The Mercy of Fate

Chapter 3: A Dragons Antics

Torture. Pure Torture. I can't believe I allowed this! This! This! Fang barring, quick to the sword, maniac of a dark elf lead me through danger. After leaving that hell of a tavern we immediately started our journey. All. On. Foot. I haven't been on a hike in years, or exercised for that matter. This encompasses the almond mom's habit of appearing to stroll aimlessly just to meet her step count goals. Much to my irritation, Ruby seems to be having an absolute blast. Ruby and Malizia have gotten along better than I thought. I figured Ruby wouldn't like this suspicious character. How wrong I was. 

"Wanna take a break?" 

I'm pulled from my thoughts by Malizia's direct question. One thing I discovered to like about her is that she doesn't like pleasantries. She's very straightforward and to the point. We still bicker like children and we don't always agree but I think we both have developed a respect for each other. "Sure." Setting my pack the one which Malizia gifted to me before our journey on a rock. I lean back and sigh. Ruby lays down next to me. "I think we all needed a bit of a break" I chuckle at Ruby and start to pet her. "I would have finished this trek by now." Malizia is looking away, I have come to find out because she is constantly alert. Her eyes have better vision than mine. She can visualize more details than my own eyes. She spotted an owl I didn't see until we traveled for another hour. It's part of the way her people have developed to live in their native home called Vapreiy. Which is naturally a dark and misty place. This natural thing of hers is useful but annoying for me at times. 

"You know I never participated in this much. What's the word? Forced athleticism since high school." As I'm talking I lean further onto my pack. "What the hell is high school?" The tone in her voice leads me to believe school isn't a thing here. "I don't care to reminisce on years of mental trauma." I wave her off. I can't see her since I closed my eyes. "Fair Enough." I imagine her shrugging. Silence fell between us. It is not uncomfortable but there is still tension in the air between us. I don't fully trust her and I'm sure the same goes for her with me. I'm still trying to find out why Fera labeled me as Malizia's responsibility. I haven't met her up until Fera's clothing stall and Malizia is about as tight-lipped as you can get. Whatever life she has led might have been difficult or she was just raised that way. The little information I've gotten out of her has been by sheer pestering. The only thing she offered willingly was what this world is called. 

We are located in a large country called Turandi. I only saw a glimpse of it when Malizia showed me a map. I take the chance of silence and open my eyes to look around. Malizia sets a fast past, so my curiosity isn't really satisfied by all the new sights around me. We are situated in a small clearing, the trees still have the same magical glow, but it varies with the change of environment. Large boulders and rocks hug one corner of the clearing where we are but the rest of it is covered in tall magenta grass and strange wildflowers. I'm pulled from my moments of peace when I feel something vibrate in my palm. Ruby starts growling. I feel it more than hear it as I'm still petting her. Looking at Ruby I see her fur puffed up and she is acting very defensively. Something's wrong. 

"We need to move." Jolting from where I'm seated I look up at the voice located right behind me. "Can you stop doing that!" Also, another skill of hers she teleports by shadow. It has now become Malizia's favorite pastime to scare to shit out of me. "No, I like the reaction I get out of you, definitely fun. But jokes aside, something is going on up ahead. I'd rather not be around for it." "What do you mean?" I'm almost scared of the answer. I have come to learn that creatures and forest animals are much different here than back home. Much, much, different. Malizia has taken us in different directions to avoid some of them a couple of times. She gave me a vague description of them as I have never seen them. "Their eyes gleam with malice. They are the keepers of dark secrets, where danger lurks and nightmares take flight." Though in her words it is from a sonnet written by her people so I truly have no idea what they look like. We haven't had issues yet, I'm sure we would both want it to remain that way. "I'm seeing smoke, a large amount of it too." I look up at the sky and to my surprise can see what she's talking about. Even with my sight the smoke that gathers in the sky is rapidly growing. My heart stops for a moment and picks up its pace. "Whatever is happening, it started only fairly recently." I'm still looking up at the sky as I hear her talking. "Could it be a fire?" I know that's not true but I say it anyway, I don't know what is out here, Mal does. "Should we do something?" I bolt up to stand and look up at her, Mal is perched on a rock higher up. "No" The tone is firm, unbending, and harsh. She then looks down at me. "I know you have a good heart Tiffany, but there's nothing worth us doing other than going a different direction. That quantity of smoke in that short amount of time has few options...Fire is not one of them." She again looks over to the direction of where the smoke is coming from. "Then what do you think it is?" My heart is pacing. I look back up to the sky, in our short conversation, the smoke cloud has gotten bigger. "I have a couple of guesses but one is sticking out to me." "What?" It seems that whatever is happening is a real threat, worse than the animals. Malizia finally responds. "Upiris." I was about to ask what an Upiris is when I heard an unfamiliar voice behind me. "You might want to steer clear of those." I nearly jumped ten feet in the air. I hate to admit it but I screamed like a little girl. "Well I shouldn't be surprised to see you here." Malizia  is way too calm with everything, it pisses me off. "Can people stop coming up behind me for five minutes!" I rub my hands over my arms, calming myself. "Excuse me?" I heard Malizia and the 'other voice' say at the same time. "Well if you guys would stop-" I fall silent as I turn around and see Malizia standing WAY too casually next to a giant dragon. A large emerald-scaled dragon. His head is wide, not as long as I expected, although it's not small in any way. His muzzle is at least as long as I am tall. His dark emerald scales get lighter on the underside of his neck and chin. Two horns steam from where his jaw ends one curving upward and the other down. The one curving down is shorter than the top horns. Pure white claws emanate raw power. Leathery wings tucked close to his body. As the dragon moves his green scales shimmer with gold specks in the sunlight. If this thing wanted to he could rip me apart in a matter of seconds. But the fact Mal is familiar with him gives me pause.