LET THERE BE DRAGONS (COMPLETED)

Chapter Nineteen: Travelling

It was a dazzling afternoon. Shivam, Josh, and Tiyasha were lying down on the grass. Took was sleeping, head gently placed on Josh's stomach. Josh was scratching Took's head absent-mindedly, while looking at the blue sky through the leaves of trees.

The trio, along with Took, had left Josh's luxurious cottage behind two days ago. This was the third day of their journey towards the legendary Forest of Falling Leaves. Both Josh and Tiyasha had said that they have heard the name of this forest and some tales about it, but they didn't know where on Heart was it, or whether it actually existed. So it was upto Took, the baby dragon that was now Josh's pet, to lead them there.

Travelling through a forest was difficult work. It required patience, fitness, concentration, and above all, high spirits. Both Josh and Tiyasha had some experiences of surviving in forests, but it was an entirely new thing for Shivam. On the second day of their journey, he had almost placed a foot on a poisonous snake. He hadn't noticed it because it was green in colour, but luckily for him, before it could bite or anything, Took had destroyed it with a fireball thrown from his mouth.

Yes, Took was a "he". Josh had curiously asked the dragon about his gender, and the dragon had replied that he was a male.

Travelling through a forest of mostly pine trees was hungry work, too. On their first day the trio had eaten fish that they had decided to carry with them, bound up within leaves and vines. But on their second day they had not been able to find anything but berries. Thus, today they had woke up with a volcanic hunger in their stomachs. So Josh had asked Took for help, and Took had nodded eagerly and flown away to look for food. Hours later, he had come back with hunted rabbits.

Tiyasha initially said she didn't want to eat rabbits, that they were too cute for eating, but once Josh roasted and salted them, she ate them eagerly. Between hunger and sophistication, hunger always wins.

Now that their hunger had been satisfied, they were feeling thirsty. Shivam's mouth felt like a coal-mine to him. He needed water.

"Hey Took?" He asked hopefully.

The dragon raised his head and asked in the voice of a sleepy child: "Whazza matter?"

"Um, can you bring some water for us somehow?"

"I'm a fire dragon. Don't ask me about water," Took said, and went back to sleep immediately, cuddling near Josh.

"Isn't he adorable? I'm feeling thirsty, too," Josh said.

"Both of you are adorable. Hey Tiyasha?" Shivam said.

"Huh?" Tiyasha said, surprised. She had been lost in her thoughts.

"Can't you make it rain or conjure a magic spring? My tongue is turning into sand. I need to drink," Shivam said.

"What do you think I am? A Greek Goddess or something?" Tiyasha asked.

"Well, you certainly look like one," Shivam said, winking.

Tiyasha blushed vividly. "What do you mean by that. Don't try to flirt..." She mumbled.

"Don't worry about me flirting. But girl, we gonna need water. Otherwise, before reaching this Forest of Falling Leaves, we would all die dry deaths."

"IDEA!!" Tiyasha said, jumping up.

"Fuck! You scared me!" Shivam said, annoyed.

"Will you stop using that word? You're teaching Josh bad manners," Tiyasha said.

"But I already know..." Josh began, innocently.

"Like hell you don't. But listen guys. I do know an incantation that can dig holes on the ground," Tiyasha said. "It was part of my combat training. Making deep holes appear all of a sudden beneath the feet of your enemies is an effective weapon."

"So you can dig holes. What's the big deal about that?" Shivam asked, uncomprehending.

"No wonder your girlfriend ran away. You're tiresomely stupid! By digging holes maybe we can reach underground water! There's gotto be underground water guys, we have to try!"

So Tiyasha began her witchcraft again. She focused on a particular area of the ground, moved her hands in the air, and shouted, "BY AIR, SUN, AND WIND! HECATE, LEND ME HELP! GROUND, UNBIND!"

The ground shook. Shivam stood up, and so did Josh. Took was awake now, too, and was grumpily watching Tiyasha's endeavor. He flew up and perched on Josh's shoulder.

A deep hole appeared on the place where Tiyasha was pointing. She walked eagerly to it, but her face fell. "No water," she said, depressed.

"Keep digging deeper. Dig one hundred feet down if necessary!" Shivam said.

"I'm a witch, not a labourer!"

"This was your idea," Shivam reminded her.

And so Tiyasha continued her witchcraft and repeated the incantation multiple times. She was sweating and panting with her efforts--performing any kind of magic drained her energy--by the time she finally managed to dig deep enough to hit water.

Little did she know that all of it was good practice: for something she would have to do in near future.