Prologue
#1 of Lonely Hearts
Darkness settles on the land as the sun descends beyond the horizon. A cool breeze dips and weaves its way through the trees. As the stars begin to appear, and as the night chill begins to bed down, a rip materializes under the harvest moon. Small at first, it appears no bigger then a firefly, gently glowing in the darkness. After several moments it begins to expand, revealing a portal. In a rush of heat and fire all traces of the chill vanish. A violent blaze begins to consume the surrounding growth with a fierce passion. From the rift comes a young man dressed in black and harboring an un-profound hatred towards humans. If not for his piercing blue eyes, resembling those of a dragon, he would appear to be human himself. With him is a small dragon, young and impulsive. As the two observe their surroundings, clouds begin to fill the sky. In a matter of moments the storm is upon them, drenching them to the bone. The remaining flames soon wither and die, leaving behind only blackened earth.
"How bothersome." Says the dragon. "Perhaps it would be wise to find shelter for the evening." The man says nothing, not even bothering to glance at the dragon. With long, graceful strides, he begins to make his way towards the edge of the forest. Not wanting to be left behind the dragon rushes after him.
"Where are you going? We have a job to do remember? We're supposed to find the nearest human settlement and merge ourselves among their ranks. Would you slow down?" Complains the dragon.
"The nearest human settlement is this way." Without another word he continues on his way, not caring whether the dragon stayed or followed. His eyes staring straight ahead he quickens his pace.
"Fine, be an asshole! I'm going this way. I hope you freeze to death in this rain. Have fun without me."
"Oh don't worry, I intend to." Still staring ahead he breaks into a brisk run, easily picking his way through the dense undergrowth. With a sigh of annoyance the young dragon goes his own way, only briefly pondering over his choice. Finally deciding on a course of action he opens his wings and launches himself into the sky.
"We'll see who was right...." Making his way higher into the sky, he scans the surrounding area for any sign of life. With a growl of annoyance he spots a town, in the same direction in which his companion had gone. "That bastard was right. Damn I hate that guy." In a fit of rage he unleashes a torrent of fire into the clouds. "I'll show him.." With a final flap of his wings he sets off in the opposite direction.
Unknown to either of them, there are a pair of eyes watching them from beyond the forest. A young women from the city in which the man is headed towards. Slowly, she weaves her way through the trees, the grace of the earth in her movements. With long silver hair and emerald eyes, her beauty is a rare thing to behold. There is no one else like her, nor will there ever be.
"How interesting, a Dracian in my territory." Crouching down and digging her hands and feet into the soft earth, she lets out a howl of excitement. In a flurry of feathers, a murder of crows, that had been resting in the surrounding trees, take flight, terrified of the creature now moving below them. Moving as quickly and quietly as possible, she races into the city. Not able to see his location she sniffs the air, searching for any trace of his scent. It only takes her seconds to find the trail. Dodging between buildings she finally finds him.
"And who, may I ask, are you?" She says, in a light flurty tone. Startled, he whirls around to face her, his body tense and ready to fight. "I've never seen a Dracian before. I must admit, you are quiet handsome. How does one such as yourself come to this world?" Slowly he allows his body to relax, but never drops his guard.
"How would a human know of the Dracians?" He questions, his eyes never leaving her face.
"Human?" She laughs, a deep husky laugh. "I am not a human." In the blink of an eye she transforms into a stunningly beautiful creature. "I am a hybrid, a wolf fox hybrid. To be more specific I am part Arcane wolf and part nine-tailed fox." As if to flaunt herself, she circles around for him, showing him her nine long, white, silky tails. In the moon light her coat glistens like newly fallen snow.
"I didn't know there was a such thing. I've never heard..."
"That's because I am the only one of my kind. Creature like me are not supposed to exist, and yet here I am. You never did answer my question. Who are you?" Playfully she tilts her head in question, gazing at him with her emerald eyes, eyes so piercing they seem to look into your soul.
"My name his Alterious Blackheart. I have come to your world to study the humans, as well as any other creature of interest."
"Am I of interest?" She purrs. "I would be happy to let you study me as closely as you wish. I promise not to bite, unless you want me to of course." Blushing, he shifts his gaze to a far off object. Despite his cold, strong appearance, interest shown brightly on his face.
"And what exactly do you mean when you say study? I'm not sure if I understand your meaning..." Before he can finish she moves over to him and begins to nuzzle his ear affectionately, sending shivers of pleasure down his spine.
"I'll take on any form you like. My natural form, human form, a mix of both. What would you like?" Unable to speak he pulls himself away to gather himself.
"Are you always like this?"
"Only when I see something I like, or when I'm in heat. So, are you interested?" With another blush, and a gulp he nods his head. "Hehe good. Follow me, I know the perfect place."