Atlantian

becoming Atlantian [3]

Chapter 3

After gaping for a moment Aubrey sputtered out the only thing she could. "Atlantis? But it's not real." Her voice had gone all squeaky as she stared at the man in front of her with incredulity whilst suspecting that he did not have the full mental capacity of a human or superhuman, in fact he was obviously not quite right in the head but she chose to keep that to herself as she eyed the man made of muscle.

"I assure young one, Atlantis most definitely exists and you are most definitely in it. Now we do not have time to argue the Elders are waiting. Akan, take her before I sling her over my shoulder like an impetuous child." Aubrey gaped at the man, this was by far the most he had said and she struggled with whether to gape at the fact that his tone had lightened somewhat or that he had basically insulted her. But more importantly, who was Akan? She wondered but she didn't get a chance to think it through because the next moment she heard the sound of what sounded to her, like very large wings beating.

Aubrey started to turn as a swift wind picked up and her hair flurried around her as she tried to face the source of commotion with her shoulders hunched up to her ears whilst her back was ramrod straight. She didn't manage to turn very far before she is jolted upwards as cold hard talon-like claws wrapped around her shoulders, the obsidian blades ripping through the fabric of the t-shirt. Lifting her head, Aubrey let out a gasp that was lost over the sound of the flapping wings as she stared unbelieving at the scaled underside of the large flying beast. She let her eyes trail further upwards where a large long neck travelled up to a dark green snout. Her eyes opened wide as she gaped at the beast as she whispered the name of it, not quite sure how she was feeling about dragons actually existing. She could hardly believe it and she had seen it.

She shook her head before eyes landed upon Tiberius who looked completely different to the man she had got accustomed to him being. Aubrey was startled to see a true genuine smile on the man's face as he grinned up at the beast, his eyes never once straying to her. Instead he winked at the dragon before running towards the edge of the cliff with a laugh that echoed off the rolling hills of trees and seemed to brighten the whole atmosphere before he disappeared over the edge with a giant leap. "Catch me Akan." His deep gravelly called from below as he slipped from view. The dragon grunted much like an indulgent mother whilst Aubrey screamed until her lung felt as if they had been set on fire with their intense burning need for air. She gasped as her eyes frantically moved side to side searched for some sign of him but saw none.

The dragon stayed completely still for a moment, smoke rolling out of its nostrils before it blew out a ring of fire and lurched forwards dragging it's unwilling passenger along with it. Aubrey screeched as the dragon erupted through the flames leaving her looking like she had been up the chimney with her sooty face and smoking hair. She heard the beast snort in amusement before her and the dragon lurched downwards in a sudden free fall, Aubrey still clasped tightly in its claws as it surged after the falling man. Aubrey silently urged the dragon on to save him before he hit the tree line which his body was getting closer and closer to with each second as his body spiralled and flipped through the air.

Akan pulled in her wings and sped towards the tree line so that she picked up speed so that Aubrey, who was still within her claws, was holding tightly onto the scaly appendage with her eyes closed whilst her voice was became hoarse from all of the screaming. The dragon skimmed just past the falling man before she pulled out of the dive with her wings spread wide. Aubrey jolted at the sudden change of speed and direction as Akan levelled out so that Aubrey's feet were only a metre above the tree tops. There was a tell-tale thump as Tiberius landed onto Akan's scaled back before he let out a throaty chuckle and started to speak like he was having a conversation with someone though from what Aubrey could tell she was the only one around.