Chapter 237: To Prank
At Haven Forest, Cora remained inside her tent, watching Aurum as she fed him. She chuckled, seeing the baby dragon throw small fireballs at the raw meat, effectively cooking it before taking it into his mouth.
"Look at you, growing so fast," Cora commented, amazed by Aurum’s rapid development. She wondered if the rest of the dragons were like him. By now, Aurum could no longer perch on her shoulder or fit inside the magical cage he had used before. He practically stayed inside her tent with freedom.
Thankfully, he listened well, never sneaking out and always using his power of invisibility when someone approached her tent. He would only appear when she called his name. At this point, Aurum was about three feet in size.
She gently stroked Aurum’s back while he munched on the meat. "Do you know why I can’t take you, Aurum?" she murmured. At her words, Aurum quickly turned to look at her, his interest piqued.
Cora chuckled at his eager expression. He even stopped paying attention to the pieces of meat on the table and simply stared at her, making a squeaking sound and flapping his wings.
"I have a younger sister who’s four years younger than me, Aurum. You could say I’m more of a mother to her than a sister since I was the one who practically raised her," Cora began.
Aurum snuggled his head on her arm resting on the table. "She was so close to me. We had a strong bond, but Rora had a very weak heart. She was my only family, Aurum, and I lost her three years ago. The pain is still here in my heart. It’s been three years, but losing someone you love, someone you cherished and cared for, is something I’m scared to go through again," Cora explained.
Katelina had briefed her about the role of a dragon rider to their dragon. They would have a bond like family, especially once the dragon bond was formed between her and Aurum. Their lives would be linked together at some point. Cora was not ready for something like this. It wasn’t because she was pessimistic about what could happen in the future; she was just not ready to lose someone or something that she would grow to love and care for more than her own life.
"You need someone with a strong will, like Asura," she commented, and Aurum flared its nostrils with smoke. Cora chuckled and gently caressed its back.