"intresting, trying to go somewhere". The voice called from behind as Fannah saw the door in front of him shutting completely.
He turned around and simply stood in his place, unable to form a word in awe and desperation.
"It's called Sehlan". The divine being informed its host.
"Sehlan". Fannah murmured in a low voice, the dragon still seemed to hear him as he flared his nostrils with pride.
"Aha, looks like I am still famous in the world of dusty humans". The red dragon spoke as it ran around Fannah in circles, like he was amused seeing him, but Fannah did not say anything he just stood still, his eyes growing wary of this mischievous being.
He had just ran into an illusion after almost being eaten by the Hell's destruction and he thought nothing worse could happen to him, but now he was standing in front of a dragon whose head was even bigger then the hell's destruction and his eyes glowed like the moon rested in them, it's face was horrific and the red colour made it look like it had just bathed in blood, it's scales flickered like millions of rubies had been hidden in them and his horns looked like the carcases of jade and emeralds.
"Humph!, I know I am magnificent and perfect but you don't need to look at me like a rat looks at cheese, not that I like either, to be honest". The dragon said playfully pulling at Fannah's fingers.
"You ..what?" Fannah uttered without thinking.
"You know, I am not into men, not matter how handsome they are". The dragon added further, giving Fannah a very obvious once over and says, "a bit too big for my taste anyway".
"Welcome to the second cell". The divine being said sighing, like it had encountered something life threatening.
"What do you mean, it does not look like it's gonna eat me" Fannah says worriedly as he sees the dragon curiously looking at the child in his arms.
"He would not eat you, but he would want you to kill yourself, he was banished here because of being too annoying". The divine being answered, making Fannah relax his shoulders automatically.
"That's okay, I am already dealing with you". Fannah says and let's the dragon dance around him.
"We came here mistakenly, can you let us out?", Fannah says, but the dragon does not react at all.
"Is that roast?", the dragon asked instead pointing at the little child in his arms.
"No", Fannah screams in horror as he tightly hugged the boy to his chest.
"Can you let us out, we are looking for someone". Fannah asked again in hopes that the dragon will help him.
"No". Sehlan replied nonchalantly as he looked at his sharp and shiny nails.
"Why not?", Fannah asked a bit annoyed.
"Because I don't want to". Sehlan replied, in that same tone as before, Fannah wanted to say something when the child in his arms stirred and opened his eyes, he tapped on Fannah's shoulder as if to tell him that he was awake and he could loosen his grip a bit to let him up, but as soon as Fannah felt that the child had woken up, he held him even more tightly then before to save him from the annoying creatures claws.
"Let us go already". Fannah demanded in a desperate voice.
"And why should I?", Sehlan asked this time seriously or that's what Fannah thought in this moment.
Fannah wanted to reply to his words, but he felt the child squirm out of his arms.
"You are squeezing too tight". The child said in a breathy voice as he finally made his way out of Fannah's arms.
Fannah tried to stop the child but he had already stepped on the floor, still holding on to his shirt, as he saw the dragon, he climbed up to Fannah again and joined his two hands.
"Please let us go". The child requested, he had no reason to go on living after his mother's death but he still wanted Fannah to get out of here, after all he had risked his life just to let him see his mother one last time.
As Sehlan heard the voice, his expressions changed from nonchalant to calm, he moved towards Fannah again, who tried to shield the boy in his arms but the dragon was having none of it, he flicked Fannah's hand with his fingernail.
Then, he leaned down, closer and closer, until his moon eyes were the level of the child's face, Sehlan stared into his blue and deep eyes, that were like the ocean of crystals, no one said anything, Sehlan's face turned from calm to serious and then pitiful.
And then finally he drew back.
"Fine", he said averting his eyes from the child."you can go".
Fannah looked at him confused.
"Just like that". He asked, trying to hold the kid in his arms properly.
"Hmm, I am feeling generous today". Sehlan said and then turned, "but".
"But?" Fannah asked warily .
"I am coming with you". Sehlan informed.
"Why?", Fannah asked back.
"Because you can't survive here without me and I will also get you out of Al-samash". Sehlan confirmed walking to the door.
"Okay, but how will you get out of this cell". Fannah said, walking towards the door too.
"Simple, walk out, you will see a seal on a brick, pull it out from the wall and that's it". Sehlan replied, walking from one end of the room to the other.
Fannah also did as he was asked and walked out of the cell, and started looking for the brick with the seal, after a few minutes of looking around, he found the seal on the brick beneath the door of the room.
"That's it". The divine being confirmed as Fannah kneeled down to take the brick out, he put his hand forward,and touched the seal with his fingers, but nothing happened, just a little shift in the corridor as the narrowed path became wide again.
Fannah shook his head and took a deep breath and then put his hand on the brick, but before he could pull it, a strong force jolted him out of his place and a burning sensation ran through his body.
"No". The divine being screamed but it was already too late.
Fannah's eyes went completely blank and in a matter of seconds he was yanked and thrown across the vast hall of the castle, making him go completely unconscious and his body crashed into the marble with a strong thud.
"Fannah". The divine being called to which Fannah slightly shook his head, as blood oozed out of his mouth.
"I am okay". He said, holding on to his shin, he was still recovering from the shock and pain, when the child he had put down before walked up to the spot and touched the brick.
"Don't", Fannah yelled at the top of his voice but before he could get up or run to save the child, he had already pulled the brick out of the place.
The moment the brick left the wall, the seal carved into it pulsed...once.
The barrier of the cell fell off and a loud crack made it feel like the castle was about to collapse, The child staggered backwards as Fannah tried to get up from his place.
"How did he do it?", Fannah asked as he limped towards the child.
"I don't know, maybe because he is a child, pure or whatever, we don't have time for that". The divine being answered annoyed by the delay.
"Hahaha, finally", Sehlan's voice echoed through the hall, as he came out.... Now in the human form, with a face that could not be forgotten, his eyes were silver and black and his hair were red, but before Fannah could see more then that, Sehlan turned into his dragon form again.
"What's happening?" Fannah asked the divine being.
"He is weak and can't maintain his human form". The divine being answered.
"It's okay, I am out now, i will soon be able to turn into my hot self again", Sehlan mumbled as if reassuring himself.
"Let's go now". Fannah said and finally they were able to continue again, this time the divine being did not turn Fannah's senses off, since they now had a dragon walking just besides them.
It was a strange sight to see, Fannah who held the boy in his arms looked as Sehlan kept coming closer to the boy and sniff him, while the kid just smiled at him whenever he came closer and Fannah tried to hide the boy in his arms.
As they kept walking, the boy slowly raised his hand and rubbed Sehlan's cheek, smiling softly at the kind dragon.
"I am not a dog". Sehlan remarked, as he came closer to the boy, staring into his eyes whenever Fannah lost focus or was talking to the divine being.
"You don't feel anything?", Sehlan asked as they had now crossed half of the castle.
"No". Fannah replied, annoyed of his tactics.
"Ah pesky human, close your eyes and imagine the person you are looking for, I don't know why only dumb humans make it here". Sehlan commented, playing with the boy's hand.
"Someone like me has been here before?" Fannah asked as he closed his eyes.
"Hmm, one came some thousand years ago, but could not find the person he was looking for". Sehlan informed as Fannah started to remember his first encounter with Sufiyan, it had not been a long time, but he still felt like eternities had passed already since he first saw him.
As Fannah went back to the memories of Sumaira's henna night, a dull and sickening pain made his heart lurch, his breathing became ragged and his body soul started burning and irritating, just like the day Sufiyan had been admitted.
"Ahhhh", Fannah grunted as he felt his eyes burn with fire.
"There". He said through gritted teeth as he turned around and started walking back to where they had come from, after waking for sometime, he finally stopped in front of a smaller cell and put his hand on the barrier as he clutched his heart with the other one.
The divine being did not ask anything this time and just chanted the some words.
The pain in Fannah's chest kept getting worse as if thousands of ants were wandering around his heart and the moths were chomping on it, in a few minutes, the barrier dropped and Fannah and Sehlan stepped inside.
It was a dark room unlike the night, it was as if time had never touched this room before, cold, like warmth had never once belonged here, Fannah slowly walked inside, but there was nothing inside, no one, it was empty from all corners, Fannah's heart stopped, this could not happen, not now, he had failed Sufiyan, he was about to breakdown, when Sehlan gestured towards the corner.
Fannah looked down, his hands trembling as he walked forward, there was a shape, something in the corner, Fannah took two more steps and he could finally see it clearly.
A nest.
A nest made of thrones of silver and rubies, completely closed from all sides, Fannah stood in front of it for a moment and then.
Then, in a fit of craze and burning,he started tearing the nest apart, his hands bled and his heart kept being uncontrollable, his eyes turned black.
"Fannah, no stop it, you are going to alert them". The divine being screamed but Fannah did not stop, as if he was hit by an animalistic desire, the blood pooled on the floor but Fannah did not stop and at last.
He could finally see. .. sufiyan curled in the thrones like a baby sparrow, cold and unconscious, like he had lost all hope of Fannah ever finding him.
"Sufi", Fannah called, rubbing his bloodied hands on his body, before helping Sufiyan out of the nest, his eyes were moist once again, he didn't know how many times he had cried till now, but this was the first time that he had cried the tears of happiness, Sufiyan was in his arms again, just like last time.
Fannah looked at his face once again, he knew this man was beautiful no actually ethereal, but at this moment he just seemed to be too much, like the world never deserved to have him, like Fannah did not deserve to hold him, his eyes, his lips, his nose, everything was perfect, like God had spent eternities carving him out, and nobody just deserved to breath the same air as him.
Fannah slowly raised his hand, his throat was choked with emotions but he still desperately tried to get the hair out of his eyes, Fannah was happy though Sufiyan was not awake at this moment, otherwise what would he think if he saw him like this, tattered, dirty and bloodied, right now he looked like an injured dog, while Sufiyan still looked better then any and everything he had seen in Al-samash, the most beautiful place in all universes.
Fannah was still staring at his face, when Sehlan spoke out.
"We need to get out of here,you can stare at your lover later". He said as they felt the castle tremble.
"It's Hell's destruction, let's goooo". The divine being screamed once again.