Chapter 12: A Surprise Guest and a Happy Occasion.

The very next morning I woke feeling extremely refreshed, knowing that I had completed the important and painstaking quest that would gain me extremely useful training. I did wonder though when Monroe would start in on his ‘Special’ Training. As I moved to get out of the bed, Azure readily woke as well to slip out before I could even pull off my covers. It was getting decently cool lately and I had been piling on an extra blanket to keep warm at night.

With the barest fringes of daylight filtering into my loft I could already smell the mouthwatering aroma of breakfast wafting through the back door to the kitchen area. Almost closing my eyes I made my way to Victoria’s kitchen to enjoy her tasty meal. I did wonder though why she had begun cooking without my help this time.

“Good Morning Jade!” She called out cheerfully. “Morning” I called out still sleepily which turned into a yawn. I wasn’t fully awake, yet the scent of food was like a drug that could pull the dead from their graves. Soon enough there was a plate of what looked suspiciously like crepes in front of me. I didn’t know they even knew of crepes here. Sure enough, after the first bite, I knew it was those delicious light, thin, and fluffy crusts rolled up around a sweet creamy center. There was a bowl of mashed strawberries in the center of the table. It smelled and tasted so good that even Azure jumped up onto my lap after eating her meal to sniff at the food.

Looking down at her with a raised eyebrow I watched as she took a single nip at the edge of one of my crepes. “Azure . . .!?” I drew out her name with a ‘what the hell are you doing’ tone in my voice. *Sigh* I just pulled her off of my lap and set her gently on the floor before severing the portion she had gotten her mouth on to lay it on the floor next to her. I suppose it was the crème that drew her to it, since she just ignored the thin crust.

“Hahaha . . .” Victoria was laughing at my expense as she watched both of our antics. “See, my cooking is so good that even carnivores will change their diet for it.” I rolled my eyes and smiled ruefully at her proclamation, though I wouldn’t doubt its accuracy.

As Azure and I had finished up breakfast and stepped out of the shop to decide what to do for the day, I was entirely surprised at the greatly increased activity at this time in the morning. The cobble stone street that filled the space between Victoria’s apothecary shop and the other shops in the general area was crowded with people. There seemed to be an air of excitement in their steps and more than a handful of strangers with different styles of clothing were wandering about. “What in the world is going on?” I asked turning to Azure who had opted to walk around today.

Obviously she didn’t respond, other than to look back at me in trepidation in reaction to the much busier street than she was used to. A plaintive look seemed to cross her face as she looked between me and the shop. *Sigh* “Alright.” I said. “I’ll go get it.” Running inside with her close at my heels, I grabbed her personal hammock which she promptly jumped into after I hung it across my shoulder and waist. Now properly armed for the day, we both strode forth into the streets with her perched up in the hammock to see the bustle of the city in safety.

Instead of dropping by Kade’s smith shop this morning, I opted to drop by the jewelry shop where his wife the town gossip was likely at. It couldn’t Possibly be that I wanted to say hi to Lynette too. Having rarely been at the Apothecary shop whenever she was in the area, we had only seen each other a couple of times during the days I’d been banging away at the rapidly growing cave. Making our way over to the shop that had sparkling crystals hanging from the door sill, I pushed open the chiming door to face the sparkling interior of the shop. Motes of light refracted off the walls in a series of different colors. Azure gazed about in fascination as this was her first time here.

Gertrude was currently entertaining a group of ladies at her front counter. Nowhere did I see Lynette with my cursory look through the store. As soon Gertrude saw me and Azure together though, I saw her face contort into conflicting expressions. The first of which was a look of absolute adoration and the second was that of a predator awaiting its snack. “Jade!” She called out in excited greeting. “Come on over!” ‘Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea’ I thought to myself while making my way over to her group of customers.

As I neared her counter I could clearly hear her voice as she addressed the women in front of her. “Excuse me ladies, but a very important customer that requires discretion has arrived.” *Ahem* She cleared her throat before continuing speaking. “I therefore must ask you to leave until we have concluded our transaction.” With obvious pouts but treating her as the queen with absolute orders they turned around to leave.

Taking in my average dressed appearance the three middle aged ladies merely nodded to me as they headed out the door. Had Azure decided to not hide in the folds of her hammock the moment before they had turned around, I’m certain the outcome would have been vastly different. With a sigh of relief I turned to face my greater fear. “Now Jade, I had heard some interesting rumors of you getting a special animal, but I had not guessed at it being an adorable White Tiger.” Gertrude practically gushed with excitement as she made her way around the counter to get closer to me. This was the city gossip monger in full information gathering mode.

Attempting to side step the questions I sensed coming, I asked one of my own. “Gertrude, do you have any idea what is going on outside with all the activity?” Her eyes widened in surprise. “Surely you know! Don’t you?” I shook my head in the negative. “It’s in preparation for Monroe’s and Victoria’s wedding!” She exclaimed, seemingly appalled that I didn’t know such a thing.

“No,” I said. “I knew that they were getting married, I just didn’t know exactly when.” I paused a moment since things still didn’t add up. “Surely all these people can’t be here just for their wedding can they?” I asked her.

Misery at my lack of understanding filled her face. “Oh my dead Jade, do you truly not understand the kind of people you have been associating with since you’ve been here?” I shook my head at that. Thankfully she decided to enlighten me. “Both Victoria and Monroe are famous adventurers in their own right. They are also both acclaimed heroes in our continuous war against the evil creatures in the borderlands. All these people coming to visit are here to celebrate their wedding that is happening in just one week!” With a look of utter despair she gazed intently at me. “Surely you knew some of this?”

I shook my head in utter bewilderment. “I know that they are both very good at what they do but I had no idea they were that famous. And you said the wedding is in a week?” I reaffirmed. “Yes!” She said in exasperation.

“OH, Well then.” I mused to myself. “I guess I had better go out and see how I can help. By the way, is Lynette around right now?” Shaking her head she replied. “No, and I can’t be telling you were she is since she made me promise to not tell anyone. I can say however that she is in intense training right now.” I frowned slightly at that, feeling a little hurt that I was included among the term anyone.

“Okay, then. Please tell her I said hi and wish her well in her training.” I said this as I was backing out of the store. “But wai . . .!” Her voice was firmly cut off as I quickly closed the front door behind me and took off running. I could only guess at the furious expression on her face at my successful escape.

As I really didn’t care where I was going except away from her shop I found myself heading deeper into the massing crowd on the streets. Suddenly a shadow fell across the sky for a brief moment as the sun was blocked from view. Among the many people around me I stopped to look up. A scream or two could be heard but mostly there was the sound of in rushed breath as the various onlookers took in the sight of a massive light blue scaled dragon circling the city as it descended into our midst.

Almost everyone at once began rushing in a single direction. Though I didn’t know much of what else was in that direction, I did know that the Counsel Halls and garden were over there. Being rushed along amidst the flow of the crowd, Azure kept hunkered down in her hammock, displaying extreme displeasure judging from the growling noises I heard coming out of the folds.

Arriving at the large open area amidst the flowering gardens and sitting benches, that solitary dragon stood there majestically while taking in the view of onlookers. A single man in heavy fur clothing descended from off the dragons back from what looked like a large saddle or harness of sorts. “It’s Lysis!” A teenage boy screamed out in excitement.

Turning to the boy I asked him, “Who is Lysis?” He looked at me like I was crazy. “Lysis is Monroe’s son and one of the leading combatants in the border fights. You seriously haven’t heard of him before?” He asked me in surprise. “Oh, well I’m a Traveler.” I explained somewhat dejectedly, as if to justify my ignorance. In all honesty I would have thought something like this would have come up in conversation with Monroe.

*ROOOOAAAAR!* A deafening silence swept outward in reaction to the dragon showing its displeasure at the thronging crowd. Despite the scary roar, Azure suddenly peeked her head out to see what had made such a hair raising blast of noise. In the interval of silence, the lone figure, Lysis made a hasty retreat into the Counsel Halls. As the much humbled crowd stared on in relative silence for his return, together Azure and I stared in wonder at the majestic beast that come to visit our city.

What little of its underbelly that could be seen was mostly covered with large white scales which began to turn a light blue at the lower sides of the flank. By the time you had reached to about mid-level along its sides, the scales had become a deep midnight blue that shimmered darkly in the bright sunlight. No spikes or horns marred the surface of that sleek figure, but the gigantic wings lay tucked along its side. Swishing its tail every once in a while to ward off the overly brave viewers, it seemed to wait patiently for Lysis to return. Though Lysis had been the only person on this massive dragon, I could guess that 3 to 4 people could fit comfortably on its back. With a body length of about 10 meters and a tail that added an additional 5 meters in length, I could see its dark claws that could swiftly grasp a horse and easily bear its weight.

I felt myself swallow in fear at the thought of confronting such a creature in the wilds. After a few minutes of gazing at the dragon which seemed to be getting a little anxious by now, Lysis returned out of the doors in a hurry and before the many who tried to stop him with conversation could get closer than a few meters, he had mounted the saddle and the dragon began pumping its wings. At full extension the powerful down draft caused mini tornadoes of brown leaves, petals, and dirt to fill the air. Soon the pair was airborne before taking off in a northerly direction. I watched till they faded into the distant underbrush not sure if they had landed or just disappeared from view as they flew away.

After all that excitement everyone seemed determined to go into the Counsel Halls to find out what had happened. With the door heavily crowded and the guards having a very difficult time of monitoring the influx of people, I figured I’d be better off heading back to Victoria’s to see if she needed my help. I would have gone to Kade’s forge, but I desperately wanted a day off work and so maybe I’d get away with some simple potion lessons or a nice late morning nap.

As soon as I entered her shop I took in an entirely new sight. Victoria was dressed in shabby clothes with an apron and rags stuffed into her apron pockets. She was busily rushing about wiping down any and all parts of the shop. Instantly when her eyes met mine, I knew I had made a dreadful mistake to come back at that time. Relief filled her eyes as she rushed over to me. “Excellent. I am so glad you came back. You can help me with cleaning up around this messy place.” ‘What?!’ I looked about. The store was always in the best of conditions with rarely a speck of dirt anywhere in the places that mattered. Only now noticing, I realized there weren’t any plants hanging from the ceiling to dry.

“We must get this place ready for all of the visitors.” She exclaimed. *Groan* I could just imagine where this was going. Sure enough, I was promptly handed all of her rags with quick instructions on what she wanted clean. Then she disappeared through the back door into her house. *Sigh* Let the work commence.

Azure happily prowled about as I began to work on cleaning. After what seemed like hours and with several returns to the sink to wring out the dirty rags, I ‘knew’ that there were no more surfaces that were dirty. Feeling that it was about time for lunch anyways, I naively went to the back to eat. As I stepped through the door into the dining area, I saw Victoria busily wiping things down that were not in the kitchen. I gazed forlornly at the empty kitchen while wondering how to get out of this predicament.

“Are you done out there?” Her voice queried over to me from one of the high dressers she was scrubbing at. “Yes, and I . . .” “Great!” She interrupted me. “Then you can help me in here, I need for you to . . .” “Make Lunch!” I blurted out in a hurry. “Yes yes, I can make lunch for both of us while you keep cleaning!” A shadow of a frown crossed her face at my declaration, but it was hard to refute the need for food since it was a little past noon day. With a feeling of immense relief I began preparing food for the 3 of us.

It was completely intentional that I was making food that would take a decent amount of time to cook and require close supervision on my part. ‘Thank goodness for the need to eat.’ I thought while quietly laughed to myself. As most everything else was in the oven and the potatoes were almost done boiling to be turned into mashed potatoes we both heard a chime from the store door opening. “I’m not ready!” Victoria practically screamed. The she turned to me. “Jade, go see if you can help them okay?” I nodded my head after which I took the boiling potatoes off her stove top to let them cool down.

Stepping though the back door to the Apothecary shop, I could see the customer was wearing dark brown robes with a deep concealing hood over their face. “Excuse me, how may I help you.” I called out while making my way to the front counter. The still shadowed face seemed to look up at me. “Is this Victoria’s apothecary shop?” The deep voice was definitely male and the feeling I got was honest curiosity. “Yes, yes it is.” I replied. “I’m her apprentice, is there anything I can help you with?”

“Hmm, do you happen to be Jade?” He asked me. I honestly felt a little concern that there was a mysterious cloaked man here asking for me by name. “Um, yes I am.” I admitted. *Phew!* The sigh of relief was definitely audible. After a quick look behind him as if he was taking in the view of the street, the mysterious stranger then turned back to me before pulling back his hood. “Oh!” I exclaimed as I saw his face.

It was Lysis! “Hey, you are Monroe’s son aren’t you?” I quested. “I am indeed, and after speaking with Monroe and wanted to drop by to see both you and Victoria.” He paused a moment. “Is she around?” He enquired. “Oh yeah, right this way.” I said as I led him into the back room and through to the dining area. As we stepped through the door Victoria’s eyes widened and I could have sworn I saw a flash of extreme irritation aimed at me. It was probably because she was still dressed in her cleaning clothes.

“Victoria. It is a great pleasure to see you again.” Lysis proclaimed with a deep and polite nod. “And I am pleased to see that you were able find a way to come to the wedding. I know your commander can be a real hard-case in regards to time off.” She replied in commiseration while returning to her work. “Is there anything I can do for you while you are here?” She enquired. Lysis shook his head in the negative. “It is not you whom I come seeking anything from.” He then turned to me. “It is however Jade whom I come seeking to ask what I may do for him.”

Falling to a single knee he grasps my hand in what I would have felt to be extremely awkward except that he seemed to exude a strong sense of duty and honor. “Jade I want to sincerely thank you for being the key element that finally convinced my father to ask for Victoria’s hand in marriage. What can I ever do to repay you?”

*Crash!* We both stopped in the midst of our ‘intense’ exchange to look at Victoria. She was standing there with her mouth open gazing at us. The ornate vase that she had been wiping down lay forgotten in its many pieces upon the ground. “Um nothing . . . don’t mind me.” She stuttered with her face blooming red. Entirely ignoring the shattered vase, she seemed torn between rushing towards me and running away in surprised embarrassment. Thank goodness she chose the latter.

In the relative silence created by her hasty departure, I finally began to feel the growing awkwardness of our exchange as Lysis had yet to let go of my hand. I hurriedly lifted up my hand in which he returned to a standing position before letting go. Finally feeling a bit more comfortable with my returned hand I had the most brilliant of ideas fill my mind in the brief exchange.

“There is something you could do for me. . . Actually two things.” I said somewhat craftily. “Name them.” He replied. “I would love it if you would give me a ride on your Dragon!” I said excitedly. He cracked a smile at that. “Well it would have to be up to Bermithia who says yes or no. But I don’t see why she wouldn’t let you ride on her. Especially since she too appreciates what you did for Monroe.” “Huh? Why would your dragon be interested in Monroe’s love life?” I asked. Lysis laughed in reply. “Because she used to be his battle partner before he retired.” He paused a moment to get his laughter under control before his voice grew somewhat more somber. “She was always telling him that he needed to hurry up and get married again. Especially since he was a lot more reckless since his first wife died.”

“Oh.” I said feeling a bit ashamed for bringing that up. Lysis simply shook his head. “No worries, she passed away over 200 years ago.” My eyes bugged out at that. “Um if you don’t mind my asking, how old is Monroe?” A smile twisted on Lysis’s face. “Don’t tell him I told you, but he is 736 years old.” He snorted at my shocked expression. By then Victoria had returned to the dining room, more fully composed.

“Jade, why don’t you invite Lysis to join us for lunch?” I thought that was a brilliant idea. Soon after finishing all the preparations in which Lysis also got to meet Azure we sat down to eat. He regaled us with thrilling stories from the borderlands, telling us of monstrous beasts he faced, and hilarious tricks he played on fellow combatants on their days off. By the end the conversation had turned to my wanting to ride Bermithia. Victoria was very hesitant about that but knowing I was going to be riding with her future stepson she relented. In relief I finished my meal.

Soon enough the three of us, myself, Azure, and Lysis with his hood back up made our way out the door of the shop into the busy street. Following him as he headed in a northerly direction, we travelled all the way to the forest and beyond. After walking about 20 minutes through the forest while he told me of some of the more risqué jokes he had played on others, which had me practically dying of laughter he pulled out a whistle from around his neck. When he blew it, though he puffed his cheeks and blew rather hard, no sound came out of it. After that, he just walked a few steps further into a wide open area with no trees and then sat down to relax.

After less than a minute I saw the gigantic shadow of his dragon come swooping down upon us in the open glade. “Wow.” I whispered in near hushed silence. Bermithia knew all too well the effect she had on others and seemed to bask in the attention that was given her. “Hello young one.” She said with a voice that reverberated deep within her chest. My eyes grew even wider at her speaking to me. I deeply bowed my head in respect I knew she deserved. Without looking up I clearly called out to her. “Bermithia, I ask a favor of you, I ask that you carry me into the skies.”

“Hahahaha!” Her laughter shook pebbles loose from the few surrounding boulders. Then she brought her head close to me to speak in a more quiet (for a dragon) tone. “No need to be so shy. I too have heard of the favor you did for my previous companion Monroe and I would like to return the kindness.” “Thank you.” I replied. Before I could say more she spoke again. “Though I do this for you, the balance will still not be met, for you have eased quite the worry from my conscious.” Under her breath which was still easy to hear, she muttered. “Finally that old coot has gotten married. Now I just need to get Lysis to go out with that girl he had been fancying among his crew.”

“I heard that!” Lysis called out with an arched tone. Bringing her large eyes level to him she seemed to smile, baring her many razor sharp teeth. *Shudder* I could help it as I felt again how I would very much so not want to face a creature such as her as an opponent. Soon enough their staring match broke off with Lysis the obvious loser and he pulled out a two heavy coats and two pairs of goggles. “I am sorry, but you’ll have to wear my older flight suit since it is all I have other than my current one. You’ll need to put on these goggles too.”

I was about to claim that I wouldn’t be needing it with Azure to keep me warm, but with what I had in mind I wouldn’t have Azure with me the whole time. I gratefully donned the coat and the goggles and soon enough after strapping in we were airborne.

The view was breath taking! As we ascended further and further into the sky I could see Niagara Falls off in the distance. Beyond that, massive amounts of vegetation and various rivers and streams that converged and split off could be seen. As we rose higher, my ears popped several times with the elevation change and the air began to grow very chill. Though I had been sweating earlier in the heavy clothing Lysis had given to me to wear, I was now intensely grateful as the temperature had to have dipped below zero.

In the thin air high above the ground I was certain that had I been able to see my breath, that it would be forming thick frost at this very moment. But at the pace we were traveling it was gone as soon as I breathed it out. Azure lay comfortably inside of my heavy clothes with her face peeking out to take in the shared view. I felt a bit bad as I knew she had no eye protection from the rushing wind. I felt even more guilty at what I was hoping to do, since she would have to leave the warm confines of my coat if it was to work.

Yelling against the wind I spoke up to be heard by Lysis who was sitting directly in front of me in the forward part of the saddle. “I’m guessing you and Bermithia are really talented in the sky right?” “Absolutely!” He replies while turning back to look at me. “We are part of the elite aerial guard.” With a nod I then asked him. “If a passenger falls from the back of your dragon is she able to safely catch them in mid-air?” I asked. “Haha, yep. She is quite good at that in fact. Why do you ask?” He said somewhat curious as to what I was getting at. “If dropped at a great height, how close to the ground can she catch them at?” “What are you trying to ask me?” He finally breaks in.

“Um, there is actually this activity that I’ve always wanted to do in my world but I’ve never had the chance to do it till now.” I paused a moment since I had to wet my lips again before continuing to speak due to the chapping air. “It is called Sky Diving where you fall from great heights only to be caught before you hit the ground.” I didn’t tell him that it was a parachute that caught us but I hoped that he would take the bait and let me fall.

He looked at me dumbstruck for a moment. “You do realize that if I kill you before you can attend my father’s wedding then he will be very cross with me.” “Hmm, that’s actually not a problem.” I yelled back. “If I die, then I will be back in 6 days which will be in time for the wedding.” Before he could form another rebuttal Bermithia who had been listening in on our conversation began to laugh again. “Lysis!” She called out. “Surely you are not one to judge the risk of a situation. You who jumped alone into a melee with 4 shadow wyverns?” “Um.” Was his only reply. “Let the kid do it, besides if you don’t then I will tell Rachel that you like her.” She said in a serious yet teasing tone.

“Arrrggh! Fine!” He screamed out in frustrated defeat. Then he turned back to me. “But you can only jump once!” “4 times!” I countered. I could tell he was about to object when Bermithia blew out a breath of frost that in the backflow coated us both. We shivered at the added chill that seemed to bite through the coats we were wearing. I was fine as Azure began warming me up with her fire, but Lysis’s teeth were chattering now. “Okay . . . twice but that . . . is the limit.” “Deal!” I Cried out with a smile.

Bermithia seemed to know what we were doing and so she began to fly as a slow and steady pace which made it easier to unclip myself from the harness. Azure was certainly no happy about my leaving and even less happy at the prospect of being left up there alone with two strangers. Before she could change her mind, I jumped off of the giant dragon during one of her lulls in beating her wings. It was AWESOOOOOME!

“WOOOHOOOOOOOO!” I screamed as the air went rushing by me. I knew that if I wasn’t wearing the goggles I had on currently that I would not be able to see anything due to the wind pressure. But now, now that I was here I could begin with my plan. As the exhilarating wind rushed by me in a sense of effortless perfection, I searched inwardly for the depths of my soul. Pushing it outward into the teeth of the wind I felt every minute tear as if I wore no clothes at all and had to bear the brunt of it all and more. The chill air began to fill me in a hurry but clenching my teeth against the onslaught of bone chilling pain, I continued to expose my soul to the elements. After what felt like an eternity with the cold creeping deeper and deeper within me I sensed a large presence diving with me.

Bermithia had matched her diving speed to mine and carefully and gently grasped me in her massive claws. Then after she had completely secured me she began easing out of her descent by coasting. The sheer gravitational force that assaulted us while she fought against the speed of the dive had me curling myself into a ball within her gentle claw. Finally she had broken free from the accelerated dive and was comfortably soaring along at just above the tree line. Above me I could hear Lysis turning the air blue with curses at his partner for letting me fall so far before catching me. I couldn’t hear what either said exactly, but Bermithia didn’t sound very sympathetic to his cause. I was just grateful for the extended fall and safe catch.

Coasting along till we had reached an open field Bermithia hovered just above the ground before unceremoniously dropping me into a bush, which thankfully did not have any thorns. Then she too touched down to the ground.

Soon after I managed to wrestle my way out of the foliage I met a fuming Lysis who was once again trying to stare down his dragon. “That was Awesome!” I cried out. Though in truth I was FREEZING inside. Yes the experience was awesome, but I felt I would soon turn into a freaking icicle. However since I didn’t get what I was looking for, then I had to do the dive again and hope for the best. I guess that response was not what he was expecting and so his glare turned into a scowl before he began to shake his head trying to contain growing laughter. “You are one crazy guy.” He said to me. “You would do well as a dragon rider. Especially since fall and catch practice days are the most feared days of training.”

“Huh.” I exclaimed with a smile. But then I frowned in thought before speaking again. “Have you thought of parachutes?” I asked him. With a curious shake of his head, I went on to explain what they were and how they worked. A thoughtful expression filled his face before his mouth twisted in consternation and he shook his head. “It could work in some cases, but in battle, we seek to be the smallest target possible. A parachute would make us extra noticeable and if that failed, then a dragon seeking to save us could get caught up in the netting and fabric.”

I hadn’t thought of that before and it definitely made unfortunate sense. “Still though, you could try it in the case of more than one passenger.” I rebutted. “Yeah . . . That could work then.” He said with the new idea. “Well in any case, ready for round two?” I asked him. *sigh* he just closed his eyes briefly before we both settled ourselves onto Bermithia again. As soon as I settled in, a very distraught and upset Azure jumped into my coat. After a brief yowl of discomfort due to how cold I was, she began turning up the heat with her flames. ‘Oh thank goodness’ I thought with relief.

Soon enough we were back in the air reaching the same altitude we were at when I jumped last time. Once again Bermithia evened out her wing strokes and I with greater apprehension this time (knowing the cold I would experience) jumped from the saddle and dove into the air. About two seconds after jumping off into the wide expansive sky, I heard a loud roar from above me. I hadn’t yet opened up my soul to the wind when I heard that terrifying sound. Looking up above me I saw something that greatly alarmed me. Azure had jumped down after me.

‘This cannot be happening’ I thought in that brief second of terrible fear. I could be caught, but Azure was much too small to be safely handled in Bermithia’s claws. . . . Seconds went by as those thoughts processed through my mind. Once single truth came out. I would have to catch her first.

With me falling at a lower elevation and with Azure several meters away from me, both in elevation and further ahead of me as she had jumped when Bermithia had flown past my jumping point. I would Need to make this work.

In a state of panic, I reached out with my soul to embrace the wind with full intent to slow my progress. First I tried to imagine a thick mass of wind that would hold me steady in mid-air. It seemed to sort of work as I felt I was getting closer to Azure in terms of elevation, but the change did nothing to bring me closer to her laterally and it also wasn’t moving me fast enough to match her horizontally by the time we hit the ground.

Wildly flinging my mind out for ideas I was suddenly thrown in a different direction in the sky. Further away from Azure. “NO!” I screamed out in panic.

Forcibly calming my speeding mind I thought about how I had done that caused me to fling myself further away. While I was thinking, Bermithia seemed to be panicking as she sought to get below us to catch Azure on the down fall.

As I was unconsciously taking this in, something clicked in my mind. What caused me to move that time was when I was wildly flinging out my thoughts. Maybe instead of trying to slow my descent with still wind, I needed to adjust my direction with directional wind. With that quick thought I focused on slamming myself with wind that would send me towards Azure. Unfortunately that didn’t seem to do anything for me except make me colder. It was like I was trying to move myself by pulling myself into the embrace of a rock. I wouldn’t move at all, but what if I tried pushing against the theoretical rock. So that is what I did, pushing wind away from me in the opposite direction of her. Suddenly I was closing in on her location at a fast pace.

I had to adjust the flow several times as I got closer, but soon Lysis had turned and seen me coming their way. With some kind of signal to Bermithia they both got out of our way allowing me to aim directly at Azure. With careful precision I caught her in my arms and slipped her into my coat.

*ding*

I clearly heard the tone but I totally ignored the message. As we continued to fall, I could only hope that Azure would somehow survive this. Closing my eyes and curling up in a ball to protect her I willed as much air away from as I could bring to bear, waiting for my body to slam into the ground but with the hope that with the reduced speed would keep her safe.

Something impacted me, but instead of the ground, it was Bermithia’s claw. She had somehow caught us and was now struggling against the pull of gravity. Daring to open my eyes, I gazed downward at the rapidly approaching tree line. With sparkling hope I renewed my efforts in pushing against the winds, and soon with the tops of the trees to push against, my efforts bore greater results. Bermithia seemed to be evening out more rapidly, though the strain on my body was tremendous. I could only hope is wasn’t too bad for Azure.

I felt a jarring impact that caused a roar of pain to come from Bermithia. Looking back I realized her claw had impacted a tree that stood out from among the rest by a few feet. I felt miserable that my reckless actions had led to this.

I should have known that Azure wouldn’t put up with a second parting from me considering her reaction the first time. Yes she probably thought it would be an adventure as well, but I was supposed to be the parent protecting her. In miserable silence I waited to see as we slowly rose again above the tree line and coast back towards the city.

I was somewhat surprised that we didn’t stop in the city, but rather another empty clearing that was big enough for Bermithia to land in. This time when she dropped us it was even more gently then the time before. Though I had to roll out of the way as she soon collapsed to the ground just after dropping us.

In fear I rushed over to her to see what was wrong. Observing her as I drew nearer I could hear Lysis struggling to unstrap himself from the harness which was at an odd angle since the dragon was laying on her side. She seemed to be heavily favoring her front right fore-claw since it was the one holding us and the same one that had run into the tree-line. Knowing it was my fault I rushed over and after pulling off my gloves, I pressed my hands upon her limb.

Healing energy came coursing out of me, it was slightly greater than when I was healing Azure and Shaun, but still infinitely less than when I healed Lynette. Still I persevered in pressing all the energy I could bring to the forefront of my body to be used for healing.

About 45 seconds had passed before Lysis had managed to get himself untangled from the straps and come check up on Bermithia. I could feel his great anger as he glared at me in passing as he made his way to face his dragon. “Hey Berm. . . How are you holding up?” He asked her with a soft voice deep with concern. I knew he desperately wanted to come over and beat me to a pulp, of which I was certain he could manage quite easily.

“I, I am surviving . . . better than I was before.” She said before pausing a moment as if to better focus. “The pain is slowly . . . fading from me.” She said sounding a bit perplexed. I felt hopeful that my healing was doing some good.

Finally feeling that she was going to be alright, Lysis turned with a rigid expression on his face as if he was going to tear me into pieces when he finally seemed to comprehend that I was holding tightly onto Bermithia’s fore-claw. His eyes narrowed dangerously, but then they seemed to change his mind. A soft glow could be seen flowing from me into his dragon and ever so slowly the blood dripping from her claw stopped flowing and the wounds closed. After what seemed like forever, the skin where miniature scales had been torn away and bruising had occurred was now healed without blemish. Upon closer inspection, one could even see the beginning of new scales that were ever so slowly growing to replace the missing ones.

I did not see that myself because I had since fallen unconscious from the constant expenditure of my soul in healing the dragon. I simply passed out and didn’t see anything more.

* * * * *

* * * * *

The next thing I remembered, I awoke in the same clearing that we had arrived in. The sun was in about the same spot it was in before except that now there was a fire going along with a quickly made lean-to against a pair of trees at the edge of the clearing. Lysis was nowhere to be found, but Bermithia was walking around seeming to test her foot with care. Azure was snuggled up against me keeping the both of us warm.

“Ho . .” *hggggh*clearing my dry throat I tried again. “How long have I been out and how is your leg?” I asked in the same sentence. Bermithia became still at my voice, then she swung her head in my direction. Her eyes seemed to soften as she looked at me. “I’m glad to see you are finally awake. You have been asleep for 2 days and we had begun to worry.” She said.

My eyes opened wide in surprise at that thought. “Oh dear, Lysis, his father, and Victoria are all going to kill me.” I moaned in despair. Then turning back to the dragon I spoke again with misery in my voice. “I am so sorry for what I did to you.” “Hahaha!” her sudden laughter surprised me immensely. “It is not your fault little one, nor is it the fault of your young one. It was a combination of bad luck and misjudging the situation. We could have thought to keep a better eye on the little one and you could have thought to have secured her better. In truth had we done both, she still could have escaped to jump down after you and we would still be in this situation if not worse. We cannot blame the truly young and innocent for their actions.”

I had to admit that I felt much better at her proclamation but I still worried. “May I try to do some more healing for you?” I asked Bermithia who had gone back to testing her fore-claw. “No need.” She said. “You have done a better job than most and it is nearly healed already. I would however like to hear your story as to how you managed to befriend such a reckless and entertaining creature as that White Tiger.” Nosing her snout towards the fire she spoke again. There is food there for you and your little friend.

Making my way over to the fire with a very hungry Azure, we both began to chow down. I didn’t know where Lysis was, but considering Bermithia’s nonchalant attitude I figured he was safe. Once I finished eating and Azure had settled down with a full stomach, I began to tell the Dragon of the story of how I met my White Tiger. . . .

Along with the story of meeting with the mother, I told of the later killing of the Reaper, at which she visibly shuddered at the mention of that creature. I wondered what she had to fear from them, but I kept telling the story. As she had seemed so engrossed in all that I had to say, I then continued on to speak of my first days in the City and of the various quests that I had undergone. I made little mention of how I got my abilities, but she did not pry to find out more. . .

Soon the shadows of dusk had overcome the camp and the last rays of light were fading away. Thought I didn’t hear anything, suddenly both Azure and Bermithia seemed to perk up a little. I too gazed off in the direction that they were looking at and soon after I saw a vague shadow that resolved itself to becoming Lysis. Across his back was a deer that looked like an 8 pointer from the distance I was at.

“You know . . .” He seemed to call out to Bermithia as he got closer. “If it weren’t for you being here, then I wouldn’t have to go as far to find animals to hunt.” He sounded a bit peeved yet a hint of humor was there as if it was to be expected.

Bermithia promptly ignored his comment but still spoke up. “Jade is awake by the way. Just thought I should let you know.” Only at that moment did Lysis turn to look in my direction realizing I was awake. I still worried a bit at what he might do, but as he rapidly strode in my direction, he once again kneeled down before me.

“Please, forgive my rash actions and harsh judgment. I hadn’t realized how much you had overextended yourself to heal my dearest friend.” He continued to stare downward at the ground before continuing to speak. “Bermithia has convinced me that it truly is no one’s fault regarding what happened. I am in your debt for the good that you have done us. Please forgive me.”

Needless to say, I was speechless. Expecting a violent dismembering, I instead got a heartfelt apology. “In the spirit of not playing the blame game, I accept your apology and I too am sorry for my actions that led to this outcome. I hope we can both put it in the past.” I finally said. With a grateful smile he nodded his head and stood once again.

“Well, are both of you . . .” he said taking in both Bermithia and me “ready to head back, or did you want to stay another day or so?” I shuddered inside at the compounded damage that could occur if I made Victoria worry another night and promptly turned towards Bermithia to hear her answer.

“I am healed enough to return if Jade is.” She simply replied. “Yes! I am ready to go!” I all but screamed out in concealed anxiety. “Then let us go.” Lysis promptly replied.

After putting out the fire and tearing down the lean-to we mounted atop Bermithia’s saddle and took off into the skies. We didn’t fly nearly as high this time but we certainly stayed away from the tree tops.

Soon enough, we were back at the first clearing where we had met up with Bermithia at the beginning. Lysis and I stripped off our heavy overcoats while he donned his hooded robes and after saying their brief good byes we returned to the city.

I had a great fear as to what to expect once we made it to Victoria’s apothecary shop. Sure enough as soon as the bell rang notifying that the door was open she came rushing out to grab me in her embrace. “Where have you been?!” She practically screamed at me.

I desperately realized that neither of us has thought to make up a cover story. I mean seriously he couldn’t be planning to tell the truth in This kind of situation. “Uh, I asked Lysis to show me more of the area and he was kind enough to spend a couple of days showing me around and letting me fly on Bermithia.” I could see a brief widening of his eyes but as soon as Victoria had let go of me to look at him, he was vigorously nodding his head. “Yes, we had lots of fun and did a lot of exploring. He was never in any trouble.” I could almost feel him turning green that the atrocity of that lie.

Thankfully Victoria seemed in such dire straits emotionally that she didn’t catch his white lie. I certainly wasn’t going to say anything. “Phew . . . Well I’m glad that you two had such a great time together and that you are both safe. It would be a terrible thing if we lost the two best men at the wedding.” Lysis and I eyed each other at that revelation. “Oh!” Was all I could say. “Well Lysis said he needed to return to his dragon shortly, so I’ll see him out and then go to bed after a quick snack. Is that okay?” I asked her. With a sniff to hold back her tears of relief at our safe return she made a quick retreat back into her house.

Both Lysis and I remained completely silent until we had left the shop and walked a safe distance away. Then he turned on me with fearful eyes. “We must never ever speak of this again, and the story can never change.” He declared. “I couldn’t agree more.” I said. “I think you’ve got the better deal though with a good humored dragon. I on the other hand will have to deal with her mothering tendencies that will be in overdrive after tonight.” Lysis laughed at that realization. Then he nodded his head. “Perhaps you are right. Hahaha. Best of luck to you, and see you at the wedding.”

With that, we parted ways and I returned back to the shop to eat and retire to bed.

* * * * *

I logged out though I very much just wanted to sleep seeing what I had been through. Forgoing the swim routine this time in favor of a quick meal, bathroom break and a shower, I rushed back to the game to get as much sleep as I could.

*

The very next morning it was just as I had guessed, her mothering had gone into overdrive and it was miserable. Always asking me if I was okay and if I needed anything, I beat a hasty retreat after breakfast to go help out Kade at his forge. On the way, I finally recalled that I had brushed away the message I had received while in falling in the sky. Recalling up that latest message I had and read it.

Air Affinity/Manipulation: (Rare) Through the exposure and melding of your soul with the air element in dangerous circumstances, you have gained an abnormal amount of control over it and able to control its many flows to a degree. It is not suggested that you try flying anytime soon.

‘Hah! Not flying, you got that right.’ I thought to myself. I was going to wait a long while before I tried that. But I did have a few things in mind that I wanted to try when I had more time.

Once at the forge Kade looked ecstatic at my arrival. With nary a work, he led me into his back room . . . which now contained several carts full of raw ore. *Sigh* Needless to say, I was busy all that day. I probably could have gotten a third of all the ore processed if I had wanted, but Shaun was there that day and he was begging me to show him what I could in regards to separating the ores.

I was intensely glad that I had made more of the burn heal salve because he ended up needing a lot of it just as I had. As we worked together to smelt the metal, I started him with the Tin and Lead which had the lowest melting points of what we had gathered. Just like the time before with the earth manipulation I did most of the work. Though he was much better at earth manipulation then before, he still could not shape the broken plaster to form around the pieces of ore, nor could he slowly shape them into a sphere or ball.

Doing that part for him I then guided him as close to the fire as possible without getting burnt and then reaching into his center, I once again drew out a portion of his power. As I drew out energy, he seemed to have more of it this time around, meaning that he had more left over by his heart as I drew a small part of it to his finger tips. Then I coaxed his power into the fire causing the two to meld and then I drew some flame into the ball of plaster covered ore. After just using his power to draw out the fire, I then used mine while seemingly remaining connected to his power source. I hoped the end result was him gaining a greater sense of what I was doing.

This time, after smelting the first ball of tin ore he was merely a little light headed. After giving him a bit of a break we went back and did the same thing to the Lead ore. Coating it in plaster with my only using his power to draw out a tendril of flame from the forge, and then using my power to do the rest. After that he was once again breathing a little unsteadily with a face that had gone white. After using a bit of healing energy on him to ease the use of his magic, I let him relax for the rest of the day to do what he could for Kade.

For the remainder of the time that day, I focused solely on trying out new methods of shaping the metal within the spheres. I even tried my hand at creating weapons. The first time I had created an iron knife and cracked open the mold for it, Kade had come over to take a look at it. After holding it, (once cooled) he flipped it up in the air and a frown filled his face. Then he grasped it firmly by the metal handle and swung it hard down at his anvil. *Snap!* “Oh!” I exclaimed.

He then brought over both pieces to me to show me the insides. “This is pure iron, but the problem is that is isn’t compressed. It’s got too many air bubbles in it that create flaws within and the metal itself needs to be folded or at least hammered if it is to become stronger.” I nodded my head in gratitude at his lesson and since it was the end of the day by then I returned to the apothecary shop.

* * * * *

*

*

For the next 3 days this was my routine where I’d come to the Forge and help out with the ore refining. Interestingly Shaun was there all those days as well. I guess that he really had become much more serious about learning since he had decided to not just work every other day with an extra day off each week. Each time I worked with him, I was able to increase the number of times I could use his strength to draw on the fire to pull it into the plaster covered ore. It even got to the point that he could do it twice a row on his own without passing out.

Whenever Shaun had to take a necessary rest, I then began trying new things out on the ore. At this point Azure had taken a renewed interest in what I was doing and she demanded to be allowed to sit on my lap as I worked on my techniques. Since Kade had said air was trapped in the mix, I decided to try on finding the minute pockets of air to then draw them out. It was terribly slow going since it seemed I missed more than I found each time. Though I knew I was having limited success, I felt that it would only get better with time and practice.

Too soon as it seemed, time flew by and it was the day of the wedding. Sales within the shop had increased dramatically and both apprentices had bright smiles at the number of weapons and other usable items they had made and sold. Interestingly Shaun had told me that he was off to the Mage Guild to get a low quality Earth Stone and Fire Stone.

Poor guy, he was a total glutton for punishment. I only made him promise to not eat either one till after the wedding, since I wouldn’t be there for him to help out until afterwards. He readily agreed to that.

At last, with more visitors than citizens and decorations of streamers, tons of food and various games, the center of it all lay in front of the Counsel Hall amidst the many gardens that were there. The only other place I would have thought of to do this at was by the falls, but it wasn’t my choice. As the light of early afternoon filled the street, I and Lysis in our new wedding suites made out way to the front with several other men who share our line. A several people looked at me oddly since I had Azure’s hammock strapped across my chest, but I honestly couldn’t help it. Azure wouldn’t come out with this many people and she wouldn’t stay at home either. Still I was used to the looks.

Across from us was a handful of beautiful women and a few old crones in fancy dresses. I couldn’t help but laugh inside at the mismatch of it all but it was for an old man and woman anyways to get married.

As the couple came down the aisle together to make their vows (at least that is the way I assumed they would do it) I took in the entirety of the gathered attendants. There was a massive overflow that honestly would not have fit in any of the buildings. Most of them stood keeping warm in their late fall coats. Soon enough Monroe and Victoria stopped under the wooden arch that had flowers woven throughout it. On the other side stood an elder with what looked like an ancient book.

Then the elder began to speak. “We are gathered here today to witness the binding of these two individuals. Apart they are strong, but together they are unstoppable.” ‘I seriously had to wonder if that was really in the book, because that is exactly how I saw them.’ Stilling my thoughts I continued listening to the Elder speak. “. . . and as you live your life, be sure to remember that marriage is about ensuring the happiness of your partner. For in their honest joy, so too is yours confirmed.” Turning to Monroe the Elder continued to speak. “Now, Monroe, do you take Victoria Ester Lycern to be your companion, to love and to hold, through life and all that you may face together?” “I do.” Was the quiet yet firm reply that all could hear in the hushed silence. He was smiling brightly at the woman whose hands he was holding so carefully.

Then the Elder turned to Victoria. “Victoria,” He said as he too got a little choked up. “Do you take Monroe Rupert Knightly to be your companion, to love and to hold, through life and all that you may face together?” “With tears streaming down her face she said in a mildly choked up voice. “I do.” With a broad smile the Elder then raised the clasped hands of the both of them and cried out. “By the power invested in me by the city council and with the witness of all those present here I pronounce you Husband and Wife! You may now kiss the bride!”

With that Monroe pulled Victoria into his arms and they had a Very passionate kiss. Several cat calls came out from the crowd at this unusual public display of affection. Lysis beside me was having a very difficult time trying to not laugh or cry at the moment. All of the women on the side opposite of us had no such compunctions against showing emotion and they cried and laughed unabashedly.

Finally as the new couple had been spending much too long in their kiss, the fed up elder promptly clasped his hands on both their shoulders and loudly announced, “Let’s have some cake!” Honestly, it was odd how similar their practice was to some wedding ceremonies that they had back in the real world. I guess that’s just the way it is.

Finally separating, both Monroe and Victoria made their way to the large cake that the crowd was staring hungrily at while licking their lips. I really had to wonder if we had enough to go around. As Monroe take the knife and begins to cut into the cake, a weird red mist begins to form around the ring on his right hand. The movements of his hand falter as he stares at the glowing mist.

“Um . . . Dearest?” He says to Victoria. He looked like he would rather do or say anything other than say what he was about to say to her. “I am really sorry, but I have to go. I promise I will be back as soon I can return.” Then after laying the knife on the cake, he pulled out a sheet of paper from his suit jacket and muttered a few quick words. In a flash of light he was gone.

Shock filled the crowd as everyone was witness to the sudden turn of events. Victoria had a supremely pissed off look to on her face. “OH NO HE DOES NOT!” She screamed to the air. Then pulling out a glowing piece of chalk she drew a complex glyph in midair before she too disappeared in a flash of light.

Lysis who had stuck with me throughout the cake cutting was staring at the empty space before the cake in utter horror. “This, this is a catastrophe.” Shock seemed to have come over him, but slowly he shook it off to turn towards me. “You must know where Monroe might have gone don’t you?” He cried out while the crowd began to get a little anxious. “Victoria did a tracer and teleportation sigil all in one, but I can just do teleportation to a known point. Where could you guess that they would go?”

I had my suspicions and were it not for the fact that the red mist that crept out of Monroe’s ring reminded me strongly of the Drake Nest, then I wouldn’t have been so certain. Turning to Lysis I told him my thoughts on where Monroe had to have gone. With a hand pressed to his head as if this was all a big headache he just muttered dejectedly “Why me?”

But soon with practiced motions he pulled out a regular piece of chalk and drew a sigil on the ground. Soon I along with Azure and Lysis were transported to the viewing deck of the falls. “Wow!” I cried out at the rush. “How come you didn’t use that when I was unconscious before in the woods?”

He simply shook his head as I began running off down the uneven pathway below the viewing deck towards the Man Cave. “It destroys the mind of someone unconscious” he replied back while we both ran. “Oh.” What all I could reply.

Soon enough, we made it to the entrance to the cave and saw that the area was flooded with Fire slimes. “Ugh, why now?” I cried out loud. “Azure promptly jumped down from her hammock and took down the first slime blocking our way. In fast sequence she had cleared the way for us and then continued with going after the remainders as Lysis and I pushed open the door and ran into the cave.

Taking the lead down the dimly lit passageway, I led him to the deeper more natural cave that housed the Drakes Nest. As soon as we began to see a reddish light coming from further down the passage, we heard voices yelling at each other.

“ . . . left in the middle of our wedding! What do you suppose I am supposed to think?!” That voice was clearly Victoria’s. “I am sorry dearest, it is just that I’ve researched that when that Fire Drake first hatches, it has to be hand fed as soon as it emerges from the shell, or else it becomes wild and won’t accept anyone as a parent.” Monroe’s voice came out in desperation begging for his reasoning to be understood. “So this?! This Egg is the entire reason that you ran out on me?!” Her voice was reaching a crescendo in pitch that began to hurt our ears.

In the brief silence that lay in the lull of her outburst a single crack could be heard. Then after a few more seconds of hushed silence several more cracks followed suit. As we listened, Azure had apparently finished up with the Slimes outside since she joined us as we carefully began creeping to the opening in the path to watch the birth of the fire drake.

“Oh!” A sharp intake of breath was all we heard from Victoria as we watched from the relative darkness of the deeper cave entrance. *eeeeeeh* The baby drake cried out as it wobbled around unsteadily in the remains of its egg. “Awwwe.” The sound of a woman utterly enamored with something just came out of Victoria’s mouth. “Here you go dear,” Monroe said as he handed her some pieces of raw meat that he had apparently brought along for the occasion. In silent awe she accepted the meat and promptly began feeding the baby drake. After the oversized reptile had swallowed the first bit of meat, Monroe then held out a piece for it to get.

Soon after several turns of feeding it meat is simply crawled into Victoria’s lap and fell asleep. She just seemed to melt at that turn of events. Seeing this Lysis and I figured it was safe to come out of the shadows. Looking up and seeing us, both Monroe’s and Victoria’s eyes grew large.

“The Wedding!” They both cried out. Apparently they had both forgotten in the excitement of the moment. “Come, come over here, Victoria motioned us quickly. As we rushed over to her, she again pulled out her glowing chalk and drew a complex sigil in the air. “Um won’t that hurt the Sleeping Drake?” I whispered to Lysis. “No, she has better control than I do, so it’ll be fine.” He whispered back. With that we were all encompassed by a bright light and we appeared in the midst of a very unhappy crowd.

Silence filled the area that had just moments before been filled with loud arguments and fearful outspoken thoughts. Both Monroe and Victoria had blood and embryonic fluid on them and their outfits, creating an air of violence. Then as Victoria gently stood with the sleeping drake in her arms, she loudly called out, “Our first child. Daenerys!” http://fav.me/d8mdr2t (Courtesy of xatoatox. Thank you!)

* * * * *

Current time in game about 5:30 pm of the 20th of October. Day 50 in game time. 80% pain level. Real Life June 3rd about 9:50 pm.

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Thank you to all of you who made name suggestions. And especially thank you to the one person that has sent a donation. You know who you are, so thank you. I was starting to have small doubts about continuing writing, but when someone shows they like it enough to send some money, then that gives a person more encouragement.

The picture I tried uploading a link for didn't work unfortunately. I'll have to remember to describe it later.

I am in a hurry to post this and get to sleep since I’ve been up all night typing and it is now 5:20 am. Lol So there may be mistakes. Please let me know where they may be and I’ll fix them later. Thanks again. Hope you all enjoy!

http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=13164