Kydas POV
Every second we stayed in the air, my heart pounded in my chest, wind whipping through my hair and pressing my body against Jana. The dragonborns themselves seemed relaxed as they glided effortlessly through the air while I held on for dear life. One moment, we were gliding through a clear sky, the next we were rapidly approaching a swarm of hurricanes. Down below us the waters swirled, and waves rose from the depths of the ocean. It was terrifying. Claws extended from my hands automatically, clutching onto the small scales and horns on Jana's back, securing my position as they flew straight on.
The wind picked up a we drew closer and Jana folded her wings back against her body, encasing me in darkness as she let her body glide across the currents of air. I held my breath when I felt her dip and rise, the darkness making me all to aware of how vulnerable I was. Not a moment after we had moved upwards, Jana reangled her body, and we shot downwards. A scream caught in my throat as I squeezed my eyes shut, all my muscles tense and waiting for the moment of impact.
Jana snapped her wings open and I sucked in a breath and I squinted against the sudden assault of light. She glided close to the surface of the water, the spray of the waves soaking us as we flew. I looked up at the dark clouds in the sky, praying for land to show itself soon. The clouds above us mixed and twirled against each other and I tried not to think of how far I would fall if I slipped off of Jana's back at that precise moment.
Eventually, the clouds began to thin and the sky cleared, though it didn't make much of a difference. The air here was heavy with a darkness that I couldn't quiet see, but it enveloped everything around me. I relaxed a little, sitting up straighter and looking around. The rough seas were far behind us now and I was relieved to leave them behind. I would worry about the journey home once I had found Ibhan and spoken to him. One step at a time.
We approached land soon enough, and Jana and Adam circled the shore until they found a spot where they could safely land. Once I was sure we were on the ground I slid down Jana's back and backed away from the dragons. The cracking of bones filled the air as the twins shifted back, Jana stretching up on her tip toes as she rose up in her human form. Adam did his own stretches as I walked back over to their much smaller frames.
"I hope that ride wasn't too bumpy!" Jana said with a grin as I walked over.
"Oh please, without you I would probably be drifting along in the ocean somewhere right now," I said and she laughed, pulling me in for a quick hug.
"Well I'm just glad Jana didn't throw you off when she dove," Adam said, and his sister punched his arm.
"I am perfectly capable of handling one single passenger," she said and I waved it off.
"Honestly, it was thrilling to be that high up in the air, and I really couldn't have made it this far alone so thank you both for bringing me out here," I said sincerely.
"Don't sweat it, Kyda, we love to fly," Adam said as he stretched out his wings, shaking out the leathery limbs. "Now, do you need anything else before we head back?" he asked and I shook my head.
"Just point me in the direction of civilisation," I said, picking up my bag and adjusting the straps, "I can probably track him down alone."
"Well we're not too far from the nearest coastal area, but be careful, okay? Some warlocks really hate being disturbed," Jana warned me as she dove in for another hug, this time with her wings and all. "But I wish you the best of luck," she squeezed me tightly before letting go, Adam also giving me a brief hug.
"She's right, but you can definitely take care of yourself, good luck," he said with a warm smile.
"Thank you both, I'll stop by the farm soon I hope," I said and the twins leapt up into the air, opting to start their flight in human form after giving me some directions.
I sighed and started walking along my described route, eager to find someplace more dry and warm after the whole day of travelling. If I didn't find a place to stay soon, I would have to make camp out in the open, the darkness thickening as I ventured deeper into Ravenvein.
I had only been walking for about 30 minutes before I reached the first town. The building were relatively far apart, almost none of them touching the other. I hadn't quiet realised how reclusive warlocks really were until then. Few people were out, and even fewer in more than a group of two. Shaking of my unease at the lack of noise, I walked into what seemed to be some kind of lodgings.
"Hello?" I called out into the dark room. The ceiling was low and the room lit with dim lamps. Shadows danced effortlessly on every surface and a sharp pang of yearning, my brain running through memories of Ibhan and the times I saw him use shadow magic. I kicked myself for letting down my guard and looked carefully around the room. There was a long countertop on the left hand side, some kind of bar behind it. The rest of the room was occupied with tables, small booths along the right hand side. I squinted in the dim light and could just make out a few hooded figures in one of the booths.
"Excuse me," I said as I approached, one hand gripping the strap of my bag, "can you help me find someone?" One of the hooded figures grunted in response and I stopped a few feet away from the table. "His name is Ibhan, he's a senior apprentice?" I asked, realising I didn't have much more than that to help identify him. How many Ibhan's could there be on Ravenvein anyway?
There was no response from the table, not even another grunt, so after a few moments of silence I retreated. Not seeing anyone else in the lodgings I stepped back outside, trying to identify any of the other buildings. I started walking through the scattered town, and the few people who were out gave me a much wider berth than necessary. Just when I was about to give up, I noticed a small coffee shop type building tucked away behind a house.
I took a deep breath as I pushed open the door, the smell of herbal teas thick in the air. There were significantly more people here, some alone, a few small groups of two or three. Feeling much more optimistic, I went over to the counter and decided to order a small bleeding rose tea. I left a few silver shells on the counter as my tea arrived.
"Wait," I called out to the server, "can you help me find someone, please?" I asked. The person serving my tea sighed heavily and pushed back their hair from their eyes.
"I'm very busy right now, be quick," the young man said in a deep voice. He looked tired despite the slow moving traffic in the restaurant but I pushed it aside.
"I'm looking for a warlock named Ibhan, he's an apprentice," I said, "I'm sorry, I know its not a lot but that's all I know," I said. He seemed to seriously ponder the name for a moment before shrugging.
"Sorry, can't say it rings any bells," he said before turning and leaving me alone at my table.
"Right, thanks," I sighed, settling back into my seat. I was idly sipping my tea when someone else approached my table.
"I heard you were looking for someone," a lady said as she sat across from me.
"Yeah, but I don't seem to be having any luck," I said, setting down my cup. Something felt off, my guard going back up.
"That's a shame," she said, "why are you looking for someone all the way out here... wolf?" she asked and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand.
"I'm looking for my mate, I have reason to believe he's here," I said evenly. My bag was set in my lap, I cold just stand up and leave. Movement in the corner of my eye told me otherwise, as a tall figure stood over my shoulder. I was being surrounded.
"A mate? Out here? Very unlikely you know," she said, with something that I guess was supposed to be a sympathetic smile.
"Look, I'm not here to start anything--"
"We don't take kindly to strangers in these parts," one of the figures added from behind me. "Especially those on a mission."
"I am not here to do any harm," I said firmly, my body already tensing, ready to move at a moments notice.
"Tell us why you're really here, wolf" the woman in front of me said. Her skin was pale, almost so translucent that I could see the blue of the veins in her neck and cheeks.
"I already told you," I repeated.
"Sadly," she said with a sigh, "I simply do not believe you."
Ooh tension in the coffee shop, what exactly is going down???
YOU ARE READING
The Wand and the Wolf
Werewolf**COMPLETED** "You have a weird look on your face," I said and his frown deepened. "I do not," he closed his spell book and ran a hand through his shaggy hair. "Hmm," I hummed under my breath as I smoothed the crease between his brow. He grabbed my...
