Cold air whipped against her body as she cut through the air, her wings outstretched and steady as the clouds gave way and revealed the island ahead. The dragon squinted against the wind and brought her arm up from under her body to look at her empty hand. She was certain this is where the parchment had beckoned her before it had spontaneously disintegrated into ash. Her brow furrowed and set her arm back under her chest and returned her gaze to the island growing closer. She cocked her head to the side to eye the landmass, and as she neared the island she could see many scattered ships along the coastline. They were disorganized and dotted around the shore, away from the docks.
She inwardly grumbled, but figured she'd have the best luck scouring the ships as opposed to the more massive surface area of the island. Her wings folded closer to her body and she dipped her head down, nose-diving toward the first set of ships.
The blue and yellow dragon lands stealthily in the crowns of large trees, the thick tree limb groaning under her weight. Her attention turned to the rocky beach behind her as she craned her neck to look. Harmless flames suddenly enveloped her large body, licking away at her form until she shrank in size and and became a human.
In the dragon's place, a woman braced herself against the massive trunk. She is smaller in this form, standing a mere 5 and a half feet, but the way she carries herself she appears taller. The clothes she wore had magically returned to their normal state. They are tattered and simple, a grey t-shirt and torn dark shorts. Her hair is choppy and short, a style requiring little effort to upkeep.
The woman leapt down from the high height of the tree, grunting when she landed hard but kept stride and bound toward the ships. She kept her distance, eyeing the vessels from behind boulders and foliage. She wasn't entirely sure what ship she could be looking for, but she was determined, albeit a bit concerned she was too late.
The first ships she examined were simply just not the right ones. They were too plain or too gaudy or they smelled like they carried the type of people her friend wouldn't associate with. She'd made it through most of the southern side of the island's shore, dissatisfied with the ships she came across. On the other side of the island she was becoming disheartened and weary. Her stomach was growling and went unanswered but not ignored. She hadn't eaten in a few days, trying to make certain she could arrive on time.
Her sulking form walked slowly up to this ship she decided would make or break her heart. So far, none of the ships were manned aside from one or two lookouts, as if they'd all been at some event somewhere on the island. This ship was no different, completely empty she sensed, but she walked up to it anyway. She needed to scold something to make it take responsibility for her wasted trip and defeated hopes.
She hoisted herself up on the ship effortlessly, standing and walking along the edge of the gunwale of the ship. The bow was ahead of her, and she could see the back of a pink figurehead. Yes finally, a face to give a good scolding to. Even if it was inanimate.
She kept her calm pace, at this point she did not care about anyone seeing her. She even welcomed it after her long uneventful search, she might as well ask someone.
As if on cue, someone shouted behind her. She did not stop walking but did slow down; she had sensed the man coming from a few yards away. Her focus was on seeing the figurehead.
"Oi," the man's voice dangerously warned from the sands of the beach. "What are you doing?"
She tilted her head the other way and pursed her lips, deciding to stop trying to get a look at the ship's front. "I'm looking for someone," she called without looking back at first. "He is not here."
"So you've no business being on my ship," he grinned but his tone held no amusement.
She finally turned on her heel to look at him, and she saw a very lean and tall man dressed in red. She eyed him up and down, he appeared to be young but his height was impressive to say the least. "No, I don't. But I'm very nosy. Can I see your ship and maybe vent my frustrations at it?" she hummed in response.
Without waiting for a reply, she turned around again and walked ahead in a hurried pace excitedly to see the figurehead. The man below gawked, appearing to be ready to attack her.
"It's a bird." She stated obviously, causing him to stop. "What is it wearing?" she looked back at him, noticing that he wore the same accessory over his own eyes as the bird. "It's you then. That's cute." She leaned against the back of the wooden flamingo's neck. "I have a question for you."
His brow was furrowed and his face serious, but he was admittedly curious. "Make it quick, and get off my ship."
Instead of getting down she sat on the edge, dangling her feet off the side. "Do you know where I could find a funny man with a large mustache?"
"That's half the world population," he grunted.
"This one is very specific," she said thoughtfully, looking up to the sky as if trying to find an easier way to explain herself up in the clouds. "I followed the possessed piece of paper in this direction, before it burned away. He should be here."
The man below grinned in a way that made her feel like she was missing out on a joke. "You don't mean the pirate Gol D. Roger, do you?" When he saw her perk up, he let out a bellow. "You just missed the show. He's already been executed, toots."
Her mouth gaped open and her shoulders tensed as she clenched the wood of the gunwale. Despite the man's snickering, she let out a sigh and let her shoulders fall. "I see. Thank you."
She hopped off the ship and landed cleanly in the moist sand. He eyed her, his grin unwavering. Tip-toeing out of the dampness into more dry space, she burrowed her bare feet into the warm sand. With her arms behind her back, she looked up at him.
"Thank you?" He questioned with an eyebrow raised.
"Yes, now I can stop looking. I am disappointed sure, but that is something I'll have to live with." She shifted in the sand, tilting her head to look at him.
"Execution-fanatic are we?" His grin widened. The sun peeked through dark storm clouds from behind him, shrouding him in shadow and a gold outline.
"Of course not," she started. "I had no idea about this," she said simply, trying to end the topic. "Is there another island nearby that I can eat? I don't like this one anymore."
The man laughed, taken aback. He wordlessly pointed in a direction and her eyes followed his finger toward the horizon. He turned as more people began coming into the clearing, his attention leaving her. She took this opportunity to surge into the sky, her body burning into the dragon once more and taking off into the direction he'd given her.
The man sensed something amiss, and turned back to see what happened but she'd already left without being seen.
AN: I'm back into writing, you might remember my old story with Riley. I made a lot of noob mistakes in that one that I don't want to do in this one, so please let me know what you think. This is a test to see if there's any interest, but I really would love if more Doffy x OC stories were out there.