Hunting the Star-Caller: A Story of Mara (preview)

Chapter 3: Alysis

A wave slammed the side of the Sili's Shadow, almost sending me tumbling down the stairs leading to the lower deck of the brig. Even though I can't hear him I can feel Vinn laughing at me out of revenge. My cheeks begin warming from embarrassment, but in an endeavor to keep my upper hand over him I stand back up then finish my journey to the belly of the ship. Once down the stairs I begin slowly making my way back up to the bow of the ship where my brother and I's cots – if one could call the moldy, tatter, straw stuffed bags cots –were set up along with our few possessions tucked under them.

I see Davgeon standing by the cot I sleep on, absorbed with a leather bond book in his hand. I hope he hasn't been waiting for me to long. Vinn and I's conversations turned into an unexpected argument, an argument I'm getting very tired of having. I try to dissipate my frustration as I continue walking toward the professor.

It was incredibly rare to meet a Draconis. Being frank until I met Professor Davgeon I had believed that the half-human and half-dragon race was just a myth, but there the old creature was waiting by my cot. I have seen some incredible things in my life, trade ships often have neat treasures on them, but he is magnificent and frightening in a way that I have never experienced. His body was covered in blue-gray scales. The scales on his claw like hands and dragon face were a bit grayer and they were also so small that I couldn't be tell them apart from this far away at the back of the boat. The scales on the back of his head and neck are larger, some as big as my palm. Those scales came to dull points which I imagen in his younger years were like sharp spearheads coming out of his body.

The small dark holes in the side of his head under his short glossy black horns – two on each side, the top set doubled the length of the bottom set – were his ears, which must have heard me coming his way because he slowly looks up from his book to look straight at me. His eyes, which hardly blink, are yellow with thin black vertical pupils. He uses his thick neck that arches up out from between his shoulders to give me a courteous nod then flashes me what he must think is a smile. It is more like a guard dog's snarl in truth. The flesh covering his sharp teeth pulls up to expose the gallery of knifes in his mouth.

I finish covering the last bit of ground and reach the old creature. Than I do a playful and silly curtsy by grabbing my blue skirt and bowing low.

"Why hello Professor." I make my voice sound like a high class noble woman, the kind that stopped at Kanguwatza on their way to Xhia-Hang. Being goofy helps me forget the earlier argument.

"Ah Lady Locke, how is you're day?" His S's are hissy like a snake but other than that he sounds surprisingly similar to any other old man I've ever met. He stands up straight, – well he makes himself taller – and bows, joining me in the joke. We both let out a laugh. This invites the entire cabin of passengers and crewmen to stare right at us. My bothers words about people looking at the Davgeon and me differently creeps into my head. I feel my blood boil and all I want to do is turn around and tell them all to screw off. But I won't, I don't want to ruin the few moment I have left with my new friend. In the end it doesn't matter what they think of the professor and I, we will soon be off this boat and away from these kutha's glares. The professor doesn't even seem to notice the gazes of the by-standers.

I may have only met Davgeon a few days ago but I have quickly grow to enjoy his companionship. It was not just because he had the ability to use magic like I can but it was also his kind nature. He has allowed me to ask question after question about all kinds of things; from his life to Marra's history to magic – naturally. Even though I had hardly left his side since Port Dirk I still had more questions I wanted to ask him before we made port tonight. A sad feeling quickly hit me as I realized this time tomorrow I would never see the Draconis again. I suddenly realize an obvious question that I should have thought of the moment I met him.