Noah moved a little closer and sat beside Akari.
His eyes were filled with curiosity as they carefully observed the sapphire-blue scales covering the sides of her neck. They were unlike anything he had ever seen.
Beautiful yet strangely intimidating. Slowly, he raised his right hand. His index and middle fingers gently reached toward the scales.
The moment they made contact.
"Cold."
The word escaped his lips almost instinctively. The scales were much colder than he had expected. Not only that they were incredibly hard.
It felt as though he were touching polished steel.
Perhaps something even harder. His fingertips slowly traced along the smooth surface.
Each scale overlapped perfectly with the next, creating a mesmerizing pattern that reflected the morning light with a faint sapphire sheen.
He couldn't help admiring them. "They're... really beautiful."
Noah had always been fascinated by dragons.
