by Ryan Johnson
“Who did what? We didn’t see anything. Right, fellows?” said the voice again.
“Yes!” said more than two dozen voices.
Vaeludar instantly knew he wasn’t looking at Fairies but distant relatives of the Fairies: Pixies. Trickery Fairies that liked to play tricks on unexpecting travelers. He growled ferociously he made the Pixies laugh at his alarming threat; the Pixies didn’t seem to care that this powerful hybrid had once killed a dragon with five heads.
“Don’t anger me!” Vaeludar warned.
“Or what? You’ll eat us alive?” laughed the cricket voice.
Vaeludar growled and inhaled through his noise. His exhaling through his mouth caused the air to grow cold and little ice snowballs to grow from Vaeludar’s exhaling cold air. Then the ice grew in bigger a hurricane-like storm of snow rained upon the flying, glowing Pixies. The glowing balls dimmed as snow fell upon the small flyers, and small people appeared as they fell to the ground.
Then Vaeludar walked over to a small Pixie; the small trickster had small pointed ears and its skin looked like tree bark. It was wearing a blue hat and peasant-like clothes. The small human-like Pixie was rubbing its head and its wings were covered in ice.
Vaeludar lifted one of his legs and pounded on the Pixie, just covering its entire body but its head; the Pixie was completely at the mercy of the hybrid it had to pick on. The Pixie struggled to get free.
“Who’s laughing now, Pixie? You shouldn’t be messing with me. I am Vaeludar, half human half dragon. What might does a small Fairy have against a hybrid that has half the strength and anger of a dragon? My skin is indestructible by outside magic, not even poison can kill me. What good are your chances against me?”
Vaeludar widened his mouth to reveal fire boiling at the back of his throat. “Now tell me, trickster Fairy, how do you choose to die?” Vaeludar widened his wings and bent his head toward the downed Pixie. Then Vaeludar unleashed a blaze of fury from his mouth, blowing fire on the left side of his foot but close enough for the Pixie to gaze upon a large blast of fire. Vaeludar was showing-off of his warning threat and he was not kidding around. Vaeludar ceased his fire-breathing and shut his mouth, still growling. “One more trick from your sleeve and you will be the next entrée of a Minotaur.”
Vaeludar released his foot from the Pixie, which escaped hastily and away with the other Pixies. The Pixies retreated back to their leafy homes and into the trees. There were a lot of muttering and squeaking from the Pixies as they disappeared amongst the trees. Then there was silence in the air.
The hybrid puffed like a bull and gazed in a different direction; the Nymphs were staring at him, nervously yet laughing. The trio had seemed to be next-door neighbors to the Pixies.
Vaeludar, being able to read their minds, saw memories of the Pixies always picking on the Nymphs when they were having fun. When the Nymphs were having fun of their own, the Pixies would come out of nowhere and ruin the Nymphs’ fun with the Pixies’ fun of trickery magic. Now, Vaeludar gave the Pixies a taste of their own medicine. “Okay, Nymphs, before I lose my temper again, do you know any human and dragon known as Ralenskrit and Belverda?”
They stood and walked away, giggling and laughing as they vanished through the woods. Then there was silence.
I knew those Nymphs weren’t going to talk about anything, thought Vaeludar. The hybrid ceased his anger and went to rejoin Flavius and his small garrison of men. Vaeludar stroke a wing at the bushes he was walking toward and the bushes moved aside on its own. A single wave of a hand or a wing without touching anything would be able to move on Vaeludar’s command.
Ever since he fought the Five-Headed Dragon, he had so many magic abilities he never knew about. It was like they were locked away inside his body, until the locked became unlocked when he put on the gauntlet armor on his arm. With it, Vaeludar could still use any magical ability like turning living creatures to stone as he did with the two Giants and Cyclopes some time back before he ventured into the north.
He had several powers a witch or even a Dragon wouldn’t have: stoning living beings with his eyes that a Gorgon can only do, harnessing many elements such as dust, ice fire, and water was an usual aspect of him because Dragons can only harness only one power element and there had been no record of any Dragon harnessing many power elements in one physical body, being able to breath underwater for long periods of time and only Sea Serpents would only have that kind of ability and his father was a fire Dragon, and being able to lift heavy rocks and move away bushes without touching them and an air Dragon has that ability.
Vaeludar had many strange magical abilities that he shouldn’t have, but somehow he just did. So, he made his way back to the campsite. Flavius was sitting by a dying fireplace, and his men had been sitting and eating and laughing all around; no one was seeing Vaeludar rejoining them. “No one can see me again like the old days?”
“We didn’t want to disrupt your little conservation with the ladies,” said Flavius. “After all, you’re the ladies’ man.”
“Enough with the ‘ladies’ man’ stuff. I have just dealt small Pixies while I, unknowingly, entertained the Nymphs before they disappeared from my site. So there isn’t anything more I can do in these woods. I’m heading to the village. I’m starting to prefer human information instead of talking to forest spirits. See you down there.”
Vaeludar flapped his wings and soared to the sky. His hands and whipping tail slashed any branches of trees getting in his way.
“Going again?” called out Flavius.
“I’ll meet you in the village, if you remember where it is,” Vaeludar called back. Vaeludar paid no heed to his foster brother fading behind the trees. Soon enough, Vaeludar found himself amidst above the Greenwood Forest. For weeks, his search for his next armor artifact was somewhere within this forest and his coming to this village has brought him one step closer to finding the laboratory his parents worked at, according to the map he found from a Minotaur thanks to the twin boys, Arron and Nerio.
Vaeludar flew slowly to find the village again. Hopefully, the village hasn’t been damage too much with my battle with the Gorgon, thought Vaeludar. I just hope I did the right thing by sparing her life. I will only tell if all the people in stone are un-stoned.
A large big gap among the trees revealed the village with loud noises and wheat trimming. Mills were rolling on a single river. People were buzzing and running in the fields. Boats cruised on the river. The village seemed alive more than it did a few hours ago, and no human statues had been seen to his eyes.
It seems the Gorgon did deliver, Vaeludar said to himself. For once, we have a believed-to-be evil creature fighting for the light. Maybe she can be useful when and if there is real fighting against Lusìvar. Maybe this Gorgon knows where this laboratory could be. She’s been here all her life and just maybe she can tell me where the laboratory is. It could narrow down my search by a few days or a full week. Very time saving.
Being the half dragon he is, Vaeludar had sniffed out the Gorgon’s scent. Its scent was very similar that of a snake’s scent. He followed the trail leading to a densely, rocky-edge part north of the village. Vaeludar stopped and saw it lead to a cave carved into a giant, boulder-like limestone.
Rocks were piled everywhere and trucks of old trees rotted with dozens of animal bones and dried animal skin, decaying beneath the sun’s light.
The hybrid drifted toward the cave, assuming that’s where the Gorgon was living. As he neared the cave, Vaeludar smelled the stench of dead, molding corpses lying inside the dark cave. Vaeludar held his breath and proceeded inside.
The cave was dark and blurry. The air felt cold and damp. Vaeludar’s skin could feel his skin rubbing against the rock, which felt like touching fur of a bear. He felt his wings waving on their own against his will to control them. His legs cracked against tiny animal skulls he was walking with his crushing claws.
Then fire erupted on his arms, lighting the way ahead of the cave. The ground floor
had been covered in numerus of animal skulls. Strangely, there is no sighting of human skulls or bones, only the sites of dead animals lay in his sites. The Gorgon wasn’t evil as he thought.
It wasn’t long until Vaeludar reached the end of the cave and found the tail of the Gorgon. The slivering sound echoed of wanting to be alone in the dark. The Gorgon hid away from the sunlight, concealing herself from plain view while her tail was in view.
“Stay away,” hissed the Gorgon.
“I spared your life, so show the proper respect to this hybrid. I didn’t come this far into this forest to fight anything. I came seeking for information of special armor that was made from a powerful but now dead dragon.”
“You’re in the wrong place then.”
“I have come to find a lone building once occupied by a Dragon and a human who go by the names Ralenskrit and Belverda. Do you know them or any building they may have worked in?”
The Gorgon’s tail had moved slightly, hinting the Gorgon does know something about the laboratory Vaeludar was looking for.
“Where is it?” he asked.
“What is to you?” replied the Gorgon.
“Either the islands get saved or Lusìvar having complete dominion over the islands and nothing will be powerful enough to stop him and will rule again for another four thousand years. Is that worth it? Being ruled under a Shadow King? You’re the first Gorgon I’ve ever came across not working for Lusìvar. Are you his servant or his enemy?”
The Gorgon hissed softly. Her tail slivered into the darkness. The Gorgon then crept into the blundering darkness. “I know nothing of those names you talk about, but I have gazed upon a strange building somewhere on the south side.” Then the Gorgon retreated into the cave’s shadow.
Finally, thought Vaeludar, I’m getting somewhere. By the end of the day, I will find that laboratory and the next armor artifact. This will be faster than I thought. I’ll be strong and fast enough the next time Lusìvar tries to attack someplace.
Vaeludar turned to leave the cave and Gorgon. Thinking of the Gorgon that could have been a useful ally, Vaeludar seemed to be convinced otherwise of this Gorgon staying away from the frontlines. One less unique ally that won’t fight against Lusìvar. Vaeludar shook his head in disbelief the Gorgon won’t be doing any fighting any time soon as he was leaving the cave. Then he smelt the scent of a small human above the cave’s entrance. “Trying to play tricks on a half dragon isn’t going work, Pixie.”
A Pixie flew from an edge above the cave’s entrance and down to see the hybrid. It was the Pixie that Vaeludar almost killed with dragon fire. “How did you?”
“Because Dragons have great scents like hound dogs, and I’m half dragon,” stated Vaeludar. “I have the same abilities as a Dragon and a human. You should know that, Pixie. Now FLY!” Vaeludar roared with half his might, sending the Pixie flying into the nearest trees if the Pixie was caught in strong winds of a hurricane. “And stay away from me! I don’t have time to play games!”
Vaeludar puffed through his nostrils and flew back to Flavius and his small garrison. He seemed to be finding it difficult to find them. He looked upon a thousand trees blocking his view to find Flavius. Vaeludar couldn’t see any of the men or Flavius in the village, so he was assuming they had stayed in the same place he last saw them or they have gotten lost in the woods or traveling slower than a snail.
He soon caught the scent of metal armor and weapons he smelled coming from the forest. Vaeludar had left the garrison in the same spot where he last saw them before flying off to find information.
Why am I the only being that knows how to move fast? he thought.
Vaeludar returned to the hidden spot in the forest. The thing his eyes came across was the soldiers taking down tents and packing the equipment on horses. Vaeludar saw Flavius talking with a Griffin. The Griffin was dressed in royal garments, which meant the Griffin had flown from the old King Uragiru. Vaeludar had descended to the campsite.
“What is a Griffin down here?” he asked.
“There you are,” said Flavius. “It seems we may have to return. King Uragiru has sent reports about increase sightings of Chimeras and Cyclopes across the western borders. He is ordering us to fall back and head back to his castle.”
“Oh, come on,” Vaeludar complained. “I found where the laboratory is and the king is ordering us back?”
“Apparently, he is also ordering a wedding celebrating to taking place in a few days. Your wedding, I believe.”
“My wedding with Marina taking place in a few days? The wedding isn’t supposed to happen until a week. We are close to discovering to find the next armor artifact, and the king is ordering us to return and have an early wedding?”
“Yes,” answered Flavius.
Vaeludar signed. Following orders from the king at the one place he is close to finding the next armor artifact was disrupting for the hybrid. He was close to finding the next armor artifact at the same time a message from the king had to interrupt his search. “Very well,” complied Vaeludar, “As soon as this wedding is over, the honeymoon is going to be short-lived. Tell the king I’ll be coming, after I tell Marina about the change of plans.”
The Griffin nodded and left.
“Well, I might go get Marina and tell her about everything. Of all the days, this message couldn’t wait until tomorrow? What is my life coming to these days?” Vaeludar widen his wings and floated above the ground.
“You’re going already?” asked Flavius.
“I don’t want Marina to be left out of the news, and I don’t want to let this early wedding to be ruining our little vacation we were planning to have before the wedding. The original plans were this: find the armor artifact within the next few days, a little vacation at the sea at our new cottage, and then get married and go on a long-planned honeymoon that now has to be cut short. This is to be the only interruption from anyone trying to interfere with a personal mission. I’ll see you back at the castle.”
Vaeludar rose higher and flew passed the treetops and headed toward the west.
A COTTAGE NEAR THE SHORELINE
Vaeludar came across a long range of a cliff side standing stretching dozens of miles across the ocean as he was still flying in the air. The high cliffs were consumed of chalk rocks rising up hundreds of feet. Dangling on the higher ends and beyond was bushes and trees of green. Plants drabbed the flatlands in green, but falling over the edges someone would see natural chalk rock as a mountain-like wall. Along the shoreline, two arches of natural stone stood a few miles apart.
Vaeludar heard the sounds of the ocean waves crashing against the mountain wall of chalk rock and open beaches that were small and stretch a quarter of a mile long and shared of a length of ninety feet of a shoreline before touching the seven hundred-foot mountain wall.
On a vintage point about fifty feet away from the highest cliff edges, a lonely cottage stood that stood with a great overlook that gazes on the sites of the mountain walls, beaches, and other nature wonders Vaeludar could see at a high point of the ocean view. The little cottage was his own private home; he moved away from his original home where he was raised by Geraldus and his family, and moved to this wide open spot with Marina. A month after his battle with the Dragon with five heads, Vaeludar scouted the shoreline to find a perfect, private area where he and Marina could settle down. And he found this spot that seemed perfect of him and his future mate could live while no fighting was to be evolved.
There was thousands of plants covered in lushly green, a big view of the ocean and long cliff sides of mountain walls that drenched into the ocean floor, and small beaches surrounded by the mountain walls and the ocean water. It was the perfect place for him and the Siren to be living while taking some time not to be fighting, which meant Vaeludar was cutting back on time he was spending with Geraldus and his family.
Vaeludar lived long enough in civilization he wanted to keep his distance, because he knew it would be very unusual for people to see a human
dragon hybrid in love with a Siren. Two different species being completely different, especially one of composed of two different species in one form: the hybrid that is half human and half dragon. Love has no bounds, no matter what species the lovers may be.
Vaeludar touched down with the cottage, which he built with his own claws, his hands, and his magical abilities to levitate and create rocks from thin air. He practically did the entire heavy lifting by using all the magic he had. It took him about two hours to build the entire building.
The cottage was a single story building with a roof of hay, the walls built from bricks and rocks with sturdy cement, open windows, a wide brick chimney, and it was big an wide enough to fight two big families. Vaeludar and Marina seemed to be living like royalties in the countryside.
My new home, thought Vaeludar. He entered through the door and into the cottage. Inside, the walls were covered in cement. A fireplace lighted in fire was on the far right side. A wooden column was attached on the ceiling, as part of building the roof from collapsing. The entire room shared a number of wooden chairs, a single bed, a table and stools, the head of the Minotaur he beheaded stood near the ceiling, and no walls had been built other than the bricked walls. So Vaeludar and Marina shared the same space without any privacy, even though they didn’t care what they could be seeing; it was only them and their new home.
Marina wasn’t seen to be inside.
Vaeludar folded his wings and sat down on a stone seat built from the brick wall. He tilted his head down and looked at his right arm. Claws hung as his fingernails, a horny spike spiked from his elbow with a small fin attack to the spike and the elbow, his arms covered in dragon scales scaling to his shoulder, and nearly a few scales covered his human chest. He truly was becoming a real hybrid showing characteristics of a human and a dragon.
A year ago Vaeludar hid in the shadows alone, keeping his distance from human civilization. This time, he was miles away from any civilization. He still felt unwelcomed back to Geraldus’ homeland.
