"Sorry," he whispered at her as she spoke with an air of despair. "I shall do my best not to die though if I have to chose between your life and my own, we both know which one I'll save." He paused, hoping she would swoon a bit at how charming he was acting. "Uh, me. Duh." He puffed his cheeks out before cheekily rolling his eyes. His cute, abrupt laugh came next though he stifled it quickly for he didn't want to over do it. "Sorry, Princess, but I'm way more important." He couldn't stop. He had to keep teasing. "Have you not seen me?" Izzavin motioned for her eyes to scan his body. Yes, he was handsome. Yes, he would look great with that shirt off. "I am hot," he quipped with a wry grin jerking at his lips. "And," he stepped closer. His breath, sweet and minty, wrapped around her. It engulfed her, swallowing her whole without any signs of letting go. "I'm single."

That once coy grin grew into something silly. His golden orbs swirled with delight and childish glee as he poked fun at the petite woman before him. A soft, heartfelt laugh echoed throughout the caverns as Izzavin wiped away the tears that formed in the corners of his eyes. He was really enjoying himself, thinking himself probably funnier than he really was.

As his laughing continued, his tummy muscles began to ache. No longer able to keep his chuckle going, the taller man doubled over before sucking in a ragged, dry breath. Again, he wiped away the little drops at the edges of his brilliant orbs.

"Sorry," his smile was youthful. He gazed up at her with the bright, golden eyes. He looked so young, as if he hadn't seen a war once. Only, within those coin-colored eyes laid a darkness that shimmered in the far corners. He had been through a lot. Experienced and witnessed death firth hand--and far too many times to count. And yet, he was able to suppress it all when beside this woman. She was the light he needed on the darkest, rainiest of days.

Rolling his shoulders back, he towered over her once more. Hands slipping around his taut chest, he set his enduring gaze on her. Their eyes locked and, for a fleeting moment, his cheeks flushed a pinkish hue. Unable to hold back his fiddling, his pearly white teeth nipped at his lower lip, tugging it in as he nervously forced his gaze off her.

"Anyway," Izzavin ran a hand through his luscious green hair, "shall we continue? I'm sure there's more to this quest than a movie about our beginning." Eyes shifting back to her, the blush was no more. Or at least it didn't show outwardly. Within, a passion as wild as a fire spread throughout his body. Every inch of his body yearned for her touch and his ears sought out three little words he knew he would--and should--never hear: "I love you."

Izzavin stepped past her, looking into the glowing cavern that extended before them. Head tilting to the side, he wondered what fate might have in store for him. Would this all just be a big history lesson? He doubted it. At some point, there would be a trial and it would allow them to blossom and grow. Or rather, it would allow Zalanna to bloom into the princess her kind needed. Izzavin doubted his ability to become something more. He was afraid that he ripped that destiny from his life the moment he betrayed the crown.

Grimace taking hold, his eyes glazed back over with those ghosts that taunted him time and time again.

"Zalanna," his voice crawled slowly from his throat. "Why do you trust me?" Head swiveling, his golden gaze beheld her sweet stare.

Izzy's response drew Zalanna's brow into a furrow; she didn't like the idea of anyone throwing their life away to save her, it just didn't seem right. The idea of that happening made the woman feel as though she were unable to protect herself and at that point, that really could have been true but she had to change that. The tone in the male's voice quickly changed though as he answered his own question.

She smiled, shaking her head, appreciative that she didn't have to think about the fact that one day, someone close to her may risk their life to protect her. He seemed to enjoy his little banter as he took a step closer to her after mentioning he was hot, only to accentuate the fact that he was single. The smell of mint, the familiar scent of Izzavin filled the woman's senses as he spoke to her, making her unaware as to if he really was just inches from her or if her mind were playing tricks on him. Images from back at the lake flashed through her mind, her cheeks quickly reddening as Izzy's gaze went from coy to more playful. Soon enough the man was doubling over from laughter, Zalanna bringing a hand over her mouth; just what had she been thinking?

The green haired male didn't seem the list bit bothered or concerned about what had happened; such a thing bothered the woman, though even that confused her. Why should it bother her? It's not like Izzy was going to try to do anything to her, but still, the fact he could approach her and say things so freely, it made her head spin. Shaking the thoughts from her head, Izzy appologized before catching her gaze once again.

The dragon was a wonder, he really was and a mystery at that. The only of her kind that she could recall and helped to raise her from afar. There was a confidence about him, that was for sure, but also the hint of vulnerability, though Zalanna had no idea why. As he ran a hand through his hair, he beckoned that they should continue; the woman nodded, quickly falling into step just behind him.

The cavern they were in seemed much darker now, only illuminated by glowing veins of who knew what coursing through the walls. The darkness messed with Zalanna's sight some; her night vision, while better than that of a human clearly didn't seem to be anywhere near as powerful as Izzy's. She reached out to grab the hem of his shirt to help lead her, but hesitated once the material brushed her finger tips.

Her eyes remained locked on the fabric until she heard her name. His deep voice speaking to her once again caused the woman to jump, recoiling her hand back to clasp the other in front of her. Tilting her head to the side at the male's question, she thought about it. Why did she trust him? Rita had always said that Zalanna was one to trust too easily, but Izzy, she felt like she trusted him on another level, even on a different level than Rita, but she wasn't sure what that meant.

She pulled her gaze from Izzy's golden orbs and traced the glowing purple veins with it instead. She hummed slightly as she thought about the question, though no real solid answer formed. "A gut feeling?" She said, though it sounded more of a question than an answer. Her bright blue eyes fell back to the male as she said, "Somewhere deep within me, I know I can trust you. Something leads me to trust you." A small smiled formed on her lips as she added, "Even if I wanted to not trust you, I don't think I could."

Her mannerisms drew a small smile to his features. She always had a way of looking innocent and youthful, despite being raised by the very sensual and moody Tsuri. How had Tsuri's extravagant lifestyle not marred Zalanna's naive mind? Did she not see what the gypsy woman did, especially around men?

Shaking his head, he felt his hand touch the fabric above his heart. She was still pure and with much to learn. She would truly make a fine queen, even if she doubted herself along the way.

As she drew forth her answer--though it seemed more like a stab in the dark--Izzavin found himself smiling. There was a warmth that swelled within. His cheeks took on a pinkish hue, though neither would see this for the cavern was just too dark, even with the dimlit purples swirling in the rocks along the way.

Keeping still for a long while, he finally spoke. His voice had that air of cockiness to it. "Well that's a dangerous confession." Of course, his words were just me to tease and toy with her. As such, brushed against her lightly before drawing to a halt. Though within, Izzavin's heart was all a flutter. She trusted him and knew not why? Was that not a sign from above that they were meant to be?

Once again, the cavern seemed to split. Now five different paths sat before them, all of which gave Izzavin a bad feeling.

Shoulders falling back, his eyes skidded to Zalanna. "I'm not sure I like these options laid out before us." His voice held concern, though he did his best not to let it shine through completely. "I suggest we pick one and stick together." He had no intention of getting split up from his princess.

In the darkness, his hand reached out across the void between them to find strength in her tiny hand. Wrapping his fingers security around hers, the green haired dragon man guided Zalanna closer to his form until their shoulders were just a few inches apart.

Head turning slightly to the side, he smiled down at her. It was soft and reassuring, just like the hand holding her own. "Whatever lies ahead, we'll face it together, my lady."

Zalanna tilted her head slightly as they made their way through the nearly pitch black caverns. "Why is that? You have done me no harm, have taught me many things and have protected me on a few occassions already," she said counting on her slender fingers. Her aqua eyes then rolled back up to look back at him as she added, "Should you have wished me harm you would have done it already. Oh, and I doubt Rita would have let me gone with you if it meant I would be in danger."

She felt him touch against her lightly as the tunnel they were in split apart. The two of them stopped and the woman looked before her, barely hearing what Izzy was saying at that point.

She stood there in silence, though somehow the tunnels didn't really seem silent to her anymore. It was as though they were talking to her, saying something, but she couldn't catch what. Her brow furrowed slightly as she tried to listen in to what was being said.

A warmth grasped her hand, causing the smaller woman to jump slightly, looking up at the male. His words were re-assuring, they would face this together. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and a warm, soft breeze seemed to pick up for a moment before the woman's eyes opened again. "This way," she said as she led them down the second to the right tunnel.

She pulled them through the darkness, the cave floor below them soft, void of most tripping hazards. This tunnel though, seemed a bit shorter before it opened up into a large cavern, a massive stone in the middle, looming over the duo.

Before her, Zalanna saw the walls spark and flash like lightning, the booming of thunder nearly deafening. She felt her hand pull from Izzy's as she saw this, though she couldn't pull her eyes away from the center to see if he were seeing the same thing. Her feet took a few steps back as the massive dragon on the stone roared at her, no, it was no longer a stone, it was the dragon. The creature stood nearly as tall as the cavern ceiling, which was smaller than the one that had housed the pools they were at earlier.

The dragon was dark, eyes bright light lightning; his wings were massive, arms strong and massive spikes lining either side of his spine. The dragon lowered its head, the nearness of it causing Zalanna to take a few steps back, though the beast countered her steps with his own, each one rumbling the earth around her.

Hands back at her side, her finger tips brushed against stone as her back hit the wall. A dark, evil laughter rumbled through Zalanna's head as the dragon's snout neared her face. She broke her gaze from the beast as he seemed to sniff her. You will fail, my dear Princess, a dark voice echoed through her head.

"Why delay the inevitable?" The voice said, though this time, not in her head. Turning her gaze back, Zalanna saw a maroon haired male with deadly red orbs watching her, the smile on his face intoxicating in both danger and power. "You could join me now and not worry about any of this." The man said as he held out a hand. "Together we can rule the dragons, bring them back to the power they once had and eve more."