"Mistress of the Night, huh? That's quite an interesting name they've given you," a man's voice suddenly spoke up from somewhere nearby. His voice was strangely melodic and pleasant, with a distinctive touch of deepness that made it memorable and attention-catching.
Since the voice had come from behind and to the right side, Aiona had to turn her head to see who this insolent person was that dared to be so casually disrespectful to someone the merchants were literally worshipping.
As she began to turn, everything around me seemed to shift into slow motion. A powerful sense of foreboding suddenly filled the air, heavy and electric. As the anticipation built with agonizing slowness, so did Aiona's heartbeat. It pounded loudly: "Thump. Thump. Thump." Each beat echoed in my consciousness.
And finally, her—our—eyes landed directly on the owner of that distinctive voice.
And the absolute instant we saw him clearly, we both knew with absolute certainty: he was our fated mate. The recognition was instantaneous and undeniable.
Up on the ship's deck, leaning casually against the wooden railing fence, stood a man. He had one hand supporting his chin in a relaxed, almost lazy posture. His striking green eyes were distinctly mischievous, sparkling with intelligence and humor. They gleamed and sparkled like precious emerald gems caught in direct sunlight. He had vivid red hair and a neatly trimmed red beard. His hair was rather long, and he kept portions of it braided in some places, decorated with small metal rings and colorful jewel accessories woven into the braids.
His overall appearance made him look remarkably similar to Salime, my childhood friend. But as I peered more carefully into his expressive eyes, I could clearly see he wasn't the same person at all. This man was fundamentally different—there was a wildness and freedom in his gaze that Salime had never possessed.
Aiona's breath suddenly hitched sharply. A small, involuntary gasp escaped from her mouth. And I could immediately see the reason for that shocked reaction. There was a glowing red thread—starting from her heart and extending directly to his, connecting them visibly. The fated mate bond, made manifest.
But before Aiona could formulate any response to the man's comment, someone from the ship's crew suddenly grabbed him roughly by the shoulders from behind. He was forcefully pushed down and made to kneel on the deck.
"How dare you speak so disrespectfully about the Mistress of the Valleys, you ignorant fool!" an older, grizzled man who had forced him to his knees shouted angrily. "I knew this was your first voyage with our crew, but I had no idea you were this completely clueless about basic respect! Immediately ask forgiveness from the Great Dragon Mistress before she incinerates us all!"
But all that young, mischievous man did in response was smile even more broadly at the reprimand. He clearly didn't look like he had even the slightest intention of asking for forgiveness or showing proper deference. Instead, he deliberately mumbled audibly under his breath, just loud enough to be heard: "Mistress of the Valleys? Yet another honorary title? How many does she have?"
"It's quite alright, truly," Aiona finally managed to say, having gotten herself together emotionally without visibly shaking. "No offense was taken."
"What's your name, lad?" she asked him directly, her voice steadier now. Her distinctive silver, serpent-like eyes found and locked onto his brilliant sapphire ones. The man who remained on his knees simply grinned even more mischievously in response.
"I'm Hunter, originally from the Rua Volcanic Islands in the far west," he said as he deliberately stood up without permission, ignoring the older man's attempts to keep him down. "I'm currently a crew member working for Captain Glenda's merchant vessel from the western shores."
He executed a casual, almost mocking bow. "It's an honor to finally meet you properly, Mistress Aiona."
A collective loud gasp sounded from all the people who had gathered around to witness this exchange. It seemed like speaking her actual name was absolutely taboo, forbidden. The old merchant man behind Hunter clearly could not take this disrespect any longer. He reached out and roughly smacked the back of Hunter's head in reproach.
"You're actively trying to get yourself killed, you fool!" the older man yelled in genuine fear. "The King of Heinnas has explicitly forbidden that sacred name to be uttered by any commoner's tongue! That's precisely why there are three different honorary names for the Mistress instead! Use those!"
"As I already said, it's completely alright," Aiona repeated, but this time her voice had gone much deeper and noticeably darker, a dangerous edge entering her tone. She was clearly becoming annoyed at seeing her newly discovered fated mate getting physically hurt, even mildly.
"Hunter, was it?" she said, forcing her voice back to something calmer. "Would you join me for a walk, Hunter?"
She added the invitation quite quickly, almost rushing the words.
Despite her outwardly calm demeanor as she spoke those words aloud, I could feel her internal emotions flooding like a broken dam had suddenly burst open.
*'Oh gods, what do I do?'* her thoughts raced frantically.
*'Did that sound right? Did I phrase that correctly?'*
*'Did it sound like I'm ordering him rather than asking? Too commanding?'*
*'What if he rejects the invitation?'*
*'Oh no, he's definitely going to reject me. Why would he want to walk with me?'*
Those anxious, spiraling thoughts were completely endless, racing through her mind. Her palms became sweaty very quickly with nervousness. She was unconsciously fidgeting without meaning to, shifting her weight. That's how much power this unknown man already had over the supposedly Great Dragon. The concept of fated mates was truly a terrifying thing. Her flood of panicked thoughts only finally ended when the man opened his mouth to respond.
"I see why not," Hunter said with an easy grin. "If a lady as exceptionally pretty as you suggests a pleasant walk, who am I to say no to that invitation?"
He graciously and athletically jumped over the ship's railing fence, landing lightly on the dock right in front of Aiona with practiced ease.
The smell of the sea and salt suddenly filled my nose strongly. Standing directly in front of me was my fated mate from a thousand years ago, alive and vibrant.
---
The next scene shifted. Now Aiona was walking along a scenic pathway that ran parallel to the sea. The path had been built substantially higher than the actual beach level, constructed with carefully laid bricks. The walking surface was properly paved and well-maintained. Currently, the only people occupying this particular path were Aiona and Hunter walking side by side. He whistled a cheerful, carefree tune as they walked, while Aiona remained silent.
Well, she was extremely nervous, if I was being honest. Though she had been the one to propose this walk in the first place, for the past five minutes she hadn't been able to make herself speak at all. Her mind was completely blank.
"You're quite a shy one, aren't you?" Hunter suddenly observed, his eyes still holding that perpetual mischievous light. He leaned toward her without any care for personal space or propriety.
"And you are a bold, disrespectful one," Aiona managed to reply. Though her heart had literally leaped in her chest because of his sudden close proximity, she somehow kept her external cool and delivered the comment.
"Well, I genuinely think every human being is fundamentally the same," Hunter said thoughtfully, placing his hands casually behind his head. "The artificial classes—kings, queens, nobles, peasants, whatever labels there are—as humans we are all equal in the ways that matter. I don't personally care about social status or rank. Though I'll admit that attitude has gotten me in serious trouble quite a few times."
The confident way he walked, swaying slightly side to side with the self-assured posture of a king despite being a common sailor, was carefully noted by Aiona's observant gaze.
"Except I'm not actually a human," she felt compelled to point out. "So you should probably be at least somewhat respectful to me."
But even after saying that aloud, she immediately questioned herself internally. *'Did that come out too harsh? Too demanding?'*
Hunter just laughed openly at her comment, genuinely amused.
"You're not human? You certainly look plenty like a human to me," he said, still chuckling. "Dragons are just ancient myths and legends. Stories to tell children. And I don't believe in anything without seeing concrete proof with my own eyes. I'm a natural skeptic, you see."
He wiped the corner of his eyes, still smiling.
"That's because all the dragons except me went completely extinct around a hundred years ago," Aiona said with a hint of embarrassment in her voice. She knew absolutely that she was a dragon, but somehow his casual dismissal made her doubt her own identity for a moment.
"Show me then," Hunter challenged, coming dangerously close to Aiona suddenly. He spoke in a distinctly flirtatious tone. "I'll believe it after I see proof with my own eyes."
Their eyes aligned again, faces mere inches apart. Aiona was the first to break the intense eye contact, looking away.
"Alright," was all she said simply before she suddenly leaped off the edge of the elevated path without hesitation.