{"sf1_id":743452,"sf2_id":null,"title":"Five Dragons: TLoP: Chapter 3: Big City Adventure","author":"Lorddaventry","words":11335,"posted_at":"2014-08-13T07:47:00.000Z","tags":["Clean","Dragon","Dragoness","Fantasy","Feral","Five Dragons Storyline","Friendship","Human","Magic","Story Series"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/743452-five-dragons-tlop-chapter-3-big-city-adventure","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/view/743452","image_url":"https://www.sofurryfiles.com/std/thumb?page=743452\u0026ext=.jpg","description":"","content":"Five Dragons: TLoP:\nChapter 3: Big City Adventure\n   \"Oh shit!\" panted\nthe boy, breathing heavily as he ran\nthrough the narrow streets of the city\nwith a fast pace. \"Whose idea was this shit, anyway?\" he thought angrily. \"Oh yes! Mine!\" he said sarcastically to himself and\ngrimaced his face. He glanced frantically\nback and saw that the guards ran still\nbehind him. \"How can they run so fast with their\narmors?\" it went through his head. \"And why at all such a fuss?\" he thought further, glancing at the object in his\nright hand. \"Just because a\nbar of white bread?\" He smiled\nas he looked at the long pastry. \"Good.\" he repeated in thought. \"The two\nsacks of potatoes yesterday were the situation not entirely innocent,\nand before them the three wine bottles.\"\nA wide grin graced\nhis face at the\nmemories. \"Oh, not to forget. The purse of the quartermaster last\nweek!\" He turned off into a\nside street and brought some\ndistance between him and his pursuers.\"So really no reason to make\na drama out of it.\" he muttered sarcastically\nto himself, closing briefly his eyes at\nhis shrug. What\nhe better not have done. With a dull \"Peng\" broke his thoughts voice.He joined with his nose against\nsomething metallic and fell backwards on the butt. The\nbread landed in front of him\non the street. The boy grimaced painfully his\nface, waving furiously with his\nfist in the air. \"Watch\nwhere you step....\" \"YOU!\" roared the bumped man, holding out his right index finger. The boy looked now the person in front of him. His\neyes moved slowly from the feet\nup to the head. The person was wearing armored boots, which\nflawlessly into the greaves. The small\nplates coated over each other like dragon scales. The silver breastplate gleamed\nslightly in the incident sunlight. The incorporated dragon on the crest was so very easy to recognize. From the shoulders hung\na blue coat that\nconcealed his left arm. The outstretched gauntlet\nwas provided with the same structure as the greaves. The visor of\nthe helmet was open and gave\nthe big burly\nman's face award. The boy sat bashfully\non the street, looking up at his well known eyes. \"Oh,\nquartermaster Henri. What a coincidence to find you here!\" he admitted with a slightly sarcastic tone of himself. Henri took an angry\nsnarling and made a big step on the lad\nto. He reached with\nhis right arm after the boy,\nbut this more skillfully\nback. The boy raised his bread up from the\nstreet and glanced in the back alley\nfrom which he had come. His previous pursuers\nwere already to be heard.He turned again to Henri, this looked\nat the boy angrily. The thick eyebrows were\ndrawn together to a malicious expression, including two blue green eyes\nstood out. His broad mustache\nlet the whole thing seem a little menacing.The boy walked nervously\nseveral small steps backwards. \"I'd love to stay, and have a little chat.\"\nhe said with a slightly shaky voice. The quartermaster\ntook another step toward him. \"But you know how it is.\" added the boy and shrugged his shoulders briefly. He looked once\nmore back into the alley, where the guards were already\nto be seen. \"Duty\ncalls!\" he was still by himself before he ran\naway as if struck by lightning.The city guards ran\nto past Henri behind the boy. However, the quartermaster was left alone\nin the alley, looking after the fugitives. He was\nbreathing heavily in and out, which was accompanied by an angry growl. .....   Roland sat uneasily\non the slightly uncomfortable\nmat and looked back\nand forth always hectic. \"How will the Sorati be? What will they be? How?\nWhy? What?\" Question over\nquestion tormented his mind. \"No need to be so\nnervous.\" Daniel said with a\nslight smile on his face and\nlooked at him left on his chair. The boy looked\nat him and nodded once wordlessly. \"I'm not nervous.\" he lied\nto himself, but he could feel his heart beat well below his chin.Kyndle sat before him\non the ground and watched him carefully. Roland viewed\nmore constantly in\nthe big room back\nand forth. The female stood up\nand walked towards him. She laid\nher head on his left thigh,\nand snorted once strong against it, with closed eyes.Roland took slightly\nscared of her touch, knowledge, looking at her with a questioning look. She took eye contact with him\nand then began to\npurr softly. Roland felt her\nvibrations and his pulse began slowly to calm down. He held out a hand to\nher forehead and stroked her\ngently between the black horns. He looked into\nthe deep blue color of her eyes,\nwhere there is also a light turquoise shimmer was noticeable and smiled\nat her. The dragoness gave a gentle\ncontented \"Chirp\" of herself and purred softly.With his pulse, his nervousness was down as well and he could\nthink clearly again. The large room in which\nhe was staying was very open. Like a prayer\nhall. There were some other\npeople, which were distributed\nto the numerous beds and berths still waiting for, but always to each\nother at a sufficient distance. Many\nof them had arms and legs wrapped\nin bandages and complained about\ntheir persistent pain. On the\nwalls were elaborately decorated towels.\nAll were decorated with the same emblem.A golden dragon with four\nwings. The same sign was to be found on the\ndomed ceiling, just\nbigger. Around the\nmagnificent painting was\nsomething written. The golden font circled the picture\nof the dragon. However, Roland could not decipher the runes. Daniel followed the\nboy to the impatient look.\"Translated it means: Deciding to cure, birth the strength of\nlife\" he said calmly. The boy nodded\nto him once, but looked on the magnificently\ndrawn dragon on\nthe ceiling. Roland woke up\nbriefly when suddenly the big\nwooden door opened on the other side. Kyndle lifted her head up and also\nturned to the door. Three figures entered the hall with large, but soft\nsteps. It looked like as if they were floating in the room. They were definitely\nbigger than a man. The white robes adorned\nwith golden runes concealed the appearance of the priest almost completely.\nThey walked slightly bent forward through the doorway. The first went over to Roland.\nHe had to swallow empty at the moment once.From the\nshadows of the drawn forward hood shone\nout two yellow\neyes. It seemed as if the pupil were surrounded\nby flames. A trained forward dark brown snout\nalso stepped out of\nit. It looked like the nose of a\ndragon. He held his\narms clasped together and were retracted\ninto the other sleeve. The feet were seen briefly\nat each step. This also had a draconic appearance.\nThree large, dark nails, like giant\ntoes always came briefly\nunder the cowl to the fore.At each step, they gave a slight scrape on\nthe stone floor of themself. The whole room seemed to be in the presence of the priest to hold the breath, because no one had said a word since they\nhad entered the hall. The Sorati paused\nbefore Kyndle. He\nlooked at the female, and made\na brief nodding head movement.\nThe female dragon snorted once, drew\na step aside and\ngave way to Roland\nfree. The priest was now standing directly in front of him. The boy looked anxiously up into the yellow red flames\nwhich stared him. \"Do not be afraid, my child.\"\nsaid a deep strange voice in his head. Roland looked\nclueless in the\nstanding expressionless face before him. He could hear his words, but his mouth did not move. \"Let off your fear,\nand receive the blessing of Sorathis.\" echoed\nin his mind, at the same time,\nthe priest leaned over his splinted leg and held\nhis hands over the bandage.The dark brown scaly\npaws had two long\nfingers with short claws at the ends and a thumb\nwith a slightly longer sting.The palms of the priest began light up in a\ngolden glow to and wrapped Roland`s leg\nconnected in their appearance a. From\nthe Sorati could\nbe heard a long low rumble\nwhile slightly waved his hands back and forth. Roland\nfelt a pleasant warmth\nemanating from the light. When the bright light had cleared, the boy looked\nto his no longer splinted\nleg. The injury was completely healed. Nevertheless, it remained a long scar\nwhich will always remind him of that night. The priest stood up and walked without further words to the next group. Where the silent ritual\nwas repeated. Daniel laid Roland\na hand on his shoulder. \"Come on, time for\nus to go.\" he whispered to him\nand made a gesture with his hand\nto the front door. Silently, the three went outside. Outdoors arrived, Roland stared for some\ntime skeptical on his right leg. \"That was weird.\" he was\nconfused by himself. \"What?\" asked Daniel behind. \"I could\nhear the words of the priest, even\nthough he had not spoken.\" \"The\nSorati never said\na word.\" gave Daniel as an answer.\n\"But they do not need to.\"\nHe held his right index finger to his temple. \"For\nas you have already noted, they are capable\nof communicating in a different way.\"Roland looked at his\ncompanion. \"Have you heard\nhis voice too?\" he asked her. The female closed her eyes\nand made a nodding movement with the head, followed by a confirmatory\n\"Churr\". The small group left the garden of the Abbey and was now back on the market\nstreet. Timmy leaned\nagainst the wall beside the door.\n\"Have it managed,\nas I see.\" he said and looked at\nRoland's leg. \"Soo!\" he was relieved of himself. \"We\ncome now to the better part.\"\nhe said, rubbing his hands together. Roland took\na few steps and tested his\nhealed leg, but then turned to Tim. \"And that is?\" he wanted to know. Timmy\nturned swinging towards\nthe marketplace and stretched his\nindex finger in the air. \"A\ncity tour!\" came loudly from him. Daniel\nclapped a hand to his forehead,\nso that a dull clapping could be heard. ..... \"Phuuh!\" gave the\nboy breathing heavily from\nhimself and went into his little\nroom, where he closed the curtain of the window. \"Finally, I'm off of these types! These are perhaps stubborn\nfellows!\" he groused to himself and walked toward his bed. \"For the cost\nI would have the same need to clear away all\nof the bread stand.\" he said to himself as he\nlet himself fall backwards onto\nthe ceiling. He bit off a piece of bread\nand chewed with relish on it. \"Oh, crap!\" exclaimed his mouth as\nhe stood up abruptly. \"I should actually long to be in the pub.\" he gave of himself frantically.\n\"Ohh, she is guaranteed to rip open my\nass, again.\" he complained\nwhen he was already back on the road.\nAnd after a short sprint he reached his goal. The boy stood before the crowded eatery and watched\nthe big placard that\nhung out far into the sidewalk. A woman, dressed in green was depicted, which\nsat with bunk legged on a beer mug, holding a black whip in her hand. About the dark line of the painted\nwhip, the name of\nthe restaurant was incorporated.\"The Iron Maiden\" The boy scratched his head and thought for an excuse that he had not\nused yet. But a painful drawing\ntook him out of his mental process. \"Ahh! Martin let me go!\" he cried startled. The larger\nguy grabbed him by his right ear and pulled him in to the pub. He\ndragged the boy silently through the large room, passing the hearth in\nthe middle, up behind the counter\nof the bar \"Thank you for the delivery Martin.\" said the woman behind the\ncounter and winked at him once. Martin grinned\nand nodded silently,\nbefore he went away again. \"So! I hear?\" came from the slender\nwoman. The boy looked\nabashed on the floor. \"I. .. It was ...\nso ...\" he began hesitantly.\n\"Come on with it!\" she interrupted him. \"I have other\nthings to do as well!\" she added demanding.\n\"The city guards has followed me, but for\nno reason.\" \"Ah, just\nthe city guards? No dragon cultists or\nother demons?\" the woman\nsaid with a slightly angry tone, pulling an eyebrow.\n\"It is true! If you do not believe me, ask Henri the quartermaster.\nHe has seen it!\" said the boy.\"Ok, I will.\" she replied soberly. \"He's sitting behind there.\" she\nadded, and made a gesture with\nher head to the final table.\nThe boy tore shocked\nhis eyes. \"Stop! WHAT?\" it went\nthrough his head. He poked his head carefully over the bar counter. And in\nfact, on the last table sat the burly quartermaster\nwith a large beer mug. The boy kept the woman\non the belt firmly as she made her way. \"No!\nDo not, please.\" he pleaded to her. \"Then out with it!\" she\ntold him again. \"OK.\nThat with the city guards is\nreally true. So. I was in the market today.\" he began. \"Since I've stolen\na baguette, but was getting caught and had to quickly look\ninto the distance.\" he took a\nshort breath. \"On the run I\nthen collided with the quartermaster, who is still angry. Because I had swiped his purse last week.\" he took after his confession of\nrelief, hoping thereby about mitigating\ncircumstances. \"Soso.\" she said calmly. \"Then I would\nsuggest, you bring it him back, so you two can create\nit out of the world.\" \"Returning?\" said the boy slightly desperate. \"How to return? I no longer\nhave it. And also\ndo not know where I left it.\" he complained a little\nperplexed. The lady looked at him\na moment and then reached under the\nbar counter. \"Then bring him this here,\nuntil you can find the other.\" she said dryly,\nholding out the purse of Henri.\"Where is this come\nfrom?\" the boy asked in\nastonishment. The woman looked at\nhim and held the head slight angle. \"What\nyou can. Harrison.\" she looked at\nin strict. \"Can\nI do as well, only better.\" A wink completed the gesture.\n\"And now go.\" she said encouragingly at\nhim and gestured with her head in\nthe direction to Henri. The boy made himself swallowing hard on the\nway to the final table. The Purse\nclutching, he went in thinking through a\npossible excuse. But it spontaneously occurred\nto him nothing. Halfway he stopped and turned back to the counter where he was\nclosely considered by the landlady.\nTherefore, he turned again to the front. With downcast eyes he walked without a word to the table. Henri\nsat on the bench and led his filled beer mug to the mouth. After a long\ndrink he put him down again and wiped the\nfoam from his beard with a hand. Then he looked at\nthe boy in front of him, which\nhe greeted with a soft growl. The boy paused\nbriefly intimidated, but then took a bold step forward\nand put slightly shaky the purse of the quartermaster\non the table. He let off of the bag. \"I'm sorry.\" he added softly.Henri raised an eyebrow, looked at the boy in amazement and easily grabbed his\nbelongings. The man sat his mug again on the\nmouth and continued drinking.\nThe boy stood there in silence and watched\nhim tense, with the expectation of punishment. The quartermaster turned\nnoisily the now empty jug on the plate and exhaled\nin relief. Henri opened the\nleather bag and pulled out two coins, which\nhe laid on the table. \"One for the beer.\" he said\nas he uprising. The\nman bent down to the boy. \"And the other one for you, if that does not happen again!\" he added determinative. The boy\nswallowed hard again as he stared into the blue green eyes\nand nodded once without a word. Henri stood up and walked with heavy steps to the exit of the\ntavern. Halfway he\nbeckoned the hostess yet. \"Until next\ntime Tamara.\" \"Anytime,\nHenri.\" she answered to him, and then\ngrinned at the boy. This looked back in\nsurprise and in this moment it\nmade \"click\" in his\nthoughts. \"She knew it all\nthe time!\" echoed in his head.\nHe lowered his gaze to the floor and clenched his\nhands into fists. \"Oh\ngreat!\" he thought to himself. ...... On the\nmarket place still\nruled a lively rhythm,\nbut not all were in such a hurry like most others. Four\nintimidating fellows sat around on the edge\nof the fountain around the statue\nand watched a single horse carriage, which drove\naround the square. \"What\nnumber is the round now?\" asked one of\nthe unknowns. \"With this\nround, four.\" gave him\na response and\nkept him laughing four outstretched fingers\nagainst. \"Did they actually\nknow where they want to go?\"\nsaid the first again in the round. \"Well, with such a dork of\na driver, I`m sure\nnot further than the market street!\" added one of the other,\nfollowed by a weak laugh. \"Great city tour you idiot!\" Daniel complained to the driver. \"We now curves for\nthe fifth time around the market.\" He looked\nat Tim seriously, this just by looking at\nhim and then turned his attention\nabruptly back to the front. \"Do you know where you actually drive to?\"\nDaniel asked, annoyed. \"I can not concentrate, not with that gaze from you!\"\ngave Timmy confused by himself. Daniel shook his head and exhaled heavily. \"I\ngive up.\" he added, dismissing his\nhands. Kyndle looked a\nlittle perplexed to Roland,\nthis held his head slightly inclined and shrugged.\nThe female dragon snorted it once and\nshook her head. After another lap around the busy market place Daniel ripped out of patience. \"That can not be true!\" He pulled the driver, jerked\nthe reins and\nsteered the car with a sharp curve in the next road, which led\naway from the market. Roland\nrose hastily from\nthe back seat to the front. \"And\nwhere does it go now?\"\nthe boy asked curiously. \"We go now to\nthe breeder!\" Daniel grumbled to himself. \"Another\nround of market I\ncan not stand!\"Tim looked left\nforward, let his\nhead fall back and waved it slowly in\nthe direction of Daniel.\n\"I feel right again much stress in you.\" He began soberly and pointed his\nright index finger on Daniel's face. \"We should really do some...... Wait\na minute!\" he startled and\njerked his eyebrows up. \"Approximately to a dragon breeder?\"\nhe asked, slightly panicked after. \"Not\njust A dragon breeder. To THE dragon\nbreeder.\" Daniel corrected\nhim. \"Ne nee! Without me.\" Tim was\ncomplaining of himself and waved both hands in\nfront of his face around. \"You can drop me off right here.\" he said and jumped shortly thereafter by the bandwagon down.\nDaniel stopped the vehicle abruptly. Kyndle\ndrew a slight belly\nlanding and gave it a bleating \"Meep\"\nby herself. \"What's the idiocy? Want to\nwait about here?\" the driver\nasked. Tim put\nhis head to the side and shrugged\nhis shoulders again. \"Nope! I'm waiting for you by Tamara.\" he said, then walked slowly\nup the road. \"Who is Tamara?\" Roland asked curiously. \"Her belong an inn here in the road.\" Daniel explained\nand put the car in\nmotion again. \"We get him\nout from there when we were\nat the breeder.\"\nhe added. \"He's not come along even with the Sorati. Why?\" prodded the boy. Daniel took a hard\nbreath. \"He basically\navoid anything that has to do with dragons.\" Roland looked back\nto Tim as he\nlistened on. \"We do not\nknow why. This\nwas so since he\ncame to us to Ironwing.\" \"Does this have any reason?\" Roland\nasked. \"He never\nspoke of the time before our first meeting, and when we ask him about\nit, he is stubborn.\nYou'll have to therefore have to ask yourself.\"\n\"Hmm.\" murmured Roland\nto himself, Timmy's strange reaction to Kyndle\ncalled again in memory.\"But don`t let you distract about that.\" said Daniel confident and put the\nboy a hand on his shoulder. \"There,\nbehind the front door\nit is.\" he said, gesturing with one hand forward. ..... \nTimmy stood under the big board and looked at\nthe depicted woman in a green dress on. He exhaled once and\nnodded to the picture. Then he was jostled by an\nunknown man from behind. \"Out\nof the way!\" Gave this necklace\nhighly of himself and pushed him hard to\nthe side. Tim was just able to\nfind his balance before\nhe nearly tipped over and then looked tense\nin the sullen\nface of the unknown. This began to lose\nits way without further\nado, continue up the road,\nfollowed by three other comrades.\nTimmy saw the\ngroup for a short time afterwards\nsuspicious, but then turned,\nshaking his head from them and went\nto the pub. He came through the wide door and found himself in a large room again. In\nthe center of the pub a big\nfireplace was present in which\nflickered a warm fire. Many figures had\ngathered in this tavern. Over the innocent looking to the big intimidating, all were represented. A\nbard group tried their\nluck on this day, and played\ntheir tune here not\nfar from the fire. The name\nof the piece was called: Blood Brothers. Most of the guests were listening silently the sounds and occasionally\ntook a sip of their drink. \"To whom do I owe the pleasure of this?\"\ncame easily wailing\nof the woman\nbehind the bar when she noticed\nthe new guest. \"One of the\nfive is still not well disposed to me, that\njust YOU have come up here.\" bleated on\nthe hostess. Timmy sat at the counter and the\nlady nodded once. \"Tamara.\" he added on his gesture. She\nlooked at him in cold. He twisted his face slightly\nand scratched his head. \"Still angry,\nhuh?\" he asked soberly. \"Still\nangry? STILL ANGRY?!!\" she\nrepeated his words with increasing\nvoice and slammed her fist hard on the counter down\nwhat let it fall over the empty glasses. The numerous guests, as well as the music fell silent on it.After a short pause, the melody\nbegan again and the guests turned away. \"After all the trouble I had after your last\nadventure, I get\nonly a dry still angry?!\" she grumbled and pulled maliciously her\neyebrows together. Tim held both hands\nup. \"Calm down dear.\"\nhe began softly. \"I'm not\nhere to rip open old\nwounds, believe me.\" \"Wherefore then?\" she asked after energetic. \"You know the old prophecy of the five?\" added Timmy and sent her a\ndubious look. Tamara\nnodded wordlessly and her malicious expression\nturned into an inquisitive\nfacial expression. \"I knew that\nyou are interested in that.\"\nsaid Tim a little smug. \"So listen\n...\" ...... The car crossed a high\nstone gate, behind a green backdrop appeared. \"Now\nadmire the work of Barnabas.\" said Daniel to Roland, this left his mouth\nstand open as the coach on the narrow trail toward\nthe high house turned onto. A larger complex\nof buildings sticking out of the landscape,\nsurrounded by vast green meadows.\nThe contrast of each enclosure could not be\nmore different. Many were fenced,\nsome dug deep\ninto the earth and surrounded by large metal cages.\nNumerous small lakes\nand rivers ran through the small\nareas. The landscapes\nwere provided with hills and towering rocks, but also flat lands found its way into the\nvaried architecture. The plant diversity also let not disappoint.\nFrom meager forests\nto heavily overgrown jungle structures, this property had almost everything to offer what nature could give.Daniel looked at his silent passenger and\nsmiled him. \"A\nreal eye opener, not?\" Roland\nwas speechless at this impressive building. The vehicle crossed an\nelongated bridge that led across\na brown pen. He\nrisked a glance hesitantly\ndown in the\nfallow area, but could not see anything in it. The boy turned questioningly\nto the driver. \"Are here some dragons housed?\"\n\"Some determined.\" gave this as an answer.Kyndle stuck her nose\nin the air and sniffed\nexcitedly. Roland looked again over the\nedge down. \"But there\nare indeed none\nat all.\" he complained slightly\ndisappointed. Kyndle took a deep breath and sent a loud roar on the facade\nlandscape. The horses of the car startled it.\nDaniel moved sharply\nonce on the reins and made a\nsudden stop. \"To\nthe Five!\" he gave scared of himself. The\nroar of the dragoness took\nover the farm away,\nand trailed off in\nthe distance. After a silent pause\nechoed some roars\nfrom other dragons back. Kyndle looked awakened\nwith a view to\nher companion, and made a nodding head movement. A cheerful \"Chirp\" ended her gesture. Roland smiled\nat her and stroked her with a hand\non the forehead. The Dragoness\npurred out softly.\nDaniel shook his head, breathing heavily. \"Next time please with\na warning.\" he bleated easily. The\nfemale looked a little puzzled\nabout the driver and\ngave a faint \"Meep\" by herself.\"As you hear it.\" he began, and exhaled in relief. \"Just because you can`t see some, it does not\nnecessarily mean that there are\nnot any.\" said Daniel and\nputs the car in motion again.The vehicle stopped in front of the entrance of the building, which was located in the center. On the small gravel yard there was a lively bustle.\nThe small group dismounted from their transport to be equal then flamed by an employee of\nthe court. \"Out of the way!\"\ncould be heard from the strong man. \"Wait here.\" said Daniel to Roland and\nhis companion. \"I put the car somewhere else from.\"\nHe turned to the farm workers. \"Probably a bad day, huh?\" he asked this when he\nwent to the side. The boy walked with\nhis companion towards the entrance\nand waited at the edge of the square for Daniel`s\nreturn.\"Can not get any better at all!\" bleated the\nworker continued when he moved on his cart,\nladen with heavy barrels. He turned to the other employees. \"Watch out, that the lock behind is actually\nclosed you bonehead.\" he pointed his arm on one\nof the metal cages. \"A theater like last week, we do not need again\ntoday.\" he grumbled on. The other shook\nhis head on his\nremarks and turned back to his work. Roland watched the man tense. His gaze remained\nstanding on the cage aforesaid. The dark plane\nwhich was stretched\nover prevented, unfortunately, that he could see from his current\nposition who or what was inside.\nCurious, he walked toward the covert prison. \"You\nbetter not go in the near of this cage.\" said a\nyoung girl and pulled him back on\nhis arm. Kyndle took a step\nto the new person and snarled at them quietly. The girl\nnoticed the dragoness and let Roland on the\nspot go, what let fall the growl of the female silent. The boy looked questioningly into the frightened face.\"So the dragon belongs to you.\" she admitted easily\nbreathing on her own. The girl\nshook her head once, and then\nturned to Roland. \"I'm Clara, the\nassistant of Barnabas.\"\nShe put a welcoming\nsmile on treatment. \"And\nyou're sure to be Roland?\"\nshe asked with a slight angle held head. The boy\nnodded silently and looked tense in her green eyes. Her slightly\npale face formed a great contrast to the dark\ncolor of her pupils, reinforced by the long, loose blond hair. Her eyes\nwandered to the dragoness. \"And that is your dragon?\" \"Kyndle.\"\nadded Roland. \"Ah. A female then.\" came\nout of her mouth in astonishment.\n\"Hello Kyndle. I am Clara.\" she said to her, holding smiling an open hand to the dragoness greet\ncontrary.The female made slightly\nhesitant some steps\nto the blonde girl and then\nsniffed a few times at the offered hand.\nThe female dragon snorted at it once\nand then sat satisfied cooing back next to Roland.\"Why should I not?\" wanted the boy to know and\nturned again to the cage around. \"The creature of it is in a very bad\nshape.\" Clara began to\nexplain. \"And due to his injury puts this\na more aggressive behavior on the day.\" she folded her arms and put a sadder\nlook on her face. \"Last week,\nhe broke out of his\nenclosure and has it done on his way out,\ndespite his injury a whole warehouse tear\ndown. Eleven men were needed\nto recapture him.\" she\nbreathed once hard in and out. \"Some are,\ntherefore, still a little nervous,\nand that's why we keep him\nhere under wraps until\nhe has recovered.\" \"Ye have already seen, I\nsee.\" Daniel gave out when he was joining to\nthe group. \"Be greeted\nClara.\" he added, and made a\ngesture with his head\nbent forward. \"The polite Daniel, always a pleasure to meet you.\" she greeted him with a warm smile. \"According to\nthe letter of Lady Catherine, we actually expected you sooner.\"Daniel grimaced slightly\nhis face and scratched\nhis head. \"Well,\nthere were one or two minor delays.\"\nhe explained with a grin. \"It's all right.\" she reassured him.\n\"I will bring you to Barnabas.\" .....  Against the magnificent gates\nof the city sat two riders on their animals and looked tense through\nthe open archway into the city.\nBoth were wrapped in brown coats, hoods\npulled far forward. One carried a staff with\nhim, who was crowned with a purple crystal. \"Are\nyou sure that we will meet him\nhere?\" he asked the man with the rod. \"Do not be so impatient!\" griped him by the sorcerer. \"Raise\nthis informant was already annoying enough without your nagging. And now\nshut up! Here he comes.\"The two horsemen dismounted\nfrom their horses and walked slowly towards the whistleblower\nagainst, which came\nup from the white city out to them. With some\ndistance from each other were the three figures stand. The two men in coats looked\nto the journeyman which joined searchingly. His simple clothing left not just close it, that he might\nbe an important person. Only a gold necklace stood\nout from the poor acting facade. The\nstanding on the head triangle\nthing was decorated with three engraved circles. In\nthe middle was an open eye incorporated. \"Did you have the payment?\"\nasked the seedy person.The mantle next to the magician\nraised his head nervously\nwhen he saw the jewel of the informant. This emblem was not foreign to him.\nHis eyes gave way hurriedly to his comrades.\n\"This guy can not be trusted.\" he whispered to the magician. \"I told you to keep your mouth. I call the\nshots, so it's my decision\nwho we have to\ntrust and who not to.\" he replied angrily. \"You do not know what we engage here.\" said his comrade again between.\n\"Be STILL now!\"\nordered the magician determining.\"Gentlemen? I'll\nwait.\" said the stranger\nslightly impatient. Without losing another word threw the man with the rod\na small pouch at the feet of the stranger. With the landing of the small pocket was\nloud and clear the tinkling of many coins to hear. The man picked\nup the wallet and threw a controlling look at its\ncontents, then he stepped between\nthe principal. \"In the Iron Maiden, there is one person that can\nlead you to him.\" he whispered to the figures\nbefore he went on smiling and shook his\nreward. The brown coats sat\non them quietly in motion and walked through the gate. ..... \"Alright. Next patient.\" sounded a deep voice with a monotonous sound\nof the words around the room. The\nlittle person walked in front of the great being,\nwho was wounded on the wide deck location.\n\"Race: Horntail. Violation: bite wound on\nthe neck and shoulder. Bleeding:\nWeak.\" the little person breathed in short. \"Left\nwing: Cracked. Symptom: faintness. Encrusted eyes.\"\nThe man carefully opened one of\nthe eye and saw the dragon\nin the pupil. Due\nto its thick round spectacles\npierced his close\nlook at the animal. \"Pupils:\ndilated. Reflex: normal.\"\nhe added soberly. The sick\ndragon snorted once\nweak and glanced to\nthe side, where his owner was, which was accompanied by a booming cooing. This\nnod to the animal once with closed eyes\nand then turned back to the doctor. The doctor opened the mouth of the dragon and looked searchingly into his throat.\n\"Slight discoloration of the\nmucous membrane.\" He paused and sniffed a few times through the nose. \"Sulfur smell is missing. Strange. Atypical.\" Thoughtfully, he turned around and\nkept thereby his hand to the mouth. He turned to the owner and looked at him with a mimic loose face.\n\"Cause of injury?\" he asked quite\ndecisive. \"We were on a patrol flight when we .....\"\nThe doctor held an\nopen hand. \"No story.\nAttacker? Look like? Species?\" he added slightly impatient. The rider looked\nat him a bit shocked and stood up again. \"A Timber Wolf.\" he gave\nas an answer to the question. \"An\nalpha animal, judging by the size.\" \"Details?\" hacked the doctor dry after.\n\"Red fur, yellow eyes and foaming at the mouth.\"\nsaid the owner. The expert remained thoughtful a hand over\nhis mouth. \"Infected bite.\" came from the man as he\nraised his eyebrows, which\nemerged from behind the round glasses. He walked hastily to one of the\nlong shelves, looking specifically\nfor a larger glass. The uniformed rider went\nto his animal and comforting\nholding out a hand to his forehead\nas he watched the doctor in his search. A faint cooing\nwas heard from the dragon. The bearded man opened one of the glass boxes and came\nback with a gray lump in his hand.The rider looked at him and\nthe dark something in his hand\nskeptically. While the doctor step at the dragon with the lump, three\nstrong men were added. \"Fights\ninfection. Supports healing of wounds and fractures.\" returned the doctor of himself. His support laid chains over the dragon and\nthis fixed them to\nwide metal rings around the mooring site around. The\nexpert looked at the rider\nseriously. \"Stand\nback.\" he told him. This took a bit\nhesitant his hand from the front\nof the animal and made a few steps\nbackward. One of the helpers handed the doctor a wide\nleather strap and then opened the mouth of the\ndragon. The doctor looked at\nhis assistant and nodded wordlessly. He\nthrew the lump in the mouth of\nthe animal, whereupon the\nassistant pressed the jaws\nof the dragon firmly together. At the same time the doctor took the belt around the snout of the animal and\npulled him along. The dragon tore shocked\nhis eyes and struggled cramped against the strong bitter taste in his\nmouth. He pressed himself hard against the tight chains,\nbut they did not budge. The belt prevented that he could spit out the lump again\nand he had to\nswallow him, willy-nilly. After a few moments the shock of the animal was overcome\nand the dragon collapsed in\nexhaustion. The rider silently\nwatched the spectacle. He walked\ncloser to his dragon, holding out\na hand to the side. He felt the heartbeat of the subject and noticed how his\nbreathing calmed down slowly. At the same time solved the helper the\nchains and removed the belt. A deep long\ncoo revealed, that\nthe dragon fell asleep.\"House 8. Room\n4!\" said the doctor to the helpers, who nodded\nwordlessly. They lifted the now dormant dragon with a pulley on the ceiling of the mooring site up and\nlaid him carefully on a car, on which they\npulled it out the treatment room.\nThe rider quietly followed the transport.After the wagon had\npassed through the wide doors, a small group of four came\ninto the room. A girl with long blond hair went ahead. \"He is a true genius\nabout dragons.\" she gushed\nduring the entry into the room. The Doctor stood\nwith his back to the group in\nfront of a table and jotted down\na few lines frantically in his notebook. \"Master Barnabas?\" interrupted his assistant.The little man turned and looked into the face of a skeptical looking boy.\nRoland saw at the so called breeder still.\n\"This dwarf is supposed to be\nthe big dragon expert?\" he thought to himself, looking at the bearded fellow through\nthe thick lenses from his eyes.\nBarnabas came in\nhis full size just to Roland's shoulders.\nA small goggle with thick round glasses perched\non his broad nose. The thick and long\nbeard enveloped the\nface like a hairy helmet. And yet, he exuded\nan unexpectedly sympathetic aura.\"These\nhere are .....\" \"Interesting.\" Clara was interrupted by her master. \"Absolutely.\" came from Barnabas,\nwhen he noticed Roland's companion, which curiously\nsniffed the bed place.Kyndle stood slightly startled still when she noticed the breeder. He began to\ngo checking around her. \"Hatchling.\nFemale.\" Barnabas began with a\ncalculated word sound. \"Species: Horned Tail?\" shortly thereafter, he shook his head and held up a\nhand to his mouth. \"Tail end untypical. Bladewing?\nNo. No match.\"\nSlightly confused Roland looked\nto Clara, she\nnodded to him once with closed eyes, smiling confidently after.\n\"Orange red shed.\nGrey coloring on\nthe neck and abdomen.\" analyzed the breeder further. \"Brighter\nparts on neck and tail set.\"\nhe added. Kyndle followed\nwith her look curiously at the little bearded person\nwho still moved around her. \"Colour of the shed. Uncommon. Rarely.\" The\nbreeder went to a full bookshelf and pulled out a thick tome. Frantically,\nhe opened the lid of the old book and flipped it in a hurry. On one\nside he stopped and went a finger down looking\non the paper. \"Last known sighting. Kyleth. Dragon\nof the Five. Killed by hunters Order.\" Daniel and Clara widened surprised\nand shocked at the same time\nthe eyes. Barnabas turned back to the female dragon around\nand circled her again. \"Horns and claws. Black.\nDark wing membrane.\"\nThoughtful, the expert hold his hands together behind his back and looked at the female's eyes. \"Pupils. Dark blue.\" he added dryly. Kyndle\nsent a slightly nervous\nhelpless look to Roland\nwhich was accompanied by a slight turquoise glitter,\nbut turned right\nback to the breeder. Barnabas easily pulled\nup his eyes and followed calculating the action\nof the animal.\"Imprinting has occurred.\" he said soberly as his\nthick eyebrows behind his glasses\nappeared. \"Not possible! Hatchling.\" he added, shaking his head. \"Imprinting?\"\nRoland went in\nconfused. The expert turned his gaze frantically\nto the boy and walked\ntoward him. \"Bond of two souls.\"\nhe began. \"Affected shares feelings. Pain. Memories.\nEffect varies. Can increase. Imprinting.\" Roland swallowed once hard at unusual\nexplanation. The monotonous\nword sound of the dwarf made him appear almost\nlifeless, coupled with the blank stares from the lenses. The\nboy grabbed with his right hand\nto his forehead thoughtfully and looked at his companion. Barnabas left again\nthe eyebrows stand\nout behind glasses. \"Feel honored. To meet you. Companion.\" Gave the breeder of himself and bowed to the boy. This looked\nconfused at the little bowed\nman and then\nlooked perplexed to Daniel\nand Clara. They\nboth looked at him startled. \"He?\nA companion of the\nprophecy? Are you sure master?\" asked the assistant nervous. \"Without\na doubt.\" added Barnabas determining.\n\"Color and emblem. Match.\"Roland looked hesitant\non his right hand back. \"Where did this\ndwarf knows this\nemblem?\" echoed through his\nhead in shock. \"The female! Where does she come from?\" asked Clara invitingly\nwith a skeptical eye. Roland shrugged at\nher sharp question briefly together and saw something lost to his companion.\nKyndle shot him with\nhalf closed eyes a comforting look and tipped\nher head slightly bent forward. \"Not here.\" Barnabas intervened. \"Study\nroom.\" he said determining and steered the group out of the chamber.The small room arrived,\nthey all sat down to the lower table\nin the center of the room. Roland sat on the chair\nand kept his eyes\ndown thoughtfully. Kyndle placed herself in front of him and looked up at him. \"Well.\nCompanion. Told.\"\ncalled Barnabas. The boy was startled from his thoughts. The earlier so monotonous voice of the\ndwarf sounded now curious and\nslightly tense. The\nfemale laid her head on Roland's thighs and\nbegan to purr softly, as she sought eye\ncontact with him. The boy looked\ninto her moist blue eyes and\nlaid her a hand on her forehead. A reassuring \"Churr\" was the answer. He\nsmiled at the female dragon when he saw the faint twinkle in\nher eyes and was breathing\nheavily after, before\nhe raised his head. \"It was at night when my mother and I fled\nto Parem.\" he began slightly\nhesitant. \"We were persecuted and .......\" All listened attentively to the story of the boy. ...... \"And\nyou think that it is this Roland?\" Tamara asked impatiently. Two journeymen wrapped in coats, which also\nwere staying at the bar raised their heads on. \"Schhht.\"\nhissed Timmy to\nthe hostess and kept\nthereby a finger to his mouth.\n\"This does not have to know anybody here.\"\nhe added in a whisper. Tamara lifted both\nhands. \"Very well, very well.\"\nshe agreed. \"But do not think, I would forget\neverything else, just because you\ntell here about the prophecy.\"\nTim looked at the woman demanding and waved with\nhis hands. \"And what should\nI do in your opinion? Huh?\"\nhe held his head to one side\nand rolled his eyes. \"I can bad probably\nturn back time.\" he bleated\neasily. Tamara let her\nlook below to the entrance,\nwhere one her\nfamiliar face entered. She made her way contrary to the new guest and held Tim an\nindex finger in the face. \"This\nissue is still on the table.\"\nshe said menacingly at him and turned away from him. One\nof the unknowns at the bar\nsat down next to Timmy\nand leaned his decorated\nwith a purple crystal rod at the bar. The view of\nthe faceless shadow of the\nhood emigrated to\nthe thin man. \"Prophecy\nof the Five? Huh?\"\nasked the menacing voice of the\njacket wearer. \"What\nyou are interested in that?\"\nhe complained to the unknown. \"Go an make your own business.\" he said determining and\nreached for his drink. \"Hello Mardon.\" gave the hostess with a\nfriendly smile from herself as\nshe walked toward the uniformed man. This\ntook the woman in his arms and held her a hand to her cheek\nwhile he gave her a loving kiss.The lady held his shoulders\nand looked him deep into in the eyes by the beautiful greeting. \"What are you doing here?\" she wanted to know. \"I`m again on patrol,\nto collect seedy fellows.\" he said with a wink.\nThe woman sat on a\nslightly disappointed face and\nstroked his breastplate. \"Oh, and I thought you have come, because of me.\" Mardon smiled at her\nand looked deep into her eyes.\n\"I would also came be, with command or not, to me\npick up my kiss.\" he\nreplied. Mardons eyes wandered searchingly around in the\ntavern and stopped at the bar on\na thinner man with\nshoulder long hair. He let\nhis girlfriend go.\n\"What does he want here?\"\nhe asked determinative. \"Calm down.\" she soothed him and held him by the\narm. \"He is as a guest\nhere, and is waiting\nfor his group.\" she gestured\nwith her eyes to\nthe two unknown, who sat to the right of Tim at\nthe bar. \"I'd rather these\ntwo as worry.\"\n\"Why?\" asked Mardon soberly.\n\"Call it women's intuition.\"\nsaid the landlady as she looked at\nthe two unknowns. \"I just have a strange feeling about them.\" He\nstroked the woman with the flexed\nfinger over the nose and looked at her. \"Ok, I`ll take a\nlook.\" he added and disappeared silently among the guests. The hostess returned with a happy face behind\nthe bar, where she was greeted by Timmy\nwith a broad grin. \"And I thought\nthat with the iron maiden is\nreally true?\" he asked with a grin. Tamara moved her\neyebrows together to a maliciously gaze. \"We both can also go outside.\"\nshe gestured with one hand to the output. \"And then I show you how iron I\ncan be.\" she threatened. Tim raised servants his hands up and twisted his face\nslightly. \"No need for that,\nthank you.\" ...... \"Stack crates! Stack crates!\" Harrison\nbleated loudly in the silent storage room. \"I had already apologized\nme. And now I have the whole stupid\ncarrying boxes here.\" he went on angrily.\n\"But you know what, you stupid\nwooden squares?\" He threw one of the crates in\nthe corner. \"Without me! I'm done here!\" he cursed and climbed out of the small window in the narrow alley behind the restaurant. There he crumbled\nbehind some barrels, where there was a warm blanket. He snuggled into the\nthick fabric and leaned against the wall. \"Stupid purse\nand also stupid Henri.\" he muttered\nangrily to himself before he dozed off. ..... Catherine trotted angered out\nof the gate of the town hall to\nthe street. Koris followed her\nquietly and closed the wooden door behind him. \"Why is this legal\nsystem all just so complicated?\"\nshe grumbled to herself and kept head shaking a hand at the mouth. \"I would have pulled most that woman about their cheap curls down\non the counter!\" she cursing in her anger. James\nput the lady a\nhand on her shoulder and looked at her\nencouragingly. \"However, we can not do anything at the moment.\"\nhe began softly. \"We must now\nwilly-nilly contact the town hall of Kams in\nOrdenary.\" He saw at his mistress warm. \"As\nthey said, can our\nrequest for an official override\nand the application of a funeral only\nbe accepted with the accompanying papers\nto.\" \"I know. I know.\" came from Catherine with a sadder voice.\n\"I just want to bring the whole thing to conclusion.\" Hooked\nshe breathed in and out, and threw her companion a downcast look.\nThe captain looked confident in the sad\nface of his mistress. \"Concentrate\non Roland, to\ngive him a new home now.\" he\nsaid and smiled at her. The woman breathed\nin with closed eyes. \"You\nare right James. Thank you.\" she\nsaid relieved and looked at him invitingly. \"Do me a favor and keep our intentions at the moment in silence.\" \"Of course.\" Koris confirmed with a nod and\nhelped her to enter into the coach. ..... Roland told in detail\nabout his adventure. He only skipped the\nconversation with the figure in\nthe orange red robe. \"... then the gate was open and I could go\noutside the hall with Kyndle.\" With this sentence exhaling he finished\nhis story. He closed\nhis eyes and stroked his dragoness thoughtfully\nbetween the black horns. The female had placed\nher head on his thigh, where she purred softly.\"Interesting.\" muttered\nBarnabas in his thick\nbeard and began hastily to write down a few lines on a piece of paper. \"But I thought, that Kyleths dragon cult\nwas defeated by the hunters.\"\nClara began hesitantly.\n\"The stories tells, that all the\nfollowers were killed after they slay the high dragon. Their places of\nworship were also razed to the\nground.\"\"Correction.\" said Barnabas\ndry and stood up from\nhis seat. \"Living proof. Here.\nIn front of us.\" he said, pointing\nto the female. \"Extinction.\nIncomplete. Descendant exist.\" he added, looking dull with its goggles into\nthe round. \"By the Five.\" Daniel was\nsurprised at himself. His eyes widened in\nastonishment and he kept pondering\nhis hands before the mouth. \"I knew from the prophecy,\nbut that this will actually\narrive is just incredible.\" \"Ways of the Five. Unfathomable.\" Barnabas began sober. \"Fact:\nRoland one of the companions. Secrecy? Attached.\"\nhe added. \"Why should we conceal\nit?\" ask Clara\ncurious to. \"The priests of the Five undoubtedly want\nto know this.\" The dragon\nexpert raised a hand high. \"Necessary.\" he added determinative and\nstraightened his glasses. \"Optimal\ntiming. After emergence of other companions.\"\n\"But such an important piece\nof information you may not just hide?\" Daniel\ncame in between. \"Irrelevant.\"\nsaid Barnabas, shaking his head.Roland closed his eyes and reflected everything in thoughts, what he had told a few moments ago. The painful memory of his mother was now refreshed. A lone tear\nsought their way across his closed eyelids.\nKyndle pressed with\nslight pressure against his hand.\nHe felt the warm breath of his companion between\nhis fingers and the gentle vibrations\nof her soft purr.\nThe newly kindled discussion fell into the\nbackground. He took a deep\nbreath and let it with a straight dash off again. Suddenly there was silence. No voice was heard anymore.\nThe other sounds seemed to be stolen away. Roland opened frightened\nhis eyes. He was\nalone. A weak beam of light\nshone down on the boy. Around him darkness. Still\nsitting on the chair waved his nervous\nglance back and forth. \"Kyndle?\" he cried slightly\ndesperate in the surrounding shadows, where only his echo reverberated\nback. He stood up from the chair and took\na few steps away from it. The\nlight followed him and was always\nfixed over him. A deep and long\nbreathing was reflected in the endless darkness.\nRoland ran a\nscary, but himself already known\nshiver down the spine.\"Your destiny! Your\ndecision!\" echoed out a\ngloomy echo from the shadows.\nWith the voice came a rumble of thunder equal and let the boys\ncringe. The beam of light disappeared and the darkness took\nthe upper hand. A bright ring of flames formed\nbehind him and a figure in an orange red robe\nstrode through the fire toward the boy. The sign on the back of Roland`s hand began to glow in a bright blue shine. The embellishments\non the cowl of the appearance\nshone with the same light. Roland winced\nas he held his hand over his face. Startled, he turned\naround. \"You again?\" came\nslightly wailing of\nthe boy. A silent nod of appearing person was the answer. \"Destiny is calling again after a\ndecision.\" said the figure, holding\napart his arms. Two\ncracks cut the dark emptiness and hovered next\nto the easily frightened boy. In the left was a\nsmall bearded person to see\nwith a round spectacles on his nose.\nA thick long beard disguised most of his face.\nUpright, he stood there, held his arms together on the back. In the\nother crack, a blonde girl was seen with green eyes, which stood next to a larger\nfellows. The white vest with red sleeves\nleft clearly recognize\nthat this one had to be Daniel. Roland looked thoughtfully\nonce from left to right and then turned slightly confused to the orange red frock. \"What\ndoes that mean?\" he asked,\nraising his eyebrows questioningly. The\nfigure strode to the fissure\nwith the dwarf in approach. \"He is of\nthe opinion that secrecy is the\nnext step.\" The person pointing\nwith one hand to the\nother image. \"While they are\nof the view, to reveal your\nexistent is the\nright choice.\" The Robe\nstrode back to the burning ring and held\nhis arm against the boy. \"But which\nway is taken is\nyour decision.\"Roland stared silently\nat the person in front of him,\nlooking slightly lost in the faceless shadow of the hood.\nThoughtful his eyes fell down and he took a\nhesitant. The apparition drew back his arm and\ncrossed both by pulling them into\nthe other sleeve. The boy's eyes fell several times hectic between\nthe cracks back and forth. He\nwished that someone would come and took off the decision\nfrom him. But this was not the case. Undecided, he looked at the figure before\nhim, this remained silent in his attitude. How should he choose and what will be the consequences?\nNeither option seemed to promise him at the moment. \"Your hesitation is understandable, Roland.\" he heard in his head. A\nfemale voice filled his mind.\nIt sounded strange, yet familiar. The warm tone\nhad a calming effect. \"Who are you?\" Roland asked the down coming echo.The circle of flames behind the cowl grows\nlarger and expanded. Out of the middle, stepped with a deep booming cooing\na huge head. Orange\nred scales adorned the mighty snout of the\ndragon. Big black horns perched on the\nskull like a daunting crown.\nTwo dark blue eyes\nturned her penetrating gaze\non the boy. A distinctive\nturquoise shimmer burned in the pupils. Roland winced at the\nimposing appearance. He took a big step toward the head. \"Kyndle?\" he dared\nto ask hesitantly. The dragon\nkept his gaze fixed\non him. \"No. Companion.\" echoed the voice again through his thoughts. The boy stepped back,\nstartled, and looked somewhat the\nnature empty eyes. Since the word again. Companion.\"Then who are you? And what's about this talk of companions\nand fate?\" he asked the curious phenomenon.\n\"This world knows me by the name Kyleth.\" came in the answer to his first question. A booming\ncooing accompanied the voice of the dragon. \"And\nyou have received from me the\nemblem of the companion. My\nEmblem.\" Roland felt a chill down\nhis spine when he heard her voice.\nHis thoughts requested downright at her words. He held his right hand back thoughtfully\nbefore and looked at the glowing symbol. \"Why\ndid you chose me?\" the boy\nwanted to know and looked at the high dragon\nslightly demanding. \"I have not chosen you. You did that by\nyourself.\" The scaly face\nonce closed her\neyes, and broke short the eye contact with the boy. \"I have offered\nonly the possibility. The decision\nto accept it was\nultimately your own.\"The realization hit Roland like an arrow into\nthe heart. Startled, he widened\nhis eyes and breathed in and out heavily. \"Just\nas you now have come to another decision.\" Her piercing eyes turned again to\nthe boy, which was accompanied by\na deep cooing. \"Whichever\nway you may also choose to, stride forward, head\nheld high. As my companion.\" her words echoed in his mind again. The\nBig head tore\nopen his mouth and sent a thunderous roar in\nthe darkness. The ensuing pressure wave could feel\nthe boy on his chest and let him fall on his knees. Then\nshe withdrew into the flaming\nring and disappeared into the void. \"Well, companion.\" said\nthe remaining shape and lowered his forehead to\nthe front. \"Choose.\"Roland breathed heavily\nout as he straightened\nup again. His eyes waved again undecided between the two cracks back and\nforth. He still had so many questions, but no answers.\nAnd now he was again faced with a decision. His feeling, which helped him in his first election, let him down here. The boy walked closer\nto the image of Barnabas. \"Secrecy. Attached.\" he repeated the words mentally.\n\"Maybe it would be really wise to keep it once\nfor myself?\" he thought to himself. Roland was finally on the run, and\nhis pursuers seemed very eager to find him.\nWhat they will certainly continue to try. Thoughtfully, he put a hand on the crack, as it would keep them to a window. The appearance in the orange red robe lifted\nhis head and turned his gaze to\nRoland. \"Is this the chosen path?\" he asked with a determining word sound\nand set a hand on the portrait of the dwarf. \"Yes.\" the boy said seriously and kept\nhis gaze fixed on the shadows\nin the hood. \"So be it!\" cried the figure,\nwaving one arm to the second crack, which closed\nshortly thereafter. The man in the\ncowl turned and walked\ntoward the fire ring. \"Your\ndestiny! Your decision!\" echoed\nthrough the emptiness before he\ndisappeared in the flames. The lights on\nRoland's right hand back dimmed, until it\nfinally went out altogether.\nA strong undertow came from the remaining crack and pulled the\nboy into. Roland closed his eyes\nand allowed himself to be drawn. ..... The sun had already\nbrought a large part\nof their path behind. A faint\nreddish translucent made itself felt on\nthe horizon. Scary, the boy came to himself. He looked frantically back\nand forth and found himself in\nthe eyes of a young orange red female dragon\nagain. Kyndle gave\na welcoming treatment \"chirp\"\nof herself. A gentle\nturquoise shimmer flashed from the dark blue color\nof her eyes. Roland laid a hand on her forehead and gently stroked between\nthe horns through, while he looked at her. The dragoness\npurred out softly.The boy sat on the\nback seat of the open carriage.\nDaniel was on the driver's seat. The vehicle was moving and already\ndrove over the narrow trail from the property away. Roland looked\nback at the multi-faceted landscape.\nHe can not remember to have already left the property. \"I'm not one opinion, regard to the secrecy with\nBarnabas.\" Daniel began.\nHis words sounded rather plaintive than\nsatisfied. \"But I respect\nyour decision. You are finally the companion.\"\nhe went on and threw the boy a confident look.\"I, a companion?\" wondered Roland in\nthought. He recalled the words\nof Kyleth. Still,\nthe fact that he is\nto be a companion of an old prophecy came to him strange. Thoughtfully, he kept his eyes lowered and\npointed them at his right hand\nback. An orange red\nfemale nudged him with her nose in the leg. Slightly distressed he\nlooked at her. Kyndle snorted gently into his face and stroked her\nhead, purring over his arm. In\nher eyes briefly glowed a slight hint of turquoise\nout, shortly after she closed her eyes and leaned closer to her\ncompanion.Roland put his arm around\nher and held her with gentle pressure, while he looked at the peaceful purring\nfemale. He felt\nher warmth and the gentle rhythm of her heartbeat. Unsure thinking about\nthe correctness of this fellow.-talking, he reflected\non the words of the breeder\nin thought. The compound,\nwhich Barnabas designated as\nimprint, was in his\nopinion undoubtedly exists. The\nboy was again able to feel it\nat this moment. He again had that feeling as\nif she had seen his dream.\nHer pulse seemed to\nbehave the same as His. Both hearts kept the\nsame pace, as if\nthey were one. Still he listened to the almost hypnotic rhythm. \"Roland?\" asked Daniel to the back, but his\ngaze forward. \"Have you\nbeen listening to me at all?\"\nhe continued as he turned around.\n\"We must therefore ......\"\nHe broke off when he saw the two. Roland kept his\nfemale dragon in his arms and was fall asleep with\nher on the back seat. Daniel\nsmiled and nodded to both of them suddenly quiet, then he turned back to the front. \"Was a long day after all.\" he muttered softly to himself. \"So now collect\nTimmy at Tamara\nand then go home.\" he thought to\nhimself as he crossed with the car by the stone gate in\nthe direction of the marketplace. He threw a controlling\nlook at the bundle of letters,\nwhich he had received from the dragon experts and then\nturned the car into the street, which led to the Iron Maiden. Behind him followed four sinister figures\nin the shadows. .....  Mardon had sat down at a\ntable which was not far from the bar. Far enough to be not noticed, but close enough to understand the\nvoices. \"I already told you, to take care of your own business.\" Tim complained to the two\nmen wrapped in brown coats who did not loose their questions. \"But since, I have a very generous day\ntoday.\" he continued, holding the journeymen\nan index finger in the face. \"I\nwill repeat it for you again.\"\nHe took an exaggerated air breath. \"Takes care of your own bus ......\nHEY!\" Tim had\nto break his long-drawn words, as he was packed\nfrom one of the stranger by the arm. Mardon raised curious his eyes and watched at the spectacle. Timmy pulled\nhis arm frantically back and forth. He was able to free himself from the grip, while\nmaintaining he pulled the unknown\nthe hood to the rear. Two white cloudy eyes\nlooked at him out of anger. The gray\nbrows drew together into a mischievous expression. Tim looked shocked\nat the angry looking\nman. \"Not here!\" grumbled Tamara\nand banged her fist on the\ncounter down sharply once.\nThe two adversaries set their sights on them briefly. \"Clarifies this outside!\" she emphasized sharp and\npointed with one hand towards the\nexit. \"Good idea.\" came from the\npale eyes. The man smiled slightly and\nreached for his wand. Mardon\nhad risen in the meantime and was behind the wizard. \"Sorry.\"\nhe said, smiling to Tamara and attacked the\ncollar of the brown cloak.\nHe pulled the man at the fabric to the back, this ended up with a\nloud rumble on the table nearby.\nThe wood panel collapsed\nunder the force of impact. The stranger held lying\nhis staff to his face and murmured vague words\nto himself. The tip of his weapon began to glow in a purple sheen. But\nbefore he could finish his\nsentence, a fist, tipped with small\nplates drove down upon the brow\nof the magician. This remained unconscious lying\non the plate and the lights dimmed from.\nThe guests were\nstartled at the noise. Some went on distance\nand the others escaped outside. The music also broke\noff, because the bard ran away.The second man looked\nat his comrade lying on the\nbattered table and\nwent vigorously to Mardon. With a clenched\nfist he took out when he stormed at him.\nBut his target dodged more skillfully to one\nside and after an elegant twist sank his gauntlet\nin the stomach of the stranger. Cramped\nexhaling the attacker fell to his knees, clutching his aching\nbelly. \"I SAID NOT HERE INSIDE!\"\nTamara interjected, but nobody\nseemed to give her attention. Mardon pulled the hood of\nthe second man's back. What emerged was a dark\nface. A reddish discolored scar ran across\nthe right eye and the nose. At the base of the neck, a tattoo was visible. Curious,\nhe pulled the collar down and the image of a dragon wing, which was impaled by a straight blade showed up.Mardon looked tense at the man. \"What does the hunter order do here in Parem?\"\nTamara ripped shocked\neyes. \"Hunters? Here?\" she thought\nout loud to herself. Mardon\nlooked at her briefly seriously, what let silence\nthe woman. Then he turned back to the hunter. This raised his warped\nface of pain. He\ntook a deep breath and spit at the fighter's feet, then he grinned at him in silence. Mardon looked at him calmly.\n\"Let me repeat the question.\"\nhe said, and bent\ndown to him. Again was heard the muffled sound of a gauntlet, who met on\na forehead. The\nhunter fell to the ground\nunconscious. The fighter turned to the bar counter, and looked at the landlady behind\nit. \"I'm sorry the mess.\"\nhe apologized with a smile. Tamara looked at him seriously\nand shook her head with the arms crossed. Timmy was sitting all the time on his stool and watched the\nspectacle tense. \"What\nwill become of them?\" Tamara asked curiously. \"The jailer will\ntake care of them, as soon as I\ndeliver them.\" brought Mardon of himself as he dragged\nthe first of the two fellows\nout of the tavern. A barred car was\noutside next to the curb. With a dull rumble\nthe first of the prisoners\nwas thrown onto the load area. Mardon glanced smiling\nat the unconscious fighter in the transporter and\nthen went back to the bar....... Roland opened sleepy\nhis eyes. Kyndle leaned\non his side and purred softly. \"Where are we?\" he asked the driver, followed\nby a long yawn. \"We should\narrive at any moment in Tamara`s bar, where Tim\nis waiting for us.\" came the reply\nfrom Daniel. Roland looked at the large sign above the entrance, which was hanging out far\ninto the sidewalk. The drawn\nwoman on it winked\nat him. He held his head slightly inclined as he read the text on it. \"The Iron Maiden.\" he muttered to himself. \"Yes, that's the name of the tavern, which belongs to Tamara.\" Daniel explained as he pulled up to the curb and brought\nthe vehicle to a halt near the entrance.The boy looked at his dragoness. Kyndle\nslept peacefully on the car. Gently Roland\ndismounted from the carriage without waking his companion. Before the entrance was another car. Its\nwindows were barred, but the back door\nwas open. He went with Daniel to the front door of the tavern,\nbut before Daniel could grab the handle,\nit opened of self. A uniformed man stepped out from the shadow of the door frame. He held protectively his\nleft hand between the sun and his face. The many small plates on his glove\nsparkled in the bright glow of the sun. A blue\ncloak pulled down\nfrom the shoulders. On the silver breastplate, a pattern was incorporated which\nstrongly resembled the head of a dragon. Metal greaves acquiesced in\nthe armor, the gleaming parts layered over\neach other like dragon scales.His right arm was\nbackwards. Shortly afterwards, was also to recognize\nwhy. Roland looked\ncuriously at the brown something, the man pulled\nout of the bar. He dragged an\nunconscious man in a brown cape\non the road.\nSilently, he walked past the boy and gave him a short serious look. Roland looked\ninto the piercing green eyes\nof the man and startled on it slightly. \"Hey Mardon!\" cried a woman, who stood in the doorway. The man turned to her. Even\nRoland's attention was given to the unknown woman. \"You've\nforgotten that.\" she said, and threw\nhim against a\nstaff. With his free hand he\ncaught him and went on toward the barred car.\nRoland looked tense\non the wand. \"I have seen this somewhere before?\" it went through his\nhead as he looked at the strange\ncrystal at its pointed.Mardon dragged the\nunconscious man to the open car door. Without\nthe appearance of a great effort, he threw the\nbody into the cabin and then\nclosed the door. Roland watched him closely, but as the man walked toward him he had to swallow\nnervously once empty.\nHe looked at the boy briefly serious, but\nhis eyes gave way to Daniel, who was\nstanding behind Roland. \"It's about time.\" said\na thin man with shoulder length hair, who just stepped out of the tavern. Mardon left\nfrom the two and went\npast to Timmy back into the inn. Tim walked\ncloser to his group with fast transition. \"A\nlot is going on here today!\" he said, slightly indignant and exhaled left. He\nput a hand on Daniel's\nshoulder and grinned widely at him.\n\"We can go home\nnow?\" he asked with a slight smile. \"Or do we want to re-do\na city tour?\" he added amusement.\"By the Five! No!\"\ncame from Daniel as fired from a crossbow and\nhe walked hastily back to the car, where he felt at first by the reins.\nRoland and Tim got\ntherefore a little more comfortable. Once at the vehicle\nremained, Roland took a stop at some\ndistance. Something was wrong. He\nhad cut off a sinking feeling\nin his stomach and something seemed to steel him the air. Reluctantly, he\ntook one look at the car. Kyndle was not there. \"Kyndle?!\" he shouted frantically\nto the empty carriage,\nthen he looked frantically\nup and down the street. \"What's wrong?\" asked Daniel tense. The Young gave\nhim a helpless look. \"Kyndle\nis gone!\"","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/736531-five-dragons-tlop-chapter-2-welcome-in-stronos.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/743959-five-dragons-tlop-chapter-4-the-shadow-site-of-the-capital.json"}