonis moaned.
Clara whispered his name, pushing him to his limit. He applied more pressure, pressing his hand into hers. There was nothing demure about how their hands moved inside of her.
“Ah!” Clara gasped.
His hand went to his own heat, grasping at the base and moving upwards. Clara’s eyes broke from his, watching him as he was watching her. He was a man who took his pleasure and went on his way, but with Clara, he would savor it. Right now, time was short, but he would give her all she could dream.
Her hand was moving faster, even adding a third finger. Such tiny digits would not satisfy her long, but he would help. A thin sheen of sweat coated her skin, but Drakonis would not let her stop.
Her thighs trembled. It seemed she was close. He pulled her by the leg, his cock moving up her belly and touching the underside of her breasts. With him in between her legs she could not close them and keep him from this beautiful image.
“Drakonis…” She whimpered. Her eyes widened. With her free hand she cautiously touched him. He would be her first. He would lessen her pain as much as he could, but he would fit. He knew he would. The gods made her just for him.
Soon he would build her confidence. He would take her in every way a man could have a woman, and she would have him in the same way.
He kissed her. Pressed into her nub harder, alternating in circles then vertical motions. He released himself, holding her other thigh open.
Clara opened her mouth in a soundless scream. Her hand had stilled inside herself, but he kept going. He needed her as wet as possible. His mate would feel the least amount of pain as possible.
She grasped his arms, holding herself steady. He took her damp fingers in his mouth, licking away the wetness that clung to them. Clara blushed but kept her legs far apart.
“I feel….as if… I’m on a cliff.”
“Fall princess.” Drakonis gasped. “Fall to the pleasure so that I may fill your body with my own. Let me bring you to heights you could never imagine.”
Drakonis shifted the friction of his fingers back to circles and it was not long until Clara arched her back. Her nectar squirted then slipped out of her. Drakonis licked his dry lips, mesmerized by the sight.
“You please me so Clara.” A fire ignited in her eyes. It had to be enough. He could no longer wait. “Wrap your arms around my neck,” Drakonis growled. She did as he commanded. He held her thighs as wide as her hips, tilting her in the perfect position from the table. His nose grazed the pulse on the inside of her arm. It was racing. He licked then nipped where her veins were. He heard her whisper words of love, something he had dreamed so long she would say. Clara leaned her head forward, beckoning him to kiss her. He rolled his hips, grazing her entrance with his wide, thick, tip. His palms rolled over the dips at her hips, over and under her bum. He kneaded her skin as he kissed her lips, moving his tongue in her mouth as he intended to take her. Clara’s tongue battled his, running along his cheeks, the ridges along the roof of his mouth, and his sharpened canines. Those tiny hands of hers tangled in his long hair, her thumbs rubbing the edge of his hairline and under his pointed ears. She was ready for him. And he was eager for her.
Drakonis thrust once, tearing through the thin barrier of her maidenhead. He could only describe it as euphoria.
“Gods!” Clara yelled. Her breasts bounced as he pistoned into her. The tightness around his fingers did not compare. His cock was suffocating with how tight she held him. Every time he tried to pull out, she beckoned him back.
A couple tears left her beautiful almond shaped eyes, but she never told him to stop.
He would give her slow and loving later, but right now desperate desire ran through him. And she seemed to feel the same. Slightly raised scales along his swelling member was friction against her tight walls. Nothing had felt so perfect.
“Tell me if I hurt you,” he gasped.
“Just don’t…stop…please,” Clara said. The time their lips were apart was too long. She took his this time, teasing the seam of his lips, and nipping at the corners. Their tongues twisted together, merging their tastes. He could hardly tell where his ended and hers began. Their breaths and pants intermingled.
“Never mate…”
Clara pulled him forward, releasing his neck and falling back on her elbows. His body fully blanketed hers. Drakonis took her small breast in his mouth, massaging the other with his hand. He rubbed the nipple between his long fingers and plucking the hardening bud. Her legs straightened then hooked over his shoulder, locking around his head. Gods, the way this woman contorted her body made the sensations even better. The only sounds in the room were their skin slapping, gasps, and moans.
Once her breasts were marked from teeth and claws, he grabbed her buttocks once more, digging his nails in each cheek. One of Clara’s legs fell from his shoulder, bending at the knee. The small table creaked under the weight of their bodies. Damn the wood. If it broke, he would have her on the floor. And the wall. Every surface of the room really.
“Clara…Clara…”
His beloved looked lost in the passion, meeting him thrust for thrust. Her heel dug into the muscle of his shoulder. Her black hair was wild around her head, tendrils sticking to her forehead and cheek. He could smell a little blood but could not see it.
He was close. The more she moved the deeper he went.
Their kiss was feral, but he could no longer breathe the air that was not hers. He would have her all night, but he could not bear to stop this now.
Shadows covered her body, then gold dust that took the form of familiar characters. Her eyes, and sweaty body, sparkled.
“I love you.” Drakonis said again. “I dedicate everything thing of mine to you. My mate. You will never walk alone in this world.”
His weepy woman let more tears from her eyes fall.
“Never let me go Drakonis. I love you. Every part of you.”
With their whispered words, the sweet fire filling his body exploded with both yelling each other’s names in ecstasy.