A Trio of Anomalies - The Quest for Paradise

CHAPTER 1 - SHORT-MESSAGING-SERVICE

 It was the dead of night, and the few people still awake caught sight of a dark shape across the night sky, although none thought much of it since it disappeared into the black clouds. The rain had stopped, but the moon was nowhere to be seen, and the slick roads and buildings were illuminated by the bright lamps and lights glowing along the streets.

The dark shape flew towards an apartment block, stealthily avoiding wandering passerby and bright windows. It hovered beside a closed window, uncertain on where to land on the smooth walls.

With his glasses on his bedside table Steve laid motionless on his bed, yet he was awoken by someone humming and singing, their melodic voice softened by the glass pane covering his window. His brother often teased him for being a heavy sleeper, yet here he was, woken up by a barely audible sound. He tried going back to sleep, but as he rolled around the singing only grew louder.

"What the hell is that?" he thought, unable to see much in his near pitch-black room, barely illuminated by the lights outside.

"Who the hell is singing- oh goodness!"

A loud scratching sound made him jump, and when he looked at his window he caught a glimpse of a golden claw and the faint streak it left behind on the glass.

"What ..." he peered outside but only the swath of inky black sky greeted him. " the ... hell ... who's ... outside ... my bedroom?"

"Greetings, Sir Stephan Howard!"

He screamed as a huge golden snout emerged suddenly from the darkness, and even though there was a pane of glass distancing the two he still managed to fall off his bed and onto the floor.

The voice sang, "Good to see you again- oh ... are you alright, young knight?"

"Shh ..." Steve strained his ears for the sound of his parents waking up to his screams. He held his breath, but all was silent.

"Sorry ..." he climbed onto his bed to gaze at the pair of huge golden eyes, "Who are you again?

"The Dragon of the Rainbow of course!" sang the Dragon, "Queen Blossom has sent me to present this scroll to you and your fellow knights."

Before Steve could crinkle his eyes he was presented with another scroll made with rose petals. The message was a lot shorter this time, and by turning on his bedside table lamp he made out three words followed by Queen Blossom's name. The letters mean nothing to him, partially because he wasn't familiar with the language, and partially because he was still feeling drowsy, being woken up in the middle of the night and all.

"So Queen Blossom knew where I lived ... sure," he thought. Well, what could he do? He was an "official knight" now, so ...

"Sure ... thanks," he replied, "Just give me a moment."

Closing his window curtains, he changed out of his pyjamas into his favourite outfit combination, another turtleneck, jeans and his leather jacket, while the Dragon of the Rainbow sang merrily in the background. It was very fortunate that he wasn't the only one who was a heavy sleeper, and even when he walked out of his room to get his boots while the dragon filled the air with his singing, his family never moved an inch.