Avondale: The Golden Door

Grey Rock City

Half the morning was gone when I woke up. I stretched my body, thankfully the soreness from yesterday had subsided and I was able to walk again without pain.

I crawled out from under Śarat's wing and found everyone still asleep except for Nisvārtha.

"Morning." I said as I joined him beside the fire pit.

He seemed to start from his thoughts and looked up at me with his violet eyes. "Good morning, Kendra."

I sat down with a sigh and began plaiting my hair into a side braid. "Letting everyone sleep in?" I guessed nodding my head at the rest of the sleeping dragons.

He nodded. "Two days of nonstop travel, they deserve some rest before we head for the city."

"Are we flying there?" I asked.

"No." He ran a hand through his dark purple locks. "The canyon is only a few hours on foot. It is too dangerous for me to fly, and I assume everyone would enjoy the opportunity to walk on two legs for a while."

I chuckled. "Aye, you'd be right about that, for me at least." I smiled. "Walking is so much easier here."

Nisvārtha raised an eyebrow quizzically. "What do you mean?"

I felt a bit of heat rise to my cheeks, I hadn't meant to say that. "I was always clumsy at home, I tripped over everything. Soon as I get here though, walking is easy, I almost float when I walk."

"Interesting," Nisvārtha thought for a moment. "That makes sense I suppose. Your body was made for Avondale, strong but lightweight bones, adaptable lungs for high altitudes and speeds, and as you near your first shift, you should be gaining more strength, and heightened senses. But growing up in a separate world, your body would have had to adapt to living there. Those adaptations could have contributed to the lightness you are experiencing now."

I rolled my eyes and smirked. "No one likes a know-it-all, Nisvārtha."

Well that is odd, because I find him quite charming. I looked up at the grinning, blue wyvern and laughed. His yellow eyes were bright and amused.

And this may just apply to me, he yawned and stretched out, looking particularly feline as he did so. But I prefer Nisvārtha being his brilliant self. He shook out his mane and padded over. It takes away any pressure for me to be smart.

I snorted from laughter and lost control of my braid. Once I calmed down I shooed at Sanna with a playful glare. "Go and put your pants on then come help me with the braid you ruined."

His chuckle rang in my head as he padded away.

I smiled and turned to look at Nisvārtha, only to find his violet eyes already trained on me.

"Something on your mind?" I asked, my own eyes trapped and unable to move.

A soft smile pulled at his lips, "You have a nice laugh."

I felt my face heat again but I still couldn't look away. "Thank you." Looking as closely as I was, I noticed something on his face that was normally covered by his long hair. I reached slowly toward his face and brushed the hair from his forehead, revealing a long scar that ran from his ear, past his eyebrow and ending in the middle of his forehead. Nisvārtha held perfectly still as I ran a finger along the faded line, barely touching it, his eyes watched my face, searching for something.

I pulled my hand away. "You said it's dangerous for you to fly...." I met his eyes. "It's because of what you are, isn't it?"

He looked away. "The less people who know I exist, the better."