Inferno Legacy: Valor of the Dragon (Book One)

Chapter 36

Chapter 36

            Cody and Inferno made their way back to the field without any interruptions, but when they arrived, things looked a little different. All Cody could think about was the amount of people surrounding the farmland. They walked into the field easily, but the space behind them was almost immediately filled with people.

The people that now surrounded the two were very diverse. Men, women, and children alike ran around the edges, which were as closely guarded as possible by the warriors. However, it was still very easy to see the vast variety of colors in the crowd. Some people seemed to be noblemen; others appeared to be poor townspeople. But no matter who they were, they crowded around the farmland.

            “What’s this?” Cody found himself asking when he was closer to Indivar.

            The leader seemed worried as he replied, “I am very sorry about them. The people are just so…unused to seeing a dragon and rider before, as I’m sure you understand. They probably don’t even care who you are and whether you are friendly or not, they just gathered upon seeing such a beast.”

            Cody didn’t know whether he should feel insulted or complimented by the number of guests, so he decided to let it go and forget they were there, if he could. With as much grace as he could manage, he swung his leg over and slid down Inferno’s arm for a very brief time before he hit the ground. The dragon, apparently unaffected by the audience, lay down on the ground and closed his eyes.

            “As promised, I will show you where you will be staying as long as you would like to stay, if you will just follow me,” Indivar said.

            The leader climbed onto a tall white horse and Cody rolled his eyes as he pulled himself back into Inferno’s saddle. Indivar and three of his heavily-armored warriors galloped off on their horses, and Inferno followed them without the slightest difficulty, keeping the pace even when the horses seemed to slow.

            They passed through the crowd, which somehow seemed to part for them. But for as far as Cody could see with all of the buildings in the way, it was just an endless wave of fabrics and hair and skin blocking their way. It looked as though every single person in the city came to see the dragon and rider. Fortunately, they soon reached an area that was strictly blocked off by a large group of guards that no one seemed able to pass except Indivar, Cody, and Inferno. But even the warriors that had come with them were stopped, making the others move on alone.

            Then Cody looked forward, and he was instantly amazed. Before him was a monstrous building. While its height was pretty minimal with only about three stories at the highest point, it was very long and wide and intricately detailed. They got closer, and Cody realized that it was some sort of castle, to an odd extent. He had a feeling that Indivar and the most royal of people stayed there, but that was the full extent of his knowledge, and Inferno seemed to be getting the exact same information.

            “They put an awful lot of trust into that psychic of theirs,” Inferno said. “One would think they would have a little more caution than bringing us into this palace!”

            Cody forced himself to agree, though he still believed that Myra was trustworthy enough and skilled enough to be accurate about what she had predicted. He looked down at the door that Inferno would have struggled to get through if he had tried. Instead, Cody got the feeling that he was supposed to follow Indivar inside alone, so he swung himself out of the saddle and landed firmly on his feet behind Indivar’s horse. He got off his horse, and a man rushed forward to take it away, probably to stables of some sort.