The Dragon Liberator: Escapee

-5-

POV: Fendrel

A few of the nobles Fog and Cloud mentioned landed on the platform, gladly accepting words of welcoming and warmth. Each noble ruled over the dragon tribe they were hatched into, dusk, spark, air, vapor, water, ice, fire, floral, earth, and gemstone.

Not all of them showed.

Fendrel resorted to referring to them in his mind by the elements they represented, besides Fog whose name Cloud had already mentioned.

Dusk was the head of what you might call a "royal guard," since dusk dragons were by far the most powerful dragons in the Free Lands. Gemstone, who Cloud asked to be his successor should he pass before having heirs, maintained an attentive aura and unshakeable posture. Air, whose wings were large enough to carry two full-grown dragons, stared down at the humans as if they were mice scurrying around in his bed chambers. Ice's neck seemed to sink into her woolly fur while she smiled cordially at Oliver. Fog of the vapor dragons couldn't sit still but kept away from the other nobles.

Oliver had fallen asleep next to Thea, who sheepishly sat in the back corner of the main hall with her chin resting on her knees.

Caribou fur rugs with feathered rims marked seats for the nobles, encircling a round flat stone table.

With a subtle nudge on Fendrel's shoulder, Cloud pointed at the rug on his left. "You may sit here."

"We shall begin now." The king took his seat.

"Yes, I would like to hear why these humans are here." Dusk sat on Cloud's right.

The dusk tribe was known for its black hides, occasionally accompanied by gold, green, or purple markings. This dragon happened to have a sprinkling of golden scales on his chest. They also had one of two different types of poisons within them: a green venom in their fangs that could kill instantly and a purple venom the effects of which were unknown even to them.

Dusk stared at Fendrel with his glowing yellow eyes. "I do not understand the importance of having a human here if he cannot even understand us."

"Oh, I understand you perfectly." Fendrel leaned past Cloud to look the dusk dragon in the eye.

Dusk squinted his eyes. A humming sound emanated from his throat.

"He is no ordinary human, friends." Cloud tented a wing over Fendrel. "I am sure you have heard of the man who hunts the dragon hunters."

This caused the assembly—besides Fog—to shift astonished gazes at Fendrel. The great hall itself felt more alive.

"I thought you would have been taller." Dusk's eyes traveled up and down Fendrel.

Great first impressions here...

Air looked at Cloud. "While this occurrence is strange and new to all of us, I would like to hear about what it is you were doing outside the Hazy Woods for two whole days."

"Of course. Let me start from the beginning since our guest has remained uninformed." Cloud took a deep breath. "Mist is... was, to be betrothed to me. She is a common dragon, so it was no surprise that my citizens did not easily accept her for not being of nobility. It is custom for the royal heir to marry a fellow dragon of higher stature. I should have taken how she would feel about that into consideration. Really, it is my fault she has disappeared. If I had not overwhelmed her with these responsibilities, she would not have felt pressured enough to leave..."

"She just left without warning?" Fendrel's brow furrowed.

"Not that we know of." Fog lifted her wings from across the table. "There could have been a few dragons who wanted her gone so they could take her place."