The Dragon Liberator: Escapee

POV: Fendrel

They hadn’t been in the air for long.

No one had spoken another word of Fragrance.

“So, what’s he like?” Fendrel leaned a bit to the side to catch Venom’s eye.

Fog grinned. “He’s really nice.”

Venom snorted. “He’s one of the nobles who didn’t show up for Cloud’s emergency meeting.”

“Maybe he was busy.” Fog gave a denying laugh.

The dusk dragon lowered his voice. “Maybe he was fretting over his own precious scales instead of listening to the messenger.”

Fendrel watched Birch for a reaction. The young dragon clenched and unclenched his claws repeatedly, rhythmically, as if he were trying to distract himself from the conversation.

Venom lurched to a stop, hovering in the air. Thea gasped and grabbed onto Fendrel and Oliver for support. The other dragons followed suit, worry and confusion etched on their faces.

The dusk dragon whipped his head around, surveying the hills below. He sniffed the air repeatedly. A low growl emanated from his bared maw. “Everyone land. Now.” No one hesitated to follow his order.

“Venom, what is it?” Fog sat on her haunches and stretched out her neck, trying to scan the hills.

“Keep your voices low.” He raised his head again. “I smell a rogue.”

Fog’s feathers bristled and she flattened herself into the grass. Birch dropped right beside her, covering Viper with his wings, and Sour flexed his claws which seemed to glow with a mysterious light.

“Is it a dragon?” Fendrel looked around, wide-eyed.

“Yes.” Venom crouched but kept his legs tense, ready to spring into action. Thea, Oliver, and Fendrel slid off in a hurry. “Go to Fresh Grove, I’ll catch up later. Don’t you dare fly unless he starts chasing you.”

“Do you see him yet?” Fendrel still searched.

Venom sat on his haunches. He held his breath for a moment, his eyes glued to a specific spot. Fendrel turned to see what Venom was staring at.

A red fire dragon with purple stripes was in the field amidst the hills, it’s eyes locked on the group.

The rogue’s tail flicked and the spines on his back bristled.

A chill ran down Fendrel’s spine. He backed away, never taking his eyes off the rogue.

Venom went back on all fours. “You should leave now.”

“Thea, Oliver, don’t make any sudden movements. And don’t turn your back on him, okay?” Fendrel continued to walk backward.

Fog crept toward Fendrel. “Here.” She crouched.

“You’re already carrying the saddle and supplies. You don’t need any extra weight.” Fendrel shook his head.

The vapor dragon poked Fendrel’s side. “There isn’t any time for arguing.”

Fendrel flinched and got on the saddle. Fog wobbled, her legs adjusting to the added weight. Thea and Oliver slowly clambered onto Sour’s shoulders. Birch scooped Viper into his paws and sat on his haunches, spreading his wings for balance.

The rogue stepped a few paces forward at their sudden movement.

“Go. I’ll hold him off.” Venom flared out his wings and lashed his tail, trying to draw the rogue’s attention. He roared loud enough for his voice to carry as far as he could see.

With a shrill roar, the rogue surged forward to meet Venom’s challenge. He leapt into the sky on enraged wings.

Venom lifted off and raced toward the rogue.

The other dragons flew in the opposite direction.

Fendrel looked over his shoulder. The rogue and Venom were at each other’s throats, diving and clawing at each other as they spiraled to the ground. Venom feigned an attack on the rogue’s chest then bit his wing.

The red dragon roared in pain and plunged toward the ground. His wing bent at an odd angle, blood running over his rough scales.

Fendrel faced forward. A sudden moment of glee washed over him. “There! Do you see that forest?”

Fog nodded. “We’re almost there.”

Two combating bellows drew Fendrel’s attention back to the fight. Both dragons were bloodied, breathing heavy, and circling each other.

Why would Venom risk his life to save mine? He knows I worked with dragon hunters… Why would he help me?

<~><~><~>

Fendrel squeezed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth as Fog neared the ground.

The vapor dragon stumbled when her paws touched the ground but managed not to trip like the last time. Fendrel slipped off Fog’s back.

“Is everyone okay?” Fendrel looked at the rest of the group.

A distant roar grabbed Fendrel’s attention. “We should go in.” He took a step toward the forest, then froze.

Curious floral dragons of all shapes, sizes, and colors peeked out of the trees. Their eyes landed on Fendrel and they shied away into the shadows and shrubbery. Twigs snapped and leaves bristled as they ran deeper into the woods.

Birch looked at Thea and Oliver. “You two should probably get down. Our noble doesn’t like humans very much.”

Sour lowered himself so they could get off. He rolled his shoulders. “I’ll lead the way.”

After trudging through the dense forest behind Sour, a sing-song voice welcomed them. “Fog, Sour, Birch! Thank the stars you’re safe. We were so worried when my scouts reported that you were being chased by a dreadful rogue.”

“Fragrance!” Fog’s face lit up. She hurried in front of Sour and followed the sound of the greeter’s voice. The fan of feathers on the tip of her tail waved around excitedly.

They entered a clearing where a lemon-colored dragon wearing elaborate emerald neck and nose rings came into view. He laid leisure in a dip in the ground surrounded by the roots of a tree poised with grace behind him. His resting place was situated toward the back of the clearing. Many other dragons were crowded around the outskirts of the clearing or tending to Fragrance, picking specks of dirt out of his scales or rubbing his leaf-like wings.

Another dragon whose shimmering scales were colored like a persimmon, around Sour’s age, laid by Fragrance’s side wearing similar jewelry.

“Fog, this is one of my daughters, Divine, and I see you have already met my son.” Fragrance gesturing to the dragon beside him and then at Sour.

They sure don’t look very worried. Is this why Venom talks down about him?

Fragrance eyed the humans tailing behind the dragons. His smile dropped. “Why are there humans with you?” He stood and stepped forward, cracking branches under his splayed talons. The dragon jutted his chin at the saddle on Fog’s back. “And what is that demeaning contraption?”

Divine upturned her snout as she rose to stand by Fragrance.

With worried glances, the other floral dragons melted into the forest’s coverage until Fragrance, his children, and Birch were the only floral dragons remaining in the clearing.

Fog arched her neck and blinked in surprise. “...This is Fendrel, and his friends. They’re helping us look for Mist.”

Fragrance hissed. “That still doesn’t explain why you look like some kind of labor horse.”

Divine mimicked his motions.

“I chose to use it.” Fog lifted her head and pushed her wings back, but her voice sounded defensive.

Fragrance recoiled.

“Fendrel was against it, but we needed to do this.” Fog stomped her paw.

The lemon-colored dragon stepped forward again. His wings bristled. “Why would humans, of all creatures, be helping you? And if carrying the saddle was ‘necessary,’ then why not have Birch carry it? He’s a servant, and you’re nobility. It’s what he was hatched for.”

Birch looked down at his paws. More black and white scales littered the ground as his talons shifted.

“Birch, are you shedding? Pick your scales up off the ground, you’re making a mess.” Fragrance waved his paw at Birch.

“Y-yes Your Magnificence.” Birch scooped his detached scales into the palm of one of his paws, his head bowed.

Fog stepped toward Fragrance. “I know you’re not that fond of humans, but they really are trying to help.”

“How do you know this? Do they know how to communicate with us?” A smirk spread across his face.

Venom tramped into the clearing behind the others, bearing more scratches than when they left him. “Yes, actually, they can. Fendrel here learned draekonik while he studied the tongue of his own people. And these two—” he gestured at Thea and Oliver with his wing “—are wearing enchanted items to aid them in understanding us.”

The floral dragons quit chuckling and spied at the three. Divine stretched her neck forward to see the enchanted items better.

Venom and Fragrance glared at one another.

“So, you’re the floral noble who was too busy to attend the king’s emergency meeting.” Fendrel walked in front of Fog.

Fragrance looked down at him, a perplexed expression on his face.

“That’s disappointing. I thought after spending all this time in your home and away from doing actual work you’d be… shinier? I apologize, I shouldn’t let my expectations get ahead of me.” Fendrel gave him a pitying smile. Thea snickered behind her hand.

Fragrance arched his neck. He played his claws to see if they were smudged with dirt, then gave his children expectant glares.

Divine and Sour averted their eyes.

The floral noble strutted toward the newcomers, making a big show of stretching his wings so they caught the sunlight, and swung his tail. He stopped a few feet away from Fendrel and looked right over his head at Fog.

Loud wingbeats approached. The assembly looked up. A spark dragon with dark gray fur and bright yellow triangles under his eyes landed heavily next to Venom and Fragrance. He nodded at the dusk dragon. “Greetings, sir! His Majesty sent me to inform you that he has already inspected the Geode Caverns and Sand Caves but has found nothing so far. Do you have anything to report?”

Venom nodded at the messenger. “No, nothing yet. Thank you.”

“I shall return to you once His Majesty has sent me with another message, sir. Farewell!” The spark dragon leaped into the air and flew off.

Once his wing beats were far away, Fragrance snorted. “Where was I? Oh yes, there’s no need for you to still have that saddle on your back. It makes you look like livestock.” He turned and started off to the other side of the clearing. “Come, you can put it in the visitors’ area.”

Fog followed him, though her steps were sluggish. Venom came forward and walked beside her. He nudged one of her wings up with his and mimed arching his neck more. Fog followed his lead.

Fendrel caught up with Thea and Oliver close behind. Sour pranced to the front of the line while Divine glared at him with suspicion. Birch hobbled off on three legs, one of his front paws cupping his shed scales.

Fragrance led them through the trees on a path made visible by trampled plants and snapped twigs. He swerved from the path and sped up suddenly, then returned to the path. He swerved away again and put on more speed.

Fendrel grabbed Oliver and Thea’s hands, to match the dragon’s pace.

He’s trying to lose us.

A scowl grew on Fendrel’s face.

Venom snorted. “Are you stalling, Fragrance? It usually doesn’t take this long to get to the visitors’ area.”

“Oh, my apologies.” Fragrance said with a dramatic sigh. “I suppose you would be tired after battling that horrid rogue.” He shot a disdainful glance toward Fendrel as if to say, “It’s your fault he was so close to Fresh Grove.”

Well, it was, but only inadvertently. Fendrel ducked his head. What if the rogue decided to attack innocent dragons here just because it followed me here?

They arrived at the visitors’ area, neat rows of sturdy trees with giant leaf, vine, and animal skin hammocks in their branches and dens in their roots.

Fragrance turned to face the others. “You can return here once it gets dark, Fog. I assume you’ll want to visit a little more since there’s still light. I trust you can find your way back,” shooting her with an endearing smile.

Venom cleared his throat. “Actually, we’re here on important business.”

The yellow dragon’s eyes shifted to Venom, his smile faltering for only a moment.

“We’re investigating the disappearance of Mist, and this was our next destination. We’ll just be looking around and asking a few questions. Don’t try to keep us from doing so. We may both be of nobility, but I still outrank you.” Venom placed a paw on Fendrel’s shoulder. “And His Majesty endorsed him specifically to help.”

“Fine. But you won’t find anything here. You’re wasting your time, and depriving Fog of precious exploration while it’s still day.” Fragrance trotted off, nearly sweeping Fendrel off his feet with his tail. “And Sour, join me back at the meeting tree with your sister. We’ll need to request a new order of jewelry from the fire faction since the hunters took yours.”

Sour nodded and pranced after his father.

Venom groaned once Fragrance was out of earshot.

Fog’s wings drooped. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know he hated humans.”

“It’s not your fault. We had to come here anyway. Don’t beat yourself up about it, okay? Truthfully, it’s rare that I’ve ever met a human-friendly floral dragon.” Fendrel nodded at France’s retreating form, unbuckling the saddle with its bags and propping it up against a tree. “So, where are we going first?”

“Not far. Some of the dragons here are a bit more curious than they would like Fragrance to notice. They’re hiding around here now.” Venom glanced up at the branches.

An acorn and a few twigs plummeted to the ground. The others looked up and saw a cluster of dragons hiding in the trees, freezing when they realized they’d been spotted.

“Come down now, we don’t want to take more time than we need to.” Venom sat in the grass.

<~><~><~>

POV: Charles

“No.” Sadon looked Charles in the eyes.

Charles blinked in confusion.

“Now that Oliver isn’t here anymore, you’ve lost one of your duties. You’re going to go to the Stone Edge Ruins in search of more dusk dragons. We currently have a shortage.” Sadon couldn’t be bothered to put a drop of emotion in his voice. “I’m giving you one chance to prove your worth and move up the ranks again.”

...He isn’t insinuating I’ll be able to teach again, is he?

Charles nodded. “So we’ll be leaving today.” Charles learned early on to phrase his questions as statements when speaking to Sadon.

Sadon looked as if everyone he talked to that day had been nothing but a disappointment. “No. I won’t be joining you. You’ll be accompanied by hunters of my choice.”

Without...supervision? I’ve never been more than five rooms away from him since Fendrel left us. Is this a trap?

“I see.” Charles nodded.

Sadon looked Charles up and down. “Don’t get any ideas.”

Charles shook his head. “You know I wouldn’t, sir.”