CHAPTER TWO
A fury of dive-bombs ensued all of which following Odessa attempting to save Urchin. The ground was coming quick and she was running out of time trying to close the distance between them. Urchin was aware enough to identify her rescue and tried to fan his body out as much as he could to create more air resistance. Odessa on the other hand practically had her wings tucked into her back as her nose-dive brought her ever closer. The amberush swirled above them in a conservative descent pattern.
Odessa snatched his hand and immediately changed direction. She panicked as she feared it would not be enough to escape their collective demise. With all her might she spread her wings and pulled Urchin up. His foot grazed the top of an evergreen. She was exhausted but Odessa had done it. She tucked into the treeline and all of a sudden the amberush were at a loss. There was no trace of them. The wayfarers were too big to fly between the evergreens. They were forced to retreat.
"This is not over," Odessa whispered to Urchin, "They will redouble their efforts."
"What does that mean?"
"Not only will they find a way through the trees they will also find out who we are and then..."
"And then what?"
"Go after the people in your lives, friends, family, loved ones..."
"Oh no, my parents!"
"Urchin...its already too late."
"No you must take me to Moonfast! Please!"
"If you insist..."
Odessa took Urchin back to his home. She would have to see for herself too. Odessa had a lot of sympathy for what Urchin had to go through next. By the time they got back the conch farm was burnt to the ground. His mother and father's skeletons smoldering into ashes nestled within the foundation of their house. Odessa made camp while Urchin mourned his family. The night grew late and they fell asleep by the fire.
"Time to wake up." the amberush captain chided them, "We knew you'd be back."
Both Urchin and Odessa were restrained and taken away. On the backs of the wayfarers they flew full circle back to Barontown, only this time they were not going to the Rangers Headquarters. This time they were being taken directly to the Barons.
"Where are we going?"
"The Infernal Manor of Baron Kremlin."
"How do you know that?"
The captain took the opportunity to but in, "because she is the baron's daughter."
"What?"
Odessa dropped her head in embarrassment.
"I'm his adopted daughter. Something that was never my choice. He isn't that bad. He is kind of on our side in his own twisted way."
"And what side is your side, pray tell?" the captain laughed.
"The side of good. The side of protecting life not destroying it."
The captain laughed again and kicked his wayfarer so they could pull ahead to the mansion in the central district of Barontown. They landed in the courtyard and escorted their captives through massive stone archways followed by more immense architecture that looked as though it was built for a giant. Urchin thought he knew what was coming. He might not have seen many dragons growing up but he knew the legends of the infernal dragons.
They did not evolve they just grew. Eventually these infernal beasts were able to use the common tongue like the drakefolk and the humans, solidifying their role as intermediary. The rest was history, now these highly-evolved dragons live for hundreds of years growing in size, strength, variety, and vitality every day they go unchecked or unchallenged.
Through the massive wooden doors Urchin and Odessa were led to the master chambers. The golden laced bed sprawled almost the entire span of the room which itself was nearly the size of a great hall. The smell was almost as unsavory as the view of burnt skeletons lining the floors and walls, well lit because of the roof or lack there of.
The clouds clapped together and parted way for the arrival of the baron. His terrific claws grapple the roof-frame as the juggernaut beast gets ready to drop into the bed chambers. The aftershock of his impact threw Urchin off of his feet but somehow did not break the golden bed. Maybe it really was made of metal. The fire dragon stands tall before them. Two curved horns protruding out of his forehead, a long snout and a forked tongue, reddish-brown scales some stretched horizontally on his belly the size of bricks and more of a greenish shade. Baron Kremlin was a chubby dragon.
He coughed and spewed out fire like he was flicking a flea off his hide. The fire was a radiant red and coursed through the air lighting a chandelier-system of torches along the roof. His wings equal in stature, muscled and hardened through adapting to his over abundance of flight burden. And find his tail slammed and slapped the bed around behind him as he shifted his entire titan body to address his guests.
The captain of the amberush took Odessa before Kremlin and removed her binds. The great fire dragon cleared his throat and tried not to spray fire all over them.
"WELCOMMMME HOMMEE DDDAUUGHTTTERR!!!!"
Odessa bowed and silently positioned herself beside him. The great lord dragon Baron Kremlin had to turn his head awkwardly just to get a glimpse of tiny Urchin.
"COMMMME HEEERE COMME CCLOSSERRR!"
The dragon knicked Urchin in the back and pulled him up into the air by the shirt. The shirt grew tight and kept Urchin from falling to his death. He was brought up the the heavy breathing dragon's snout and raised just over the bridge. Eye to eye with Kremlin he was so scared he could not speak.
"YOOOOUU TRRRIEDD TOOO TAAKE SSOMMETTHINNNGG FROOMMM MEEEEEEE!! I SHOOOOUULLDD BUUURRRN YOOUU PUUUUUNNYYYY MAAAANNNN ALLLIVVEEEE!"
Urchin held on to the ground as hard as he could and did his best to keep his eyes open. Did he really have to answer this nightmare beast? Odessa stepped forward. "Father please! He saved me from the dungeons of ranger headquarters. He should be commended not condemned. I beg you send him away."
"YOUUU HAAAVEE WWOOONNN THEEE FFAVVOORRRR OFFF MYYYY DDDAUUGHTTTERR!! BRINGGG MEEEE TTHHHEEE ARRCCADDIAAANN DAAGGERRR ANDDD YOOUUU SHAAALLLL HAAVVE FREEEDDDOOOMMM!"
Odessa bowed and quickly grabbed Urchin showing him out of the baron's chambers. He huffed and exhausted ashen heavy smoke over them. It was obvious to Urchin now that the magnificent epic ancient beast struggled to use the common tongue. Somehow that made Urchin less afraid now. The idea of the noble dragon not being to do something that comes very easily to Urchin gave him a newfound sense of pride.
They got outside the amberush were nowhere to be found anymore. They must have gone back to their posts. Odessa cut Urchin binds and through them over the balcony as they walked.
"So where are we going now?"
"To the Aviary...you seem happier than you should be."
"What do you mean?"
"Let me guess, you have no idea what happened."
"Your father will spare my life if I get some dagger."
"Not just some dagger. Its the Arcadian Dagger."
"So what?"
"Oh nothing, brave knight, it's just the most famous treasure from the last empire of man."
"Empire of man?"
"There was a time where Hydrasil was not ruled by dragons."
"And the people that ruled it...used this dagger?"
"Yes," Odessa smirked.
"Then we should be looking for this thing anyway."
"As if it would be so easy. The dagger is believed to be in Skyrule. How would we even get there?"
"You can fly?"
"You really do know nothing."
"Can your people help us?"
"My people are not an army to be summoned, least of all by me..."
"Then what do we do?"
Odessa looked at Urchin. This wasn't really her problem. But she didn't have the heart to tell him that. She thought about his possibilities and how far she would be willing to go for him. The truth was she hardly knew him and there was very little evidence to support it would be worth it. Then something unexpected happened.
Urchin tackled Odessa out of the way as an explosive projectile pounced on top of them. Odessa caught her breath and got to her feet to have a look around. They had unwittingly stumbled upon the battlements and at this very moment a small sect of rebel humans were attacking to front gate of the estate. Fire rained down on them There even seemed to be some drakefolk in the ranks of the rebellion. This meant it was a city wide dispute. The citizens were revolting against their governor.
The baron guard combined with the amberush squadron rallied and engaged the rebels. Urchin had a chance to make a run for it. His eyes darted for the escape. Odessa saw the look in his eye that she knew all too well and felt compelled to say something.
"Don't run. He will catch up with you."
Urchin looked back. Almost all of his hope was gone. Odessa felt like she had a part to play in that. This poor human's life has been destroyed in the wake of the rebellion and now they were here to finish the job. A moment's more and her line of thought took her to the necessary conclusion. She grabbed Urchin's hand and led him back into the manor. They ran around the second floor to the southwest wing and down the hallway that led to the atrium.
Odessa tightened the harness around her wayfarer. When Urchin asked for the dragon's name what Odessa then did with her mouth Urchin was incapable of replicating. It was her kind's native tongue. Instead she gave him the common translation of what she said.
"I call him...One Leaf."
Urchin got on the air-mount and she showed him the reins and how to hold them. Then Odessa got on the dragon behind Urchin, her bosom pressed up against his back, something he was unable to ignore. She leaned up over him and held his hands in hers. It was almost romantic as she took the lead. They pulled on the reins and One Leaf begin to move and flap his wings into the air. Odessa showed Urchin a wayfarer's steepest ascension rate. Not soon later Urchin began to get the hang of it.
Without warning Odessa unfurled her wings launching her straight back off of the dragon. She spun together and shrugged forward as she flew up next to Urchin and One Leaf. They glided through the air together and smiled.
"Where to?" Urchin yelled to her.
"Old Arcadia."
