9. WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY HUMAN?

The man had remained silent, yet Esthela found his gaze unsettling. As night descended, cloaking the world in darkness amidst a fierce blizzard, she finally managed to pry open her room's window with considerable effort. Once assured of their slumber, she slipped out and made for the cave. The blizzard raged around her, hindering her progress; the pitch-black night disoriented her. She felt she might very well perish in the cold, collapsing onto a snowdrift in exhaustion.

Prince Erick, having rescued her and left her in the cave, was convinced of her safety there. Moreover, he believed Esthela had neither the desire nor the means to flee due to the magical barrier he had erected at the entrance. Taking further precautions, he had bound her to him with a spell that allowed him to sense her wellbeing at all times.

Content in the belief of her security, he had returned to his friend Oryun, where Princess Luddie and Princess Ranys of the Fire Kingdom resided—Ranys, in particular, held a special place in his regard.

“And aren't you going to tell us, Prince Erick and Oryun, what you are doing?” Princess Luddie asked.

"I'm not quite sure what you imply, Princess," said Prince Erick, attempting to dodge the question.

"Oh come now, Prince Erick," Princess Ranys chimed in with a hint of impatience. "We're not naive. What business takes you to the land of humans?"

"Eh? How did you come by that knowledge?" he queried, taken aback.

The princesses erupted into laughter. "Ha ha ha ha... we didn't know, but now we do!"

They all laughed and carried on conversing. Once the dance had concluded, Oryun and Prince Erick escorted the princesses back to their kingdom. After bidding them farewell and returning to the imperial palace, Prince Erick sensed his human, Esthela, engulfed by fear. He hastened to the cave where he had left her, only to find, to his astonishment, that she was not there. What was it about this human that enabled her to breach his magical barriers?

"Didn't you claim you had her securely confined?" Oryun enquired.

Still baffled by Esthela's escape through his formidable magical barrier, the prince replied, "Indeed, but she's managed to escape once more. I can't fathom how."

"Are you certain you're enacting the spells correctly?" Oryun probed further.

The prince nodded gravely and peered into the distance, where he sighted his human, Esthela, among other humans. "I am performing the spells correctly. I don't understand how she's able to escape. Look there—she's with humans."

Oryun followed his gaze and suggested, "Leave her be; she appears to be well cared for. Let us return to the palace lest we arouse suspicion. Later, we can retire to the cave."

"Very well," agreed the prince.

Every day, the prince observed Esthela for hours, seeking an opportunity to reclaim her. Yet the lady kept constant company with her, and he was loath to raise the local villagers' suspicions of his presence. Observing that Esthela seemed to be in good spirits, he gradually allowed his vigilance to wane. However, that tranquillity was shattered one night when he sensed her overcome with fear.

Upon his arrival, he witnessed her slipping out of the human dwelling and making her way towards the cave amidst a ferocious storm. Why would she undertake such a perilous act? With each passing day, the prince found his understanding of his human diminishing ever more.

Esthela had resigned herself to her fate and thought she was going to die of cold when she once again felt the immense claws on her shoulders and was filled with relief. This time, she raised a hand; though she could not see, she could feel the legs of a vast creature.

'What sort of monster could it be?' she wondered, frightened, yet she did not let go until it had set her down in its cave. By the noise of its wings and the swirling of the snow, she knew it was a gigantic being. However, despite the overwhelming fear, she forced herself to turn around and, though she could not see it, she said,

'Thank you for saving me again, and forgive me for allowing myself to be captured once more.'

She received no reply, just the sound of wings beating the air. She bowed to the whirlwind of snow and continued,

'I promise I won't let it happen again; I will stay here locked away until you decide what you are going to do with me.'

The prince, with considerable effort, had managed to bring her to the cave amidst the violence of the storm; he was truly exhausted. Therefore, he focused his energy and willed himself to reappear in his chamber within the imperial palace. He needed to replenish his strength fully before returning to Earth.

He was cognisant of the fact that his time there was limited; his energy was depleting, and time was swiftly passing. He rolled over atop his vast hoard, ready to succumb to slumber, when he sensed her terror. And now what the hell was wrong with his human?

The prince rose, somewhat irked that his human would not grant him a moment's peace. Had she not just assured him that she would not leave the cave? He had only left her alone for a brief span, and now he was compelled to return to discern the cause of her terror.

'So now what's the matter with your pet?' Oryun inquired, whom he had summoned. He intended to leave her in Oryun's care so that he might finally rest.

'I don't know; I've only just left her in the cave,' the prince responded, his annoyance evident. 'You will stay to watch over her, lest I lose all my strength.'

'Very well, proceed while I distract your cousin,' Oryun consented, gesturing subtly. 'Look there; he's observing us.'

The prince followed his gaze and nodded in agreement. 'Alright.'

Upon his return, he discovered it was daylight in the human realm and that numerous men were scouring the mountain meticulously. What had transpired? That mountain was usually desolate. Perhaps the humans who had sheltered Esthela presumed she was lost and were thus searching. How did he not think that could happen? He must have unwittingly led her to the cabin. He was on the verge of initiating a search for Esthela when he caught sight of her.

Esthela, gripped by fear, was scaling the mountain with considerable difficulty towards the summit. The prince watched, his thoughts racing. How on earth had she managed to penetrate his magical barrier, impervious even to the mightiest of dragons? Had she remained within the cave, she would have been concealed from human eyes, for the barrier camouflaged the entrance, blending it seamlessly with the earth.

But no, his mischievous human had absconded once again, and to compound matters, she was egregiously inept in the snow. As he observed her desperate ascent, he mused with a tinge of regret, 'Why did I have to become so taken with a human?'

The prince drew in a deep breath, his thoughts racing. He couldn't allow those merciless humans to capture her. She was his human! He was resolute in his decision to never let them harm her, even if it meant concealing her within the royal palace. She belonged to him!

Thus, he scrutinised his options. Lifting her into the air was out of the question; it was broad daylight and they would be seen. Perched aloft, he racked his brains for a solution when his friend Oryun materialised, glancing back insistently.

'We must depart; Trosten is on my trail. He's determined to uncover our activities here, descending every hour,' Oryun declared.

The prince, his gaze still locked on Esthela, responded with grave seriousness. 'We cannot abandon her. Observe how fervently they pursue her.'

The prince gestured towards the hounds, which had evidently picked up Esthela's scent. She was ascending the slope, fervently hoping he would appear and whisk her to safety. The man who had given her refuge over the past few days had, upon a trip to the village, learnt of Esthela's true identity and had alerted Florian to claim the reward. He had set out at dawn, given the proximity of the villages to one another.

Esthela was petrified; she recognised those beasts that resembled demons more than dogs. They were feared by all, for once they caught a scent, they were relentless in their pursuit.

That day, to her misfortune, Esthela had decided to take a stroll up the hill. The barking of the pack sent a chill down her spine as she witnessed a group of men arrive on the slope and commence a thorough search. She knew they were after her; the faces of those scouring the mountain were familiar.

From her hiding spot, she watched as the dogs turned their snouts towards her, sniffing the air just behind the large boulder that concealed her. Realising her precarious situation, she emerged and started to clamber further up the slope. It was then that she heard Florian's cries.

'It's her, get her! Get her...!' he bellowed.

Esthela trudged through the snow, each step a battle against the drifts that hindered her progress. She climbed as high as her terror-stricken legs would carry her. Meanwhile, Prince Erick was at a loss for how to assist her without revealing his presence. The dogs were gaining on her, their barks echoing up the hill, when he overheard his friend.

'I have an idea to conceal her from the humans,' his friend whispered.

'What is it? Speak quickly,' the prince urged.

'I'll enfold her in my wings, and you can transport us both. But we must be swift; Trosten is hot on our heels,' he suggested, mindful of their shared invisibility.

The prince considered this a stroke of genius and reassured his friend, 'Forget Trosten; he cannot see us now. Let's proceed! I'll trigger an avalanche to make them believe she was caught in it.'

'Good idea,' Oryun concurred.

Without delay, the two invisible dragons descended towards Esthela, who was desperately trying not to slip down the slope. Oryun enveloped her within his wings and secured her, while Prince Erick hoisted them aloft, beating his wings with might, thus dislodging a cascade of snow that tumbled down the slope. With Esthela safely in tow, they took flight.