POV: Fendrel
Fendrel and Thea kept their heads down and passed the guards at the mouth of the gate. Posters displaying Fendrel's face with a large bounty underneath were pinned on both sides of the city gates. "Dragon Liberator" was what they labeled him as.
A guard glanced at Fendrel then looked away as a merchant asked him something.
"I should turn you in for all that money." Thea elbowed his ribs.
"Har, har... speaking of which, what do you do with the money you earn from your job? I know you don't use it all on food." Fendrel glanced at Thea as they cleared the city and looked around for any signs of Cloud or Oliver.
"I trade it." Thea picked under her nails.
"For what?"
"Those jewels I've been saving up for my not-so-little collection." Thea had a habit of experimenting with gemstones and precious metals, trying to find some use for them other than money or bargaining tools.
A sky masked with light gray clouds shrouded the fields around the city of Sharpdagger. Lightning lashed out at the dismal air. Far off, gray dragons with vibrant markings darted from the clouds to catch the powerful whips of electricity.
"Those are spark dragons, right?" Thea pointed to the dragons drawn to the lightning like fish to a baited hook. She seemed proud to know something Fendrel was interested in.
"Yeah." Fendrel only half heard what she said. He walked around the outside of the wall until his eye caught on a shadow that freed itself from the grove of trees that surrounded the city of Sharpdagger. Thea noticed this too and waited for Fendrel to make the first move. Upon reaching the edge of the trees, two silver eyes shone out of the shadows and peered with curiosity at Thea. Soon a huge, gray head appeared.
"You rescued that?" Thea shook. She had never been this close to an adult dragon before, let alone a dragon king.
"Him, yes." Fendrel gave Thea a gentle nudge. "And he can understand you."
Oliver, who until now was hidden by the leaves, almost fell from Cloud's back as he stood up. Too excited for words, he waved at the two adults.
"And who is this?" Thea gestured at Oliver. "You didn't tell me you took on an apprentice."
"I didn't. That's Oliver. It's a long story, I'll tell you later." Fendrel turned and addressed Cloud. "For now, we have to fix your wing before any guards realize you're here. There's a law against dragon trading but that doesn't necessarily mean the citizens have the same mindset as the king."
He turned to Thea once again. "You brought the spell, right?"
"Uh-huh." Her wide-eyed gaze was once again set on the large frame of the dragon. She grabbed the bottle from Fendrel's bag and placed it in his hand.
Fendrel looked down at his bag. "I thought you were holding it. When did you put that in there?"
"When you weren't looking." She averted her gaze for just a second.
Fendrel stepped toward Cloud and peered at the vial's contents—a small branch with berries still attached. He pulled the branch out and unsurely placed it on Cloud's broken wing. The branch lengthened and wrapped around the bone, shifting it into place as if the branch had a mind of its own. The berries popped and their juices traveled to the torn skin to mend it. Fendrel stuffed the empty bottle back in his bag.
"How did that happen?" Fendrel had seen dragons be healed by Thea's spells but never asked how it worked.
Thea shrugged. "I just put a spell on the branch and told it to heal whatever it touched that needed fixing. The branch kind of figures it out on its own if I don't give clear directions."
Cloud opened and closed his wing to test it out and made a deep purring sound.
"Well, I trust that you know how to get back to your home?" Fendrel expected this to end as usual—with a thanks and a farewell, most likely never to see each other again, especially since vapor dragons were so elusive.
Cloud seemed to remember something. "I actually have a favor to ask of you, if you will accept it."
Fendrel blinked in surprise. "Um, all right. What is it?"
"I am afraid that we may not have enough time to discuss it here, and there are others included in this favor who need information." Cloud was stiff. "If you will join me to the Hazy Woods, I will gladly tell you."
I don't have anywhere to be soon. The hunters' dragon abductions have slowed down recently, whether that's a good or bad thing, I can't tell, but I don't have any leads to track them down either way.
"Sure. Besides, I haven't been close to any dragon civilization for a while." Fendrel adjusted the shoulder strap of his bag.
Cloud nodded his head, pleased that his request was agreed with. He lowered himself and Fendrel cautiously climbed atop his shoulders.
Thea gasped. "Can I come too?"
Fendrel waited for Cloud to grant permission but the dragon stayed silent, glancing at the Liberator. "I guess, if that's all right with you, Your Majesty?"
I never thought I would ever say that.
"I do not have any reason to say no. You did help me." Cloud waited for her to climb on before he stood up again. He turned his head around to look at Oliver. "As for you, we will decide what to do with you later."
Oliver nodded with excitement, gripping the spikes on Cloud's neck.
Without another word, Cloud spread his massive wings and took flight, cutting through branches, heading for the dark clouds like an arrow.
They broke through the layer of storm clouds and the mid-afternoon sun beamed on them. Thea's face was a mix of terror and excitement as she clutched Cloud's back spikes behind her. Oliver spread his arms out wide as if he were the one flying.
When the shock of lifting off left them, Thea yelled ahead at Fendrel. "I thought you said dragons didn't speak our language."
Fendrel kept Oliver from falling off Cloud's shoulders while he held onto the spikes on Cloud's neck. He glanced over his shoulder at Thea. "Only royalty can understand and speak to us."
"We really need to talk about your job more often. I can't believe I never knew this." Thea took her hands off the spike to gesture at him before returning her hands to their original position.
We've been friends long enough for me to trust, I hope.
<~><~><~>
Fendrel was about to ask how far away Cloud's home was when the vapor dragon ducked back into the sheet of precipitation and broke through the bottom. The giant trees and pillar-like cliffs of the Hazy Woods—a forest in the upper Free Lands—stood tall and strong. Small clearings adorned with ponds dotted the ground. Broken bridges and towers made of cracked stone and metal clung to the cliffs, remnants of long-passed human civilization taken over by its current residents. Vapor dragons looked like silver and gray ghosts as they wove through the trees, walked up stone-carved staircases on the outsides of the cliffs, danced with each other, and glided on the light breezes. Thick streams of fog poured down the sides of the cliffs like waterfalls trapped in slow-motion.
Fendrel had been to the Hazy Woods before, but only on the outskirts.
His shoulders relaxed just taking in the sights. This section of the woods was thriving with dragons, each one ceasing what they were doing to watch Cloud pass over them.
After Cloud swept over the first cliff, the vapor dragons who saw him followed. A flurry of feathered, scaled, and furred dragons flapped after them in curiosity, delight, and suspicion.
Fendrel could now see that Cloud was heading for the tallest and proudest cliff of the Hazy Woods. Moss and vines mingled with the mist that trailed down the sides of the tower-like structure. Stone stairs wound down its cylindrical outside with detailed doorways wherever the stairs leveled out. A hypethral palace sat on the cliff top like a crown, its stained-glass windows sparkled like jewels in the sunshine. Fendrel saw a dark gray feathered dragon in the doorway of the palace.
Her tail, tipped with a fan of long, elegant feathers, was swept over her front paws. Her neck arched and she kept her silver eyes on Cloud. As the king neared, she stood and swung her tail behind her. She crossed her front legs and spread her wings wide, scraping the ground as she bowed, and almost tipping sideways.
Cloud slowed his descent and landed on a platform that stretched out to the sky.
The sun that leaked from the holed palace's ceiling revealed hidden swirls of lighter gray on her wings and sides. The female dragon's brown conch earring with a turquoise interior caught Thea's eye.
Oh, right. Thea doesn't know that some dragons wear jewelry.
Thea jumped down from Cloud's shoulders in a desperate attempt to be on solid ground while Oliver followed after her with less fear.
After sliding down, Fendrel crouched next to Thea. "You might want to get up, we're in the presence of what looks to be like the whole vapor tribe."
"Oh!" Thea pushed herself up to her knees, seeming to notice the female vapor dragon for the first time.
The female dragon lifted her head and stared curiously at them—three humans and her king. They must have looked like an odd bunch. She rose from her bow and spoke in a hopeful voice to Cloud in draekonik, the language of the dragons. "My king, who are these newcomers? Have you found Mist?"
When he was little, Fendrel's mother had taught him draekonik whenever she could. Thanks to several years full of her visits and a few dragons he knew in his teens, he was fluent.
Cloud gestured at Fendrel, Thea, and Oliver with one of his wings. "These humans rescued me from Sadon and his dragon hunters, and unfortunately Mist's whereabouts have yet to be discovered."
"Oh, she's still missing." Her wings drooped. She met Cloud's eyes. "And Sadon isn't just a myth, he's real?"
The dragon king nodded.
Thea spoke in Fendrel's ear. "What are they saying?"
"They're talking about us." Fendrel kept his eyes on the dragons.
Cloud turned to face all the dragons that had gathered on and around the cliff, waving Fendrel over with his wing.
Fendrel felt his face heat up. He forced his suddenly stiff legs to move until he stood beside Cloud, facing the dragons that were quickly growing in number. Even as he joined the dragon king, vapor dragons continued to flood in from the sky and below.
Cloud lifted his wings. "This, my subjects, is someone who tracked down Sadon, and freed me from him. He has faced dragon hunters several times before yet is still fortunate enough to be alive. Please, welcome him!"
The vapor dragons roared with appreciation. Some looked confused, others had disapproving sneers and some even seemed insulted. The few jovial ones took to dancing through the skies like winding silver ribbons, flipping and twisting around each other.
As Fendrel shifted his weight with discomfort, Cloud leaned his head down. "Welcome to the Hazy Woods, Liberator."
Though his mouth was dry, Fendrel uttered a quick thank you. He backed away and found himself in the palace's doorway.
Thea jabbed his shoulder with her finger. "You look like you're about to pass out."
Fendrel released a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "I'm not used to being complimented. I don't know how to respond when someone does."
"What are you talking about?" Thea laughed.
"I don't want to sound ungrateful if I'm not energetic enough, but if I use too much energy then I'll look crazy." Fendrel's eyes trailed over the other vapor dragons who were flying in to ask Cloud questions.
Thea let out an exaggerated sigh. "You're overthinking this. Didn't your mother ever compliment you?"
"...I spent most of my time with my father." Fendrel looked at his shoes.
"So, did he then?" Thea leaned forward and waved a hand in front of his face.
Fendrel blinked, then glanced at her. "Not verbally. He was never very talkative."
When I was younger a lot of his expressions were indistinguishable to me, but the more hunting trips I went with him the better I got at understanding when he was proud of me.
A smile played on Fendrel's lips.
Thea shrugged. "That's better than not having a father."
"Way better." Fendrel gave a single nod.
<~><~><~>
After Cloud answered most of his subjects' questions, he dismissed a number of them to their homes. Some of the questions were directed toward the newcomers which Fendrel did his best to answer, while others were concerning a dragon Cloud called Mist.
It was sunset. The yellow, pink, and orange waves of color stained the sky. The commoner dragons had all flown off.
She must be nobility. Fendrel eyed the dark gray vapor dragon who waited beside Cloud. Common dragons don't usually wear jewelry.
"Your highness?" The noble's voice was apprehensive.
"Yes, Fog?"
"Do you know if the other nobles are coming back? No one has sent a message saying they'll return."
Cloud nodded. "Not all of them will, but a few should be here shortly. I'll explain all I know once they arrive."
Fendrel felt a tug on his shirt. He looked down to see Oliver staring starry-eyed.
"Are you the friend Charles always talked about?"
Surprised, Fendrel crouched down. "I guess I am. You knew Charles?"
"Mhm." Oliver nodded. "He always helped me when I was sad, but he told me I wasn't allowed to talk about it or you to the other hunters."
That sounds like Charles.
"Really? Is that why you wouldn't listen to him when he asked you to go to him?"
"Yeah." Oliver's voice was somber. "Please don't be mad at him. He's really nice but he pretends not to be."
Fendrel smiled. "You don't have to worry about that. Iwould never betray a friend's trust."