"And then the apothecary says to the breeder, 'I've never seen an Aphrodite type this well built before! It certainly tips the scale!'"
Jeff and Ninten burst into laughter, needing to hold onto each other for support. They walked many paces in front of Ness and Tony, who trailed behind silently. The two Draconologists hadn't stopped talking ever since they'd left Twoson's borders. They spoke endlessly about their studies and the science behind it. They seemed to understand each other completely, even though Ness barely understood a word. It didn't even sound like they were speaking English. He didn't know why, but every time he'd look up and see them locked in conversation, he'd feel a seething, prickling sensation in his feathers. Not wanting anybody to notice his unease, he walked silently, hands jammed in his pockets and eyes directed at the ground. However, it seemed as if his efforts would be useless, as Tony eventually noticed from the side.
"Ness?" He murmured gently, "Do you feel alright?"
"I'm fine. Just fine." Ness assured. Tony's face turned to concern upon hearing the bitterness in his voice.
"Are you and Ninten still fighting? I thought you made up?"
"No, nonono. We're not fighting. Nothing's wrong." Ness said, trying to sound composed.
"A-alright, I'll take your word for it..." Tony shrugged a bit, before tentatively looking at him again, "Forgive me for asking, but, uh...I couldn't help but notice that you two were getting a little cuddly last night. Are you and Ninten...you know...? Are you guys a...?"
"Absolutely not, no way!" Ness blurted, shaking his head, "We're friends, and that's it. He wasn't feeling good, is all."
"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make things uncomfortable. You both just seemed really happy. That's sweet, that you would comfort him like that. You must be long time friends." Said Tony.
"...Actually, I met him a week ago." Ness admitted, "I don't even think we were really 'friends' until yesterday."
"Are you serious? Wow...you remind me of Jeff and I." Tony said, "But, of course, we met years ago."
"Before Twoson became...that." Ness said.
"Yeah. We promised each other we'd never give in. We pretended to be brainwashed for months." Tony explained, "That basement was the only thing keeping us sane. Each day, when we were required to be inside, we'd go down there and ground ourselves. Force ourselves into reality."
"Brutal." Ness said.
"Mmhmm. I just hope that Threed doesn't follow the same fate."
"I've been to Threed recently, it's safe. Lots of people, lots of dragons. You'll be happy there."
Tony smiled. "I hope so."
Suddenly, their attention was turned to Ninten, who stood atop a hill they'd been slowly making their way up. He waved them down gleefully.
"Hey, snails! C'mere and look! Threed's just up ahead!" Ninten called.
Ness and Tony excitedly looked at each other and broke into a run. Within seconds, they joined Ninten and Jeff at the top. Just near them, previously hidden by the hill, was another town. To their relief, the buildings seemed to be coloured normally, and plenty of movement was visible in the streets. Threed was much, much bigger than Twoson was, they noticed. The town sat right near the ocean. As they began to make their way towards it, the sudden forms of Lucas and Claus sped forwards. The two dragons disappeared into a patch of long grass.
"Guys, wait for us!" Ninten called, "What'chu doin'?"
A series of short growls and yips came from the grass, and a visible tussle was taking place. Every now and then, a wing or a tail would fly out from the grass. Ninten wondered if they were playfighting, until he saw a different colour. It was Claus who stumbled out first, followed by Lucas. They seemed amused and cheery, tails held high in anticipation. They kept their eyes on the grass. Suddenly, a smaller, purple shape burst from it's hiding place and hurled itself into the twins, and the scuffle began once again. Ninten realized with delight that it was another dragon.
"Oooh! That's a Belring Royal!" He expressed, noticing the dark purple hue of its scales, "Female, Hephaestus!"
"Are they fighting?" Tony asked with concern.
"Nah, they're just playing. The twins probably caught her scent," Ninten explained, kneeling down, "Hello!"
The three dragons immediately stopped wrestling, and Ninten got a clear view of the purple one. As usual, she seemed naturally drawn to him. With a purr of greeting, she approached him and sniffed at his hand. Ninten ran his hands over her scales with a pleased smile.
"She's gorgeous..." He murmured, "Seems domesticated. She probably belongs to someone in Threed."
"Do you think it might be that child over there, running towards us and frantically waving us down?" Ness asked, pointing ahead of them.
Sure enough, upon looking up, Ninten saw a person jogging in their direction. He looked much younger. The boy was waving his arms above his head, with a look of relief on his face. Ninten quickly stood up, ready to assist.
"Meryll! Meryll, come on, why aren't you listening?" The boy cried as he got closer. Visibly tired, he slowed down and ran a hand through his brown, curly hair. "I'm sorry, may I please have my dragon back? She isn't listening to me for some reason! She just took off!"
"Did she, now?" Ness said, "Sorry, kid. My buddy over here has that affect on dragons."
"Yeah, sorry," Ninten said with an embarrassed laugh. He bent down to look the smaller dragon in the eye, "Meryll, was it? Can you go back to your trainer, now?"
The boy watched in both amazement and frustration as she happily obeyed, and sat down beside his feet. He frowned back down at her, clearly displeased with her.
"Don't run off like that, you hear? I'm sorry, she's usually really-" He trailed off upon looking back up at Ninten. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped, and he shakily raised a pointed finger, "Wait...! No wonder she ran off like that! I know you!"
"Of course he does." Ness muttered under his breath, exasperated and slightly jealous.
"You're the Dragon Whisperer, aren't you? Ninten Trinh, yeah?" The boy asked, "I've read about you everywhere! You're a big deal in Threed, you know."
"Am I? Little old me? Oh, what a surprise!" Ninten breathed, clearly loving the attention.
"Everyone knows you! And wow, you really do have Tazmilian Devils! I've only ever seen them in pictures before!"
"Yep, those are my prized catches. That one with the red accents is Lucas, and that blueish one is Claus." Ninten said as he pointed them out amoung the scuffle, "And I guess I outta introduce these three. This is Jeff and Tony, they're relocating to Threed. That guy who looks like he wants to hurl himself off a roof is Ness."
"Hiya!" The boy greeted gleefully as he shook everyone's hand, "Travis McConnell! Nice to meet'cha!" He turned his attention to Ness and shook his hand as well, before catching sight of his feathers and sharp eyes. The smile fell from his face, and he slowly drew his hand back, "...What happened to your face?"
Ninten winced and looked to Ness, whose face fell a bit.
"I'm a shapeshifter, I have feathers all over." Ness begrudgingly replied, clearly having said this line many times before. Ness waited for Travis to start panicking. It wouldn't be the first time he'd frightened somebody. However, Travis' smile returned, this time with even more wonder.
"Wow!" He breathed, "So you can turn into animals and stuff?"
Ness froze for a moment, having not expected that. He awkwardly glanced around, before replying, "U-um...just one, actually."
"Like what? An eagle? A hawk? Oooh, or what about a griffin?" Travis asked.
"...A crow." Ness delivered his anticlimactic answer. However, rather than looking disappointed, Travis' eyes widened.
"That's awesome! I like crows!" Travis said, again shocking Ness. "Gee, you guys are cool! What're you doing here in Threed?"
"Well, we're on a little bit of an adventure. Ness and I are travelling, but Jeff and Tony want to stay here." Ninten explained, "Do you know anywhere these two can settle?"
"You're lucky you met me. My older brother runs an inn down there!" Travis explained, gesturing back to the town.
Ninten and Ness shared a relieved look, before turning back to their new acquaintance.
"You have no idea how happy we are to hear that." Said Ninten, "Say, you think we could bunk there for a while?"
"Sure can! We've got stables down there, too, so your dragons can stay there," Travis explained, gesturing for the group of four to follow him, "Just wait until everyone sees the visitors I brought. They'll really get a kick outta you all. Especially you, Ninten. You've gotta teach us what you know."
Ness was the last to tentatively follow Travis. He trailed behind reluctantly. He'd expected the child to stick to Ninten like glue, but Travis surprisingly slowed his pace to stay near Ness. He glanced at him with amazement, as if Ness was the single most interesting thing he'd ever laid his eyes upon. Ness shifted uncomfortably a bit, averting his eyes. He didn't see why this kid was so fascinated by him. He knew that once he entered Threed, he'd be met with the usual frightened looks he'd get, but for some reason, Travis wasn't giving him that. Travis was clearly trying to hide the fact that he was watching Ness, and was doing a terrible job at it. Ninten glanced back over his shoulder, giving Ness an amused smirk upon seeing him being observed. Ness once again pretended not to notice, looking off somewhere else. His feathers puffed out a bit.
Before they knew it, they found themselves within the first couple of buildings. Ninten gazed around the unfamiliar town in wonder. While the town looked like it had advanced much more in technology than Podunk, Ninten was more interested in the habitants; half of which seemed to be dragons. Top to bottom, ground and air, he was surrounded by the creatures. He whirled around a bit to see all there was to see, realizing that he was being swarmed by a sudden flurry of wings and tails. He suddenly found himself being tackled to the ground by a few younger dragons. Ness instantly reacted with worry, rushing to his side.
"Jesus, Ninten! You okay?" He called.
However, Ness quickly realized that Ninten was having the time of his life. The breeder was being completely swarmed, and he was loving it. Ninten was laughing out of sheer delight, returning the greeting to his new scaled companions. Some were nuzzling him, some were biting his hair or clothing, and some just seemed happy wavering near him. A few townspeople gathered to watch the sudden commotion, most wondering why their dragons had suddenly run off to greet this strange boy they'd never seen before. Ninten sat up, holding one of the young ones in his arms. He looked up at Ness with a gleeful smile.
"I'm fantastic!" Ninten exclaimed, once again falling backwards and engaging with the creatures. Travis, Jeff, and Tony all stood to the side, watching in amazement. It seemed like almost every dragon in the town had suddenly rushed here. The unfamiliar townspeople all looked at Travis, the only person they recognized. Travis only hunched his shoulders in excitement.
"I brought visitors!" He stated, "Anybody seen my brother?"
"Travis!" An unfamiliar voice called.
"Oh, right on cue! Hiya, Zack!" Travis approached the person who had called him. Leaving Ninten for a moment, seeing that he was completely happy where he was, Ness followed and motioned for Jeff and Tony to do so as well. Travis walked up to a much taller boy who had a similar face and brown, wavy hair. While Travis seemed to be around thirteen, this boy seemed to be almost Ninten's age. The older boy, presumably his brother, tensed a bit once seeing Ness. He took Travis by the shoulders and pulled him away for a moment.
"Trav, who's this?" Zack stammered anxiously, clearly intimidated by the shapeshifter.
"That's Jeff, and right there is Tony," Travis introduced as he pointed, "And that's Ness! Get this, he's magical! He can turn into a bird. Isn't that sick?!"
"U-Um...yeah, sure, okay." Zack mumbled, letting him go. He furrowed his brow and directed his attention to Ninten, "...Should I even ask?"
"Zack, dragons just naturally do that to him. Get this; that's The Dragon Whisperer." Travis excitedly whispered. Zack, including a few other observing townspeople, gasped quietly.
"That's Ninten Trinh? The real one?" Zack breathed.
"The real one!" Travis confirmed, taking his brother's hand and leading him enthusiastically, "I met him on the outskirts, he needs a place to stay! We've got a few rooms open, don't we?"
"W-Well sure, but..." Zack trailed off as Travis continued to tug him along. Ninten, at this point, had stood up at this point and brushed himself off. The crowd of dragons, now calm, continued to surround him. Travis pulled Zack to the now disheveled traveler and gestured to him with his arm.
"There! Zack, meet Ninten. Ninten, meet Zack. This is my brother." Travis said to Ninten, who happily shook Zack's tentative hand.
"Yes, okay, hello..." Zack said, "If you don't mind me asking, what're you doing in Threed of all places? Not that we don't mind, your studies have been our inspiration for years."
"Really? Well, I'm tickled by that," Ninten replied, putting an arm around Ness and pulling him close, "We're travelling! Me and my bestest friend in the whole wide world."
"Tell them what you're doing! You guys won't believe this." Travis whispered in anticipation.
"Well, Ness and I decided that we'd try to find the rarest dragon there is." Ninten explained, "...That, being the Dark Dragon."
A chorus of gasps, quiet whispers, and 'ooooooh's ran through the surrounding townspeople.
"Let me get this straight...you're trying to find a god, basically?" Zack asked, "A god that no one has seen in years, and with no evidence on its current whereabouts?"
"Yeah!"
"Don't look so scared, Zack! If anyone can do it, it's this guy!" Travis replied, "He can stay with us, right, Zack? You wouldn't believe the shit he's been through."
"Whoa, hey, where'd you learn a word like that?" Zack sharply replied.
"Sorry. My fault." Ness admitted, raising a hand.
"Please, Zack? Those two guys in the blue clothes are moving here, too! We can help them, can't we?" Travis begged.
"I-I...um..." Zack hesitated, before sighing and shrugging a bit, "...I think we can find a couple spare rooms."
"Yes! Come on, you guys, this way! I'll help you get settled, all cozy like!" Travis said, waving his new friends over.
"O-okay, gimme a sec," Ninten said. He faced the crowd of dragons surrounding him and clicked his teeth, "Alright, I'm sorry. I gotta go. Be good and go back to your trainers!"
On command, each dragon in the area peeled away, either taking flight or cantering off. The villagers watched in shared astonishment, some even clapping. Ninten, admittedly enjoying the attention he was getting, gave a bit of a curtsy. As he followed Travis down a nearby path, he whistled, beckoning Lucas and Claus to come along. Lucas, as usual, settled over Ness' shoulders, while Claus hovered nearby. Ness and Ninten shared a look of excitement and anticipation. Progress was being made, and this was already better than their last experience travelling to a new town.
News of Ninten's appearance made it's way through the town within seconds. Many people gathered to try and see if it was really him. Ninten lifted his head proudly, pretending not to hear the uttering of 'He's much prettier in real life than in books' and 'Wow, he's so fantastic!'. He noticed Ness trailing behind, visibly intimidated by the crowding attention. Ninten, sympathetic, reached over and took his hand. Ness glanced up, both flustered and confused, as Ninten pulled him along so that they were walking side by side. Ninten gave him an encouraging smile. Ness, realizing that Ninten was putting him in the limelight as well, awkwardly grinned back. As they walked, neither realized that they were still holding hands.
The inn that Zack supposedly ran was large, considering that Threed was a popular place to travel to. The room that the group of four was led to was fair sized as well, pleasantly spacious and well lit.
"Alright, this is a room I'll let you use for free for now." Zack explained as his guests wandered, "See, the floorboards are a bit damaged, so we can't charge money for it. So for now, it's vacant."
"We can deal with that," Ninten said, noticing that the floor beneath him was cracked here and there. He approached one of the two beds in the corner and let himself flop over it with a groan of satisfaction. It felt nice to finally lay down after what seemed like forever. "Yes! This feels so nice!"
"Sorry about him, he's..." Ness murmured to Zack from the side, "...Special."
"Don't worry about it. I'm just thrilled he's actually here." Zack explained, "I took over business after our parents started working overseas, and I'm just wondering what they'd think of this! A shapeshifter and The Dragon Whisperer himself? In my inn? Good lord." He dropped the room key into Ness' palm, "Anywho, the room's yours for the time being. Go ahead and take all the time you need to settle, thank you for choosing the McConnell Inn, blah blah blah. You know the drill."
"Gotcha." Ness replied. He noticed that once again, Travis was wavering near him, trying to seem inconspicuous. Ness cleared his throat and took a step back, "...Bye, then."
"Travis, give the poor guy some room to breathe. Come on downstairs and get your apron on, those tables won't wait themselves." Zack said, taking his brother by the shoulders again and leading him away. Travis pouted a bit, but sighed and obliged.
"Fine, okay. Bye, Ness! Maybe you could come downstairs and eat somethin', okay? S-Sleep well! Drink water!" Travis called as he was tugged away from the door, which Ness promptly shut. He heard a few fits of snickering behind him, and he turned to glare at the others.
"Poor Ness doesn't know how to handle the thought of someone not disliking him." Ninten teased.
"Oh, don't be mean, Ninten," Jeff said, steadying his glasses, "Ness probably just doesn't know how to talk to kids."
"I'm not the biggest fan of kids." Ness muttered with a roll of his eyes, wandering off to the opposite corner of the room.
"Well, that kid is a mighty big fan of you, I'd say. Did you see that sparkle in his eyes?" Tony asked, "Maybe you should go talk to him later! Bond with him a bit! I'm sure it would make his day."
"Um, no. That's more of a thing Ninten would do." Ness said.
"Yeah, but he's fascinated by you, Ness. I mean, sure, he seemed pretty starstruck by me, but he followed you around like a puppy the whole way here." Ninten said, "Don't be all surprised that someone actually likes you."
"People usually don't, that's what bugs me." Mumbled Ness, sitting on the opposing bed.
"What? I like you! I'm sure these two tolerate you!" Ninten insisted, "And I bet that if the twins were here and not down in the stables, Lucas would be sticking to you like a fly to a trap."
Ness only crossed one leg over the other and glared at the ground. Ninten shared a look with Tony, then Jeff. While he was amused by Ness' awkward sheepishness, he couldn't help but feel pity. He'd gone his entire life being liked by everybody. Ness probably wasn't used to being seen in a positive light by others. He prayed that Ness wouldn't steal anything so that his first impression wasn't ruined. Then again, he wondered if it was even possible for Ness to go anywhere without stealing something.
'It's like an addiction he needs to feed. He'll probably steal the complimentary tiny shampoos.' Ninten thought with a quiet laugh.
"Oh, hey! Lookit that!" Ness suddenly chirped, leaning over to observe the bedside table, "They give you little shampoos and stuff! Don't mind if I do."
As he noted, several tiny bottles rested on the table. As Ness grabbed them and slipped them into his travel bag, Ninten smiled.
'Called it.' He thought.
"What happened after you left the basement?"
Travis leaned over the table in interest, looking at both Ninten and Ness with engaged eyes. While Jeff and Tony decided to stay in the room to rest up a bit, the two travelers decided it wouldn't hurt to regain their energy and eat something. Lucas, Claus, and Meryll were just visible outside, chasing each other and never seeming to get tired. Travis had become incredibly interested in hearing the tale to be told regarding the adventures in Twoson the previous day. Ninten had absolutely no problem describing every event in exact detail, and didn't hesitate taking a few artistic liberties as well.
"Well, they only managed to drag us into the woods. That was when Ness broke out of character and took 'em all down with a single blow of PK Thunder! You should've seen it, he almost took out every tree there! After that, we just ran. See, Ness here spent a whole bunch of time just planning out our whole escape route. Hours of grueling hard work, you see." Ninten explained.
Ness, who sat beside him at the table, rolled his eyes and just focused on finishing the coffee he'd ordered. He watched as Ninten continued the harrowing story, only about 60% of it being what actually happened. Meanwhile, Travis was listening and clearing off tables at the same time. Zack, who was busy cooking behind the counter, also listened from the side. He seemed to be incredibly fascinated. Travis, as he wiped down one of the nearby inn tables, looked at Ninten with the same starry eyed look as before.
"So...Ness basically saved all of your lives?" Travis asked, turning his attention to Ness, who awkwardly shifted a bit.
"That's exactly what he did! This little squirt is the reason I'm still alive and breathing." Ninten said, giving Ness an affectionate punch in the shoulder.
"W-well, when you put it like that..." Ness murmured, blushing a bit.
"You're amazing!" Travis exclaimed, "Wow, what a day. How long are you guys staying here?"
"Well, we were just gonna make a quick pit stop, but I kinda wanna make sure Jeff and Tony are settled before we take off. So, a few days, at most." Ninten said, "We've got all the time in the world, no biggie."
"I'm sure I can help with them. They can have that spare room until they get back on their feet." Zack said, "So, you really are doing it, huh? You're going after the Alpha?"
"Why not? Sure, it'll be tough, but we can pull it off." Ninten said as Zack wiped his hands on his apron and sat down across from them, seeing that the inn was completely devoid of any other patrons.
"Do you even know where to start?" Zack asked.
"Sure! Tell 'em, Ness." Ninten said.
"Ahem...well," Ness began, not knowing what reaction he would get, "I-I used to be a familiar. To a witch, I mean. And said witch has seen the Dark Dragon before. We think that just maybe, if we find her, we'll be able to get a clue as to where it is."
"But hasn't it been completely gone for like, twenty, maybe thirty years? It probably regenerated." Zack pointed out.
"Yah, but we'll never know unless we give it a go." Ninten said, "So, that's the plan. Go to Onett, find Ness' witch, and figure out what to do from there."
Travis and Zack looked at each other, eyes wide.
"You're going to Onett?" Travis breathed, "The super pretentious magic place?"
"What do you mean 'pretentious'?" Ninten asked.
"It's basically one of those rich people towns. Only the 'finest in witchcraft and wizardry' are allowed to live there." Zack explained begrudgingly, "How the hell did you even get referred?"
Ness' eyes suddenly widened, and he clamped his hands over his head in shock.
"Shit!" He cried as a wave of dread overtook him.
"W-What? What is it?" Ninten asked nervously.
"I totally forgot, god dammit! You can't just go to Onett, you have to be referred by a skilled magical entity, and bring proof that it happened." Ness groaned.
"Are you serious?" Ninten complained, "That would'a been nice to know before we took off!"
"Hey, it's been over two hundred years! A guy forgets things!" Ness countered. Ninten sighed and rubbed his temples a bit.
"Well...hey! Ness, you're a magical entity, you can just do it yourself!" He said.
"It doesn't work like that. I've got a criminal record, and a very big one." Ness replied, "Also, I'm not famous enough. Even if my slate was clean, I'm not of high class, and you gotta be, you know. Well known."
"Crap. Um...Zack, you wouldn't happen to know any witches, wizards, et cetera who may live here with a clean criminal record and high social status?" Ninten asked.
"Sorry, Threed doesn't have a single bit of magic. We're only known for our dragons and the stupidly large amount of hurricanes." Zack said, "The only example I can think of is a friend of ours; he wanted to become an apprentice, so he moved."
"Oh, that's right! Yeah, he wanted to do all that magic stuff. He took off and moved to Tazmily about two years ago." Travis added.
"Tazmily could work." Zack said, "That place is thriving with magical people."
"Tazmily? That's halfway across Nowhere!" Ness responded.
"That's all I've got. I'd help you, but...I don't know anywhere else you'd be able to find someone suitable to refer you." Zack shrugged, "It's really the closest magically oriented town there is. Besides Onett, of course."
Ness, finding no other option, let out a deep breath and leaned back in his chair. He looked at Ninten, lower lip drawn.
"...Nothing we can do, Ninten." Ness said, "Onett's a big deal. You may be famous, but you use PSI, not magic. They'd make us leave before he even got close."
Ninten, brow furrowed from his conflicted thoughts, shifted his gaze to Ness, then to Zack, then to Travis, who seemed incredibly interested in what gears were turning inside his head. Ninten finally gave up trying to find a solution, clapping his hand over a fist in determination.
"Just another bump in the road." He decided, "Right, then." Ninten curled his fingers around the map sticking out of his bag and quickly marked off another location on it using a charcoal piece, "Next stop, Tazmily."
"Wow...you're so motivated." Travis marveled. "Well, I hope you find someone. When you get to Tazmily, if you happen to meet a guy named 'Lenny', tell him that Zack and Travis miss him. Also, he owes me five pounds."
Ninten gave a quiet laugh, charmed, "Will do, Travis."
At that point, an excited yipping sounded from the front door. Claus sprinted into the inn, scrambling to a halt at Ninten's feet. Visibly tired, the yellow and cyan dragon leaped from his haunches and settled himself onto Ninten's lap, resting his head on his arm. Ninten smiled down at him. Lucas followed soon after, being trailed by Meryll. Lucas was clearly exhausted, but Meryll showed no interest in resting. She trotted alongside him, giving purrs of encouragement to get him to lighten up again, but Lucas only gave a tired mew in response. Meryll plopped herself down on the dusty wooden floor, obviously disgruntled that her new friends suddenly decided to leave her. Lucas reared back and jumped onto Ness, beginning to knead at his legs. Ness only smirked and ran his hand over one of the dragon's wings. Lucas flopped over and gave a tired exhale. Meryll emitted a short, irritated growl, but quickly gave up and approached her trainer. Travis bent down to scratch behind her wings as she affectionately butted her head against his legs.
"I think someone wore these two boys down to the bone," Ninten said, "Your little dragon there is very healthy, Travis. It takes a lot to get the twins tired."
"Who, Meryll? Yeah, she's crazy fast! I'm so glad I found her." Travis boasted, "Belring Royals aren't all too common in Threed."
"It's because of the ocean, right? It's right there. Royals don't like water. They can't swim." Ninten figured.
"Yeah! But I managed to keep Meryll around. She's a good girl, she's just very excitable." Travis said, "Terrified of hurricanes, though, which is unfortunate, seeing as Threed gets at most three storms a month."
"Jesus, how do you manage?" Ness breathed.
"Lots and lots of safety precautions. The whole town is built to easily be tied down, secured, locked, all that. Sometimes, a building will get a bit roughed up or a tree will fall, but hurricanes have never been disastrous. We spend more time trying to keep our dragons safe when they come."
Ninten's interest was perked, "Elaborate?"
"I don't know if this is the case for every dragon, but ours can get really beaten up by hurricanes. We've had dragons die before, because of how harmful storms are."
"It's the wings, I bet." Ninten observed, "Dragon wings are bred specifically to follow a natural wind pattern, so when that pattern goes haywire, I suppose they could easily be swept off."
"That's exactly it, yes. Sad stuff." Zack said.
"Hm. Well, we'll be sure to keep Lucas and Claus locked up if one happens to come our way." Ninten said. He stretched his arms over his head with a grunt of satisfaction, glancing outside, "Hmm...it got dark quick."
The three others turned to look outside. They realized that Ninten was right; the sky had gone from an overcast grey to a golden, cloudy canvas. Zack sighed and ran his hand through his chestnut hair, as he got up and began to set a few tables.
"This place gets busy in the evenings, people oughtta start pouring in soon," Zack said, draping a tablecloth over one of the tables, "You guys can stay if you want, if you're okay with the loud and rowdy."
"Yeah, I think not," Ninten semi apologetically said. He picked up Claus and stood up, "Come to think of it, Claus hasn't taken his supplements today. I'll go take care of that. Ness? How 'bout you?"
"Oh, uh..." Ness looked around, "I-I'm just gonna wander, I think. Have some 'me' time."
"Take Lucas with you, won't you? I don't want these two getting into another scuffle." Ninten said.
"...Sure."
Ninten turned to Zack and held out a hand, "Thanks again, Zack. You haven't got a clue how helpful you've been. Thanks for the tip, I don't even know what we would'a done if we showed up to Onett without knowing that."
"It'd be embarrassing, that's for sure," Zack said, shaking his hand, "No problem. My only fee is that you very clearly mention the name of the inn you stayed at to anybody you can during your travels, alright?"
Ninten laughed, "I'll keep that in mind. Listen, after I finish up with Claus, I think I'll just come back down here and help out with serving and such. How's that sound?"
"Really?" Zack asked, getting a nod in response, "Well, sure! Travis and I could use the help. Come on down whenever you feel like it."
"Alrighty, will do," Ninten said, "Catch you later, Ness. Don't stay up too late, you hear?"
"Yeah, okay, whatever. Thanks again, Zack." Ness said, hoisting Lucas up and getting up out of his chair. He promptly left the inn through the front door. Zack glanced at Ninten with a concerned look.
"Is he...y'know, okay?" Zack asked.
"Ness is just really reclusive, is all. He's scared of people." Ninten explained, "He's a good guy. I promise. You just gotta crack through that grey, outer shell of miserableness to find the warm and fuzzy part of him."
"I believe it! Ness is so cool!" Travis exclaimed.
"Alright, Travis, up and at 'em," Zack dismissed, "Come down whenever you're ready, Ninten." He called after Ninten, who had already begun to head towards the stairs. Ninten nodded in response, and quickly made his way up as the first few night patrons made their way through the front door.
Ness had been lying when he said he was going to wander. Instead, he made his way quickly to the outskirts of the town, choosing to sit down at the side of a cliff edge overlooking the ocean below. He let his legs dangle over the edge as he watched the waves crash and flow, breathing in the fresh, salty air. The gentle warm breeze of that evening felt nice against his skin and brushing through his feathers. His hair fluttered softly as he gazed out at the endless blue. He looked down at Lucas, who was resting soundly next to him. His muzzle and paws would twitch every now and then as he let out soft growls and barks. He was dreaming, Ness thought. He gently lifted the sleeping dragon into his arms and cradled him close. He'd grown quite attached to Lucas. Although Claus was equally as charming to be around, he was also a little too energetic for Ness sometimes.
"You're the only one who really gets me sometimes." Ness murmured.
"Surely, that's not true?"
Another sudden voice made Ness nearly jump out of his skin. He froze up and turned around, just in time to see who else, but Travis. The young boy backed up a few steps apologetically, eyes wide.
"I-I'm sorry!" He stammered, "I didn't mean to scare you."
"I'm not scared." Ness replied, "What're you doing here, kid?"
"Zack let me take an evening off because Ninten decided to help out. I figured...you may want some company." Travis explained, taking a few tentative steps towards him. He held up a small fabric pouch, "...Also, I wanted to give you this. You haven't eaten much today."
Ness caught the small bag that was suddenly tossed to him. He could feel rustling inside as he turned it over in his hand. He pulled it open, and reached in with two fingers to then reveal several beige, brown and black nibs. He raised an eyebrow and glanced at Travis, who's hands were clasped nervously.
"What is this?" Ness asked as he gave the pieces an experimental taste. He felt a slight moment of shock; this was possibly the tastiest thing he'd eaten in a long time. Travis, noticing Ness' reaction, put his hands on his hips.
"Birdfeed." He proudly declared.
Ness went still for a moment, realizing that Travis most likely bought this from a pet store. He looked back down at the bag, embarrassed that he'd just consumed bird food and had genuinely enjoyed it.
"Uh...kid, listen, just because I can turn into a bird doesn't mean I..." Ness had absentmindedly reached into the pouch again and retrieved more seeds, impulsively eating them. He couldn't help it, he thought. He sighed and looked at Travis again, "...Thanks."
Travis, pleased that Ness liked it, beamed and nodded. He hastily ran over to where he sat and plopped down beside him. Ness rolled his eyes and faced the ocean again, continuing to consume the mix of seeds. There was a long moment of awkward silence. Ness could tell that Travis was trying to come up with something to say, but his mind was clearly drawing a blank. Having no interest in speaking, Ness stayed silent as well. He remembered what Ninten had said, about Travis looking up to him. He felt a bit of a rush in his body.
It was when Lucas stirred a bit that the silence was broken. He twisted around a bit to find a more comfortable sleeping position, a gentle chirp emitting from his throat. Travis laughed a bit, amused. Ness accidentally let out a snicker of his own, catching Travis' attention.
"Heh, um..." Travis began, "Lucas is your best friend, isn't he?"
"No." Answered Ness, "I don't have a best friend. I don't really do 'friends' in general."
"Is Ninten your best friend?"
"Wha...? No! I just told you, I don't have friends. My membership to that club he made was temporary for the moment."
"Can I be your best friend?"
Ness blinked. It was as if everything he was saying was completely blanked out. Realizing that this child wasn't willing to give up, he sighed and slouched a bit, leaning his chin on his hand.
"Sure, kid. Why not?" He muttered.
"R-Right, okay!" Travis nodded, sounding as if this was a life-or-death mission.
Again, there was a bit of silence.
'Thank god.' Ness thought.
"Where do shapeshifters come from?" Travis suddenly piped up.
'Sigh.' Ness straightened up a bit, begrudgingly replying, "Some are born biologically, some are made."
"Which one were you?"
"I was made."
"With a spell?"
"Of sorts. More of a potion. Carbon, hydrogen, phosphorus, the usual things you need to make a functional human body. Then you gotta kill a crow and throw the corpse in there. A bit of chanting, a bit of spooky stuff, a bit of life binding, and you got yourself a baby shapeshifter."
"I bet you looked really cute when you were a little baby." Travis smirked, "I can imagine your feathers just...floof!" He motioned to his neck and drew his hand out, making an outwards gesture. "Just like what they're doing now!"
Ness realized that his feathers were all puffed out again. He quickly began to smooth them down. "I didn't look cute. I wasn't even a baby for long, not even a few months."
Travis tipped his head to the side, "Huh? How's that work?"
"I age differently." Ness explained, "When I feel like I'm older, then I become older. It's all based around maturity."
"Wow..." Travis breathed, "How old are you, like, actually?"
"Two hundred and fifty three."
"Holy moly! You don't look a day over twenty five!"
"That's 'cus I'm not. Biologically, I've been twenty one for almost ten years now."
"You don't feel any older?"
"I'm not really feeling twenty two yet, I guess."
"Hey, to each their own!" Travis said, "I wish I was fourteen already. Being puny sucks."
"What? Why would you wanna just rush through it?" Ness asked, finally turning his head to look at him, "You've got a good seven years before you turn all depressed and sad."
"Like you?"
"Yah, exactly. I never got to be a kid, I just blazed on through those years. I'll never be one, either" Ness said, "I can't age down."
"Now I'm wondering a whole bunch of things." Travis murmured, eyes wide, "Like...can you die? Are you immortal?"
"Of course I can die, I've died plenty of times."
"What?!"
"Oh, wait, that's right. Humans only die once," Ness shifted into a criss cross position, "Basically, I'm semi-immortal. I can't die from old age, obviously. But I can die from natural causes."
"And how have you died multiple times?"
"When a shifter is in their animal skin and they're killed, they're brought back to life in their human form. They leave behind a corpse, though. I've gone through quite a few crow bodies. Sometimes, I'm caught by a fox. Sometimes, I hit a wall. I'll wake up as a human seconds later, and there's a dead crow at my feet; a crow that I used to inhabit. It's freaky."
"Oooh. Scary." Travis commented, "Speaking of this form and that form, could you...maybe show me?"
"Can't. Ninten's got my pendant. I can only transform if I have it on me."
"Why's that?"
"Because my soul's bound to it. My life, really. It's the source of all my energy, powers included."
"What happens if it breaks or something?"
Ness paused, "...Then I die for good. That's how dependent I am on it, because I've had it for so long. Even being too far away from it could kill me. It's gotta be a good few miles of distance, but still."
"Is that the case with all shifters, or just you?"
"Depends how bound you are to your pendant. If you've only had it for fifty years or so, being stripped of it could result in memory loss, because your memories are tied to it. There's been stories of shifters losing their stones and forgetting everything else in their life. Scary stuff."
"Wow...but you'd lose much more than just your memories, huh?" Travis thought, "...Spooky."
"Yeah. That."
He went quiet for a few moments, nervously drawing his legs into his chest, "Say, Ness...d-do you think that you might come back to Threed sometime?"
Ness looked at him, eyebrow raised, "You want me to come back?"
"Well, sure! You're so cool! Plus, I kinda wanna see you turn into a bird someday." Travis said, "There's plenty of room. I can show you all the tide pools, and the caves nearby!"
"...And you wouldn't mind me being there?" Ness asked.
"Nah." Travis said.
"...And you're not scared of me, or anything?"
"No."
Ness wasn't entirely sure what to say. He looked around a bit, biting his lip. Feeling surprised and helpless, he cleared his throat.
"Then...sure, I guess." He said.
"Awesome!" Travis exclaimed, quickly covering his mouth, as he'd said it louder than he'd expected. "U-Um...well, Zack said I had to be back when the sky was dark. Guess I better head home."
"Yeah, okay. I'll stay here a while longer." Ness said as Travis got to his feet, "Thanks for the pet food."
"I didn't know what else to get you!" Travis explained.
'He was planning to give me something?' Ness thought. "Get home safe, you hear? Straight home."
"Okay, I promise. Sleep good!" Travis waved.
"Y-Yeah. 'Night." Ness responded.
He watched as Travis hastily made his way down the hill, making sure he made it to the town safe. Once he was gone from vision, Ness turned back to the ocean, which now looked black and eerie from the night. He savoured the blissful silence. A soft smile crossed his face. He'd never liked kids. But for some reason, this one managed to break through his shell.
'Ninten better not find out. He'd never let me hear the end of it.' Ness thought.
A twig snapped behind him. Ness squeezed his eyes shut in frustration, already knowing who it was.
'Of course.'
"Alright, that was officially the cutest thing I've ever seen."
Ninten's voice cut through the silent air like a knife. Ness groaned and slouched over, before glaring at his partner from over his shoulder.
"Have you been standing there the whole time?" He asked.
"No, but I heard enough," Ninten beamed, sitting beside Ness, "You're going soft for him, aren't you?"
"I am not." Ness bitterly replied.
"Ness, it's okay." Ninten insisted, "Travis is a sweet kid, you're allowed to enjoy his company. Doesn't make you any less scary and tough."
"I'm not trying to- ugh, whatever!" Ness huffed, "What're you doing here, anyways?
"I came to come find you so I could bring Lucas back to the inn. But when I saw you and Travis talking, I figured I wouldn't ruin it for him. So I just kinda waited in those bushes over there." Ninten said, "...So, Ness. looks like you and I aren't so different."
"Hm? What do you mean by that?" Ness asked.
"It's not entirely the same thing, but...well, you never had parents, you were just magically conceived. As for me...well, I never got to meet my actual parents. My biological ones."
"Oh, right, Jeff and Tony were telling me about that. You're adopted." Ness remembered, "Well, hey, at least you get to say you were born from parents in the first place."
"Okay, I'm trying to relate to you."
"Right, right. Sorry." Ness nodded, "...So your parents just...found you?"
"Yep. That's all they ever told me." Ninten said, "I can't remember much from my childhood. I guess I've just grown used to being all cooped up in those stables back home."
"Crazy how a guy who barely leaves his house is so unbelievably social, but I'm someone who's traveled the whole world time and time again through two centuries, and I can't stand people." Ness said.
"S'alright, shyness is okay." Ninten replied. He stretched his arms above his head and fell back onto the grass, staring up at the now visible stars, "What does a guy even do for over two hundred years?"
"Lots and lots of wandering." Ness sighed, voice now soft. He decided to let himself lay back as well, letting Lucas rest on top of him. Ninten turned his head and looked at him, seeing that Ness looked incredibly conflicted. He scooted a bit closer and shifted onto his side so that he was now facing him. He'd never thought about how many places Ness had seen and how much he must've understood the world.
"You just use the whole world as your home, huh?" Ninten whispered with a smirk. Ness looked at him and gave a side grin.
"Sure. I've spent the majority of my life making my way around the globe, trying to find a place called home." He said. His eyes suddenly glimmered with a bittersweet light, and he turned back to the sky, "...What is it they say? 'Home is where the heart is'?"
Ness paused for a moment, before once again turning to Ninten.
"I guess I just haven't found my heart yet." He murmured.
Ninten blinked, unsure of how to respond. Ness' voice was smooth and calm, opposite of it's usual grit. He felt an odd feeling in his chest, as if his heart was aching, but it didn't hurt. This ache, surprisingly, felt kind of nice. Feeling the bridge of his nose heat up a bit, he shifted a bit closer.
"Hey, uh...Darls," Ninten began, averting his eyes, "Y'know, once this whole crazy adventure is over, I'll probably end up just going back to Podunk."
"Probably." Ness replied, "So?"
"So...I'll be going back to that lonely little house. My sisters will be off to live with my parents soon, I'll be alone." Ninten said, "I-It'd be nice to have a helper, don't you think? Someone who can help me take care of all the dragons back home, someone to grow my studies with?"
Ness' eyes widened just a bit. "...Well, yeah. I guess."
"In that case, y'know...if you really need to settle, if you're still looking for home..." Ninten awkwardly brushed back his hair, "...There's plenty off room. It's rickety, it's a bit drafty, but...I mean, I'm sure it's better than sleeping in a tree. So, think about it. Podunk's a tiny town, we could use another resident. Plus, uh...Lucas adores you. He'd be crushed if you took off."
For a few moments, Ness had to process what was being said to him. He stared back at Ninten, jaw dropped and eyes wide, before glancing at Lucas, then back at Ninten, then at the sky again. Ninten could tell that Ness was either shocked, scared, or somewhere in between. He smiled in teasing amusement.
"No need to answer right away." He said. Ness quickly sat up.
"No, nonono, that's not...! Um...!" Ness stammered, "What I'm trying to say is...um...sure. I guess it wouldn't hurt."
After a brief moment of inner happiness, Ninten snickered, slowly sitting up as well.
"You get flustered so goddamn easily, it's adorable." He taunted.
"Say that again and you'll lose a hand!" Ness hissed, his face growing redder by the second.
"Is there something you're not telling me, Ness?" Ninten asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No!" Ness insisted.
"Fine, fine. I believe you. Don't get used to it, though." Ninten said, putting his arms behind his head, "I bet I can make you fall in love with me by the end of this trip. I bet you ten pounds."
"Well, get ready to pay up, because that ain't happening." Ness muttered back.
"Hm. Alright, whatever you say, Ness." Ninten shrugged. With a quiet grunt, he lifted himself up and got to his feet. "Carry Lucas to the inn for me, won't you?"
"...Sure, okay." Ness said, hoisting Lucas into his arms and standing up. As he began to follow a smug Ninten back to the city, he cast one more look out towards the ocean. A few seconds passed just watching the shadows twist and ebb.
"Hey, Dollface! I'm tired! Let's go!" Ninten called. Ness realized that Ninten was already at the base of the hill.
"Shit, sorry. Coming." Ness replied, breaking into a jog to catch up to him.
Relaxing that night was easy for Ness. This was surprising, seeing as Ninten was the one he had to share the only other bed with. Despite Ninten's constant kicking and sleeptalking, Ness found it easily forgivable. After all, this was the same person who offered him an actual home. The first home he'd be living in, besides Onett. As he lay on his side, staring out the window, a million thoughts ran through his head. He found it almost impossible to be annoyed or irritated with Ninten at this point. He gripped the bedsheets beneath him and sighed.
'The hell's goin' on with you, Ness?' He asked himself.
A sudden chitter caught his attention. Upon lifting his head, he saw the shadowy outlines of the twins. While they considered putting them in the provided stables, the two dragons clearly wanted to stay in the room with them.
"What'chu doing?" Ness whispered, holding out his hand for Claus to rub his head against. Lucas stumbled his way over the bundled comforter and did what he usually did; he nuzzled his head into the crook of Ness' neck, before curling up next to him. Claus settled himself not to far from his brother, draping his wing over Lucas as a means of protection, warmth, or both. Ness smiled and closed his eyes, comforted by the twins' company. Before falling asleep, he found himself anticipating the approaching day's journey.
Ness was awoken the next morning by a loud thud.
He sat up, alarmed. The sound had obviously startled the rest awake, because Jeff, Tony, and Ninten had all snapped to attention. Lucas and Claus each looked terrified, with slit pupils and unsheathed claws digging into the mattress. Everyone exchanged frightened, confused glances, before Ninten spotted the source of the sound.
"...The window." He sighed in relief, slipping off the bed and approaching the window, "The wind blew it open."
"Jesus, how strong is it blowing?" Ness asked, rubbing his eyes. The room suddenly began to shudder and rumble. The wind outside began to morph into a grating howl. Several yells and shouts of alarm could be heard.
"It's a disaster, look!" Ninten pointed. He was right; every tree was thrashing at an incredible force. Dust was swept up from the streets and thrown into the air. Several townspeople ran about. Ninten, pulse rushing, raced to put on his boots. "Let's get downstairs and see what the buzz is!"
In under ten seconds, all four boys managed to get themselves dressed. Ninten grabbed Claus, while Ness made sure to get Lucas. Lucas burrowed into him, frightened out of his wits. Ness tightened his arms around him and clicked his teeth to calm him. The group rushed out of the room and into the main floor, only to greet a frantic Zack.
"Zack, what's going on?" Ninten asked nervously.
"No need to worry, we get these suckers all the time...!" Zack grunted, as he yanked the windows shut and used a hammer to nail them closed. "It's a big one this time!"
"We'll do anything we can to help, then!" Jeff insisted, pulling up his sleeves, "What needs to be done?"
"I'm alright in here, Travis is safe down in the cellar! But a lot of things need to be tied down outside. See if you can find any loose ends or things that can possibly be thrown around, and find a way to secure them! There's rope everywhere, we always have it handy." Zack instructed.
"Alright, sounds like a plan. Ness, come with me! Jeff, Tony, you guys handle the east side!" Ninten called as he rushed out of the inn, Ness following in hit pursuit.
Upon getting outside, Ninten was almost immediately forced to the ground. Claus gave a yelp of panic as Ninten lost grip of him. Ninten grabbed hold of a lamppost to keep himself upright, and frantically tried to reach for Claus, who was sinking his claws into the ground to keep himself from getting caught in the wind's current. His wings were locked shut, and his tail was curled underneath his body.
"God dammit...! Claus!" Ninten breathed, having to squint through the forceful winds, "Hold on, buddy, I gotcha...!"
Ness, meanwhile, wasn't having much luck either. Lucas was instantly torn away from him, but he wasn't fast enough to close his wings. Now caught in the harsh current, Lucas was thrown back. While he managed to fight against the wind for a few moments, he simply wasn't big enough to match the strength. To Ness' horror, Lucas was pulled out of sight, and his cries of terror were soon drowned out by the clashing waves nearby and the caterwaul of the wind. A sudden shriek from Ninten indicated that Claus had followed the same fate.
"No! Ness, I gotta go get them! I have to make sure they-!" Ninten was thrown back by another strong current. He landed on the ground hard, but was quick to grab on to the lamppost again. Ness' impulse took over one he spotted a splotch of blood on Ninten's face; he'd been struck by something, probably a piece of debris.
"A-Ah! Ninten!" Ness began to try and make his way over, holding on to anything he could for dear life. He managed to reach Ninten's side, kneeling down to inspect him, "Ninten, you okay? Can you hear me?"
"Y-Yeah, I can hear you..." Ninten replied. The stream of blood trailed down the side of his face, blocking his vision in one eye, "The t-twins, I have to...!"
"Ninten, they'll be fine! They'll find something to ground themselves with! We'll go after them once we secure anything dangerous, okay?" Ness insisted as he helped Ninten stand up. Ninten opened his mouth to protest, but upon catching sight of Ness' sincere gaze, he only gave a curt nod.
"...Okay. Let's go." Ninten decided.
The winds only got stronger as the two launched into action, helping the other townspeople secure any loose ends. They had obviously adapted to walking through harsh currents, as they were having much less trouble than their visitors, who were nearly thrown back every few seconds. The entire time, as Ninten held down a stake for another person to hammer into the ground, his heart raced. He'd never been faced with nature in such a way. Podunk had always been tame with its weather. However, as time went by, something began to feel oddly familiar. He'd felt this terror before. But that didn't make sense, he thought. He'd never experienced a hurricane in his life. But with each second that passed, he began to feel flashes. He began to panic as deja vu took it's hold on him. Ninten suddenly found it hard to breathe.
'W-What's going on?! Why do I feel like this has happened before?!' Ninten thought as dizziness began to wash over him.
Meanwhile, Ness had finished tying a knot to keep a tent from flying off.
"Alright, I think the rest was already taken care of! Ninten, let's get back to the inn!" He called.
No answer.
"Ninten?" Ness looked around for his friend, before spotting Ninten a few paces away. He lay motionless on the ground, only being moved by the wind itself. Ness' blood ran cold, and he rushed to grab him, "Ninten, hey! Wake up, man!"
It was no use; Ninten was completely blacked out. His skin was horribly pale and the wound on his forehead was only bleeding more and more. Ness decided that Ninten had probably passed out from blood loss, fear, or both. He hoisted him up to carry him, only finding it more difficult to navigate through the chaotic streets. Only fueled by adrenaline and the need to keep his friend alive, Ness toughed through the vertigo until he spotted the familiar shape of the inn. He ran towards it in anticipation, spotting Zack nailing the door closed.
"Zack! What do we do now?!" Ness cried.
"Around the right, there's a cellar door!" Zack replied. His eyes widened once catching sight of Ninten, "Shit, get him down there. There's a first aid kit! Jeff and Tony are already there. I'll be down in a few!"
"Roger that," Ness replied, wasting no time sprinting around the side of the building. As promised, a wooden door was visible through the ground. Ness gently set Ninten's unconscious form against the wall and yanked on the latch. He yelped as the door flung open, nearly hitting him. Ness gathered his wits, grabbed Ninten again, and slipped through the small opening provided. He found himself falling into a dark, musty place, and landed safely on his feet. Ness quickly reached back up and put all of his force into pulling the door closed. In that instant, the wind stopped, and his body relaxed. Ness, exhausted, collapsed against the cobblestone wall and sighed. He pulled Ninten close to him, relieved to feel his heart beating.
"Ness!"
It was Tony's voice. Ness quickly remembered what he was doing and squinted through the darkness to see Travis, Tony, and Jeff all backed up against the wall. Upon scrambling towards them, Ness saw that Travis looked as if he'd seen the undead. His wide, blank eyes stared ahead vacantly. Feeling a pang of sympathy, Ness bit his lip and set Ninten down on the dirt floor.
"He's hurt...p-passed out..." Ness managed to stutter, "...B-Bandages...water...anything..."
"Of course, Zack told us there was a..." Jeff searched around for a while, finally spotting a travel bag nearby, "...Here it is! Should find some bandages in there."
"Give it here," Ness said. He dug around the bag for a while until his fingers touched fabric.
He hastily pulled out the roll and tore off a small piece with his teeth. He soaked the piece with water from his canister and began to wipe the caked blood off of Ninten's face, before sticking another piece over top of the wound itself. Ness winced; a piece of wood or something of the sort had sliced right through the skin. Ninten seemed to be stirring a bit. His eyelids fluttered slightly, but he didn't move anything else. Ness realized that he was still out cold; Ninten was clearly experiencing a troubling dream. The dragon breeder twitched every now and then, his eyes squeezed shut and jaw clenched. Every so often, he'd murmur something unintelligible. He sounded as if he were on the verge of tears.
'The hell is goin' on inside his head?' Ness thought grimly, gritting his teeth and keeping one hand on Ninten's shoulder. Just then, the room was suddenly lit up from the outside light and wind once again filled the cellar as the opening door flung open once more. In jumped a disheveled Zack, who quickly yanked the door closed behind him. He glanced at the cowering group in relief.
"Thank god..." Zack muttered as he hastily ran over, "How's Ninten?"
"Still unconscious, I think a loose piece of metal must've hit him or something," Ness explained, "Everything okay out there?"
"Barely. I haven't seen a storm this violent in a good few months. One of the window panes got ripped right off a house nearby, almost hit me." Zack said. He shuddered, and walked to where Travis sat. The child was still trembling and staring down at the dirt. "Travis, you're okay. You're safe. Ness, do me a favour and sit with him, I'm gonna try and find some candles or somethin'. These storms usually last a hell of a long time, so we're gonna be down here for a while."
"S-sure, alright," Ness awkwardly crawled over to Travis and planted himself beside him. Unsure of what to do exactly, he just put a tentative hand on his shoulder. He felt that Travis' arm was tense and flexed from fear.
"They should be around here somewhere!" Zack called from a back corner, "We always make sure to-!"
Suddenly, the air was split with a deafening crash from above, nearly hard enough to make the ground tremble. Everyone let out a cry of surprise, Travis being the loudest. Snapping out of his horrified trance, he impulsively grabbed the first thing he could for comfort, that being Ness. Travis wrapped his arms around his neck and buried his face into the mass of feathers. Ness froze up a bit, his first impulse being to push him away. But upon feeling how much Travis was shivering and hearing how heavy his breathing was, he hesitantly pulled him close and kept him in a tight embrace, hoping that he could provide any sense of safety.
For the second day in a row, Ness found himself trapped in a basement. Jeff and Tony were clearly still affected by the home they'd come from, for the two clung to each other for dear life, frightened more by the basement itself rather than the storm outside. Zack clearly trusted Ness with his brother, for he spent most of his time checking over Ninten, who seemed to refuse to wake up. Whatever kind of nightmare he was having, it was obviously not a pleasant experience. Ness' body was beginning to grow numb from the position he was in, using his arms as a shield for Travis. Whatever damage was being done up above had to be terrible, if it was enough to frighten a boy who spent his entire life living through these storms. The wooden door gave another forceful shudder, each beam and plank emitting a sickening creak. The sound of metal twisting and bending from above was enough to send shivers down Ness' spine. He felt Travis tighten his grip on him. Ness closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall, helpless. All he could do now was wait and pray for the torture to end.
Ness was surprised to wake up the following morning. It wasn't because an entire day had gone by, or because of the storm. He was surprised at how on Earth he even managed to fall asleep in the first place. When he slowly opened his eyes, he breathed a sigh of relief. Everything was quiet. He no longer heard the grinding of wood or the pelting of rain. The storm was over. Ness shifted a bit into a sitting position, realizing that Travis was collapsed over top of him. Protective instincts taking over, Ness gently laid him against the wall, careful not to wake him. He glanced around, and saw that everyone else was peacefully sleeping as well.
"...Guys." Ness whispered, "Guys, the storm's gone."
Zack was the first one to stir. He'd been sleeping up against the wall, arms crossed. He slowly lifted his head and wiped his eyes, taking a moment to process where he was.
"All done?" He yawned, "Thank god it wasn't one of the two-day ones. Travis okay?"
"Yeah, he's fine, just sleepy." Ness replied, nudging Travis a bit with his hand, "Hey, kid. Up and at 'em. You too, Jeff, Tony. I wanna get outta here ASAP."
"Hm?" It was Travis who was startled awake suddenly. He looked around, eyes widening once remembering the past day's events, "Geez, is it finally over?"
"Thank goodness." Jeff muttered, taking his glasses out of his pocket and slipping them on, blinking to adjust his eyes.
"How's Ninten?" Tony asked, stretching his arms.
"Oh shit, that's right...Ninten..." Ness crawled over to Ninten and leaned over him to observe. His face still bore some dried blood here and there, but for the most part, he seemed okay. He reached a hand over and brushed a bit of hair out of his eyes. "Ninten? You awake?"
Ninten didn't answer, but he seemed to stir a bit. To Ness' surprise, when Ninten opened his eyes, they let loose a cascade of tears spilling down the sides of his face. Ness' brow furrowed with concern. Ninten's hazel eyes were dull and tired compared to their usual glimmery shine. Ness gave his shoulder a bit of a gentle shake.
"Ninten, come on. The storm passed." Ness murmured, "You okay?"
"Nh...Y-Yeah, I just had a real shitty nightmare..." Ninten whispered as he struggled to prop himself up. He winced and clamped a hand over his forehead, "Ow, dammit...! The hell happened?"
"You got hit by something. It knocked you out cold." Ness explained, putting an arm around his shoulder to help him sit up, "We patched you up, though. Don't worry. We can stay a few more days if you're unfit to travel."
Ninten only nodded, and proceeded to glance around, "Everyone okay? Jeff? Tony? Travis?" He was answered by nods, "Alright, good. We oughta get up there and see the damage done. Lucas! Claus! C'mere, it's time to get outta this cellar, alright? Tch tch!"
A few seconds passed. Silence. Ninten paused, confused. He looked around, but didn't see his brightly coloured dragons.
"Lucas!" He called again, "Claus! No need to be scared, it's alright!"
Again, no response. Ninten stood up to inspect the cellar. Meanwhile, Ness' mouth went dry. As his heart sank and his eyes widened, he stared down at his hands, and a crushing realization came back to him.
'The twins.' He thought, 'Oh god. I forgot to go after the twins.'
"Claus!" Ninten's voice echoed from another room, "Guys, come on! I know you're afraid of storms and all, but you don't need to..."
Ninten trailed off as he appeared back in the main area, one hand gripping his hair. He looked around again, now growing worried and frantic.
"W-Where are they?" Ninten breathed, body tense and shaky.
Ness bit his lip and stood up, meeting Ninten's frightened eyes.
"...Ninten, um..." He murmured solemnly, "...I-I don't think they made it in time."
Ninten didn't say anything at first. He squinted, as if genuinely confused.
"...What?" He replied bluntly, voice cracking.
"The twins...didn't make it. I was so focused on getting you to safety, it slipped my mind..." Ness said, hiding his face in his hands shamefully, "I-I didn't mean to! You were bleeding, and the winds were only getting stronger...! C-Come on, you get it, right, Ninten? Right? Say something, come on. Don't leave me in the dust. You understand, don't you? I'm sorry, I..."
As Ness trailed off, Ninten's eyes only grew more distant. He looked around in a shocked trance for a moment, before the life returned to his eyes. He drew in a long breath.
"They were left out there...?" He murmured voicelessly, as if the weight of the situation hadn't entirely dawned on him yet. Suddenly, he went back into action, taking off for the exit. Ninten began to hysterically throw his weight against it, grunting in pain with each blow, "W-We gotta go get them, then! Who knows what could've happened?! Ness, let's go! Come on, help me get this thing open! We gotta go get them!"
Ness had already stood up in alarm, looking at the others in despair, then back to Ninten.
"Ninten, I-I don't think that..."
"You don't think that what, Ness?! Say it! I dare you!" Ninten hissed back. Ness recoiled a bit, feathers flaring. Now irritated with his friend's frantic naivety, he clenched a fist.
"There's no way they survived that, Ninten! Just admit it to yourself!" Ness cried, "Their breed isn't built for withstanding weather! Look, I screwed up, okay? I'm sorry! But you need to understand that making it through a storm like that is impossible!"
"No!" Ninten shrieked, finally flinging the door back and letting sunlight into the dark cellar. As he frantically scrambled out of the space and up to the surface, Ness broke into a sprint after him. Desperate to reach his friend before he did something stupid, Ness hoisted himself out and quickly got to his feet. But upon squinting to adjust to the harsh light, his heart nearly stopped.
The once cheerful and thriving village had been reduced to a mess of rubble and debris. While most of the buildings still stood, a few smaller ones didn't make it. Some were missing their roofs, some had entire walls torn away. The dirt roads were now crumbled and dug up. The streets were lined with fallen streetlamps and trees. Behind him, the inn hadn't taken too much damage, but every window was shattered, and the front wall had a large wooden beam plunged through it. Just nearby was a building that got the worst of the damage, having been crushed by a cart. That must've been the deafening crash they'd heard, Ness thought. Behind him, he could hear the rest coming out of the cellar and gathering behind him. Amoung all the damage around them, their attention was only caught on one thing.
Just ahead, facing the collapsed building, was Ninten.
He sat on his knees, head slightly bowed. Ness couldn't see his face, but he knew from the trembling of his shoulders that he was crying. Ness bit his lip. He wasn't the type to feel guilt, but now, it was all he could feel. He'd never been so ashamed of himself in his entire life. He gripped one arm and slowly made his way towards his defeated friend, crumbled cement and rocks crunching under his boots. As he got closer, he realized that Ninten was carrying something. Ness' brow furrowed.
'What's he holding?' Ness thought as he walked closer. However, as he came to Ninten's side, he got a clear view of the precious cargo in his arms. Ness stumbled back a bit in horror. 'Oh god...'
It was Lucas, he thought. Ninten was cradling Lucas. He covered his mouth with his hand, spotting a large wound gouged into the dragon's side. Lucas' tiny, beaten body was smeared with dirt and blood. His eyes were clouded as they stared at nothingness. There was no prayer, no wish that could prevent the inevitable. Lucas was dead, and due to Claus being nowhere to be seen, if was safe to assume that he wasn't much better off. Ness gently knelt down beside Ninten, who hung his head carelessly, staring blankly down at the broken soul. Ness, feeling a suffocating sense of dread and sadness, reached a hand over to set his fingers on Lucas' brittle scales. To his shock, he was met with Ninten drawing back and swatting his hand away.
"Don't touch him." Ninten spat, his darkened eyes meeting Ness'.
"What?" Ness breathed in disbelief.
"You just don't get it!" Ninten replied, "He would've made it if we'd gone after him! Both of them would have made it!"
"Ninten-!"
"How could you do that?! I raised them! You knew how important these two were to me!"
"You think you're the only one?!" Ness countered, finally losing his wits, "God dammit, I loved those two! Lucas was all I had sometimes, and he wasn't even a person! And I loved him for it! Do you know how that feels? Going your entire life, unable to care about a single living thing, and then you get to feel that bliss of loving something! You think I was trying to get them killed?!"
Ninten opened his mouth to say something back, but nothing came out. He tried desperately to keep his angered expression. Ninten, in that moment, wanted nothing more than to be mad at him. But for some odd reason, he just couldn't find the ability to. Overcome with an odd mixture of shame, grief, and regret, Ninten grit his teeth and drew in a sharp breath as tears trailed down his face. He turned away from Ness. Ninten took in a shaky gasp, as if he was having trouble breathing.
"What're we doin', kid?" He whispered
"...Huh?" Ness replied, voice soft. He still felt guilty for snapping.
"What are we doing? Just a few days in, and we've almost died twice...Lucas is dead...Claus probably met the same fate..." Ninten choked, "...We're in way over our heads."
"Ninten..." Ness murmured, putting a tentative hand on his shoulder.
Ninten didn't look up. A few seconds of silence went by. He mumbled something under his breath, something Ness couldn't hear. Ness leaned down a bit.
"What was that?" He asked.
Ninten clenched his jaw.
"Why did I think I could do this?" He muttered. "I must be outta my goddamn mind. I can't find the Alpha, what was I even thinking? It's a god. Two regular guys can't just find a god. No one can."
He gently laid Lucas' body on the ground, just as carefully as he would if he were alive. Ninten rested his elbows on his legs and hid his face in his hands.
"...I better just get back to Podunk." Ninten said. He reached into his shirt pocket and drew out Ness' turquoise pendant, displaying it to him without a second thought, "Take it. Just go, your debt is finished. Go on."
Ness stared at Ninten with an expression of shock and disbelief. He eyed his pendant, tempted to quickly grab it, but something inside of him prevented him from doing so. He set his hand over top of Ninten's, pushing away the urge to take the stone. Gently, Ness closed Ninten's fingers over the stone and pushed it back towards him. Ninten glanced up at him in confusion. Ness, unsure of what else he could do, gave a weak, but genuine smile.
"Not so fast, I can't go yet. We still haven't found the Alpha." Ness said. Ninten squinted, either agitated or puzzled.
"But-"
"I know, I know. Two regular guys can't find a god." Ness replied, cutting him off. He gave a bashful shrug, "But you and I aren't regular guys."
"Darls..." Ninten sighed.
"I don't wanna hear it." Ness said, "Ninten, I don't know a single person on this planet who's more of a depressed, bitchy little pessimist than me. That being said, even I think we've got a shot at this. This is the first time in who knows how long I've actually believed in myself. So don't you dare look me in the eye and tell me you're giving up."
"But...but Lucas, he's..."
"I understand. But think about it; would the twins want you to just turn back around?" Ness asked softly, shifting over in front of Ninten, who averted his eyes.
"...No." Ninten replied quietly. He looked down at Lucas' motionless body, placing a hand on his beaten wing, "...They would've just wanted their Mama to keep going."
"Damn straight they would. Those two probably had no clue what we were travelling for, but even so, they were ready to follow you to the ends of the Earth." Ness insisted, "Listen, I...I'm sorry. This was all on me, I get it. I screwed up bad. You don't have to forgive me, Ninten. I'm not asking for that. I'm just asking for you to keep going. You don't have to say a single word to me. You can go ahead and hate me all you want. Just please, please don't give this up."
Ninten looked up to meet Ness' eyes. He was shocked for a moment to see a hint of wetness rimming them. Ness had always been insistent that he never cried over anything. That being said, Ninten knew just how genuinely guilty Ness felt, and how much grief and pain he must've been in as well. Ninten wanted to hate him. He wanted to yell and scream. He wanted to tear at his skin, to make him bleed, to make him suffer. But he just couldn't. He was tired, he was angry, and he was devastated, but he felt none of that towards Ness. Finally, everything became too much for Ninten. He shuddered a bit, before letting himself collapse into a mess of tears. He fell forwards, letting his head fall against Ness' chest. Ness, forgetting his pride for a moment, embraced him.
"Come on, cut it out. You're alright." Ness murmured, "How about this. We help clean up a bit, then we take Lucas and bury him somewhere safe. If we find Claus, we'll do the same thing. Then, we'll pack up, go to Tazmily, get that referral, find my witch, and then find that dragon. Sounds like a plan?"
A few more moments only filled with the sounds of Ninten's quiet sobbing. Then, Ninten gave a shaky exhale, calming down a bit.
"...Okay." He choked. "I'm sorry."
"You don't need to apologize for a damn thing, I'm the one who fucked up."
"Still, I shouldn't have yelled," Ninten wiped his arm over his face, "Lucas loved you. He wouldn't have wanted me to get like this. He probably would've been whimpering and tugging at my pant leg with his teeth to get me to stop. He always hated it when I got pissed."
Ness' spirits lifted when Ninten let out a small laugh. He never realized how great Ninten's laugh was. It was sunny and raspy. Slowly, he began to see Ninten return to his normal self. Ness' cheeks flushed a bit. Even though Ninten was covered in dirt and dried blood, even though his hair was in a tangle, even though his face was tearstained and red, Ness couldn't see a single flaw about him. As Ninten sat up a bit, Ness wanted to draw back his hands, but he couldn't bring himself to. For some reason, something in his mind told him to stay there. Something about the feeling of holding him just felt right. Even when Ninten pulled away to stand up, Ness felt like he was suddenly missing something. He pushed away the feeling when he bent down to gently scoop up the form of Lucas.
The lifeless dragon felt oddly light in Ness' hands. Unusually cold, too. Ness shuddered. He felt an odd sense of dread that he'd felt before. This didn't feel like the underlying grief that tore at him with every second that went by. The familiarity frightened him. Ninten must've noticed his unsettled expression, because he held out his hands.
"Give him here. I'll do it." Ninten said. Ness only nodded and allowed Ninten to take Lucas from him. He held his body close, cradling him just as he did before. Even after letting go of Lucas, Ness still felt that odd sense of eerie familiarity.
It didn't take long to bury Lucas. Zack had silently led Ninten to the outskirts of the town, where a large open patch of field lay. Ness waited back near the inn with the others. The entire time, Travis was holding Meryll tightly, his face burrowed into her scales. Ness guessed that Travis was reflecting on what it must've felt like. He seemed to be clinging onto her as if every second was her last. Meryll only glanced around in naivety and slight confusion, wondering why her master was squeezing her so tight, also curious as to where those other two dragons were. They waited in silence. Ness couldn't imagine how frightened Travis must've been, being exposed to the reality of losing his best friend. Tentatively, Ness raised a reluctant hand and placed it on the top of Travis' head, patting him a few times. Travis jumped and looked up at him, causing Ness to recoil and draw his hand back.
"...Did I do it wrong?" Ness anxiously stammered.
Travis only weakly smiled. "No, that was okay. Thanks."
Ness awkwardly nodded and faced front again. 'I've really gotta learn this whole 'talking to kids' thing.' He thought.
It was when the visible forms of Ninten and Zack appeared that the remaining cohorts moved forward. Led by Ness, they approached to meet the two halfway. Ninten, though still disheveled, looked at peace. Ness looked him sincerely in the eyes.
"Lucas can be in peace now." He assured. Ninten shook his head.
"Not just Lucas. We found Claus along the way." He said, "We buried them with nightshade so that foxes and such won't try to get to 'em."
"And you're alright with leaving?" Ness asked.
"Yeah, I'm okay. We won't get to Onett just by grieving."
"We don't have to get going right away, if you need time."
"Nah, we should go. Besides," Ninten turned to the others and gave a bit of a smirk, "These guys are probably tired of us already."
Zack chuckled and shrugged, "A bit. I'm not gonna miss sweeping up the feathers."
"Sorry, heh..." Ness said.
Ninten offered his hand, which Zack promptly shook. Ninten smiled, "Hey, thanks again. You were a huge help. And Travis," He looked at the younger boy, "...Never let go of that dragon of yours, 'kay? Keep her close, always."
"I-I will!" Travis exclaimed, tightening his hold on Meryll, "You'll come back, right?"
"Sure we will! I'll need to see what exciting new things these two discover." Ninten turned to Jeff and Tony, "I better be seein' your names in Draconology books, you hear?"
"Oh, maybe someday." Jeff snickered.
"Yeah! We'll get there! We had a pretty great mentor, after all." Tony added.
Ninten placed his hands over his heart, touched. He reached forwards and pulled both of them into a tight group hug. "Aw, you guys...! I hope you like it here."
"We will! We've got a place to live, too," Jeff gestured back to the inn once Ninten pulled away, "We had some time to talk to Zack earlier. We live here now! And the rent cost is just working shifts."
"Well! That worked out nicely, didn't it?" Ninten asked, "Then our job here is done."
"So it is." Tony said, clasping Ninten's hands, "Thank you, Ninten. We would've spent the rest of our days losing our minds in Twoson if it weren't for Ness and yourself."
"We wish you the best of luck on your journey, and..." Jeff paused, "...W-We're sorry. We knew how much the twins meant to you."
"Don't worry too much 'bout it. They're never really gone. A guy can only grieve for so long, after all." Ninten said.
"So...you're going now?" Travis asked.
"...Afraid so." Ninten replied.
Travis solemnly nodded. He gently placed Meryll down beside him, where she obediently sat. Ness was alarmed at first when Travis came towards him. But when he was suddenly hugged tightly around the waist, he relaxed a bit. Ness awkwardly glanced around, arms raised above him, unsure of what to do. He was only met with amused faces. Ness only settled his arms around Travis' shoulders as well as he could, being much taller than him.
"U-Uh...yah, okay. Thanks." Ness stammered. Travis, still embracing him, looked up.
"Goodbye, Ness!" He chirped, "I hope I see you again soon!"
"...Yeah. I'll come back." Ness murmured, stumbling a bit when Travis hugged him tighter. Brushing off the sudden surprise, he gave a small laugh. His eyes softened, and he settled a hand on the back of Travis' head. "Alright, alright. Take care, kid."
"You're still by best friend, right?" Travis asked.
"Sure am."
Travis excitedly nodded, starry eyed, and broke away. He once again picked up Meryll, rushing back to his brother's side. Ness and Ninten were faced with the four of them, all giving their own little wave. Ness tugged on Ninten's shirt, jerking his head to the side to motion for him to get going. Ninten nodded back, and waved back to their friends as he and Ness began to walk away. The others all called after them.
"Look out for any afterstorms!" Zack insisted.
"Stay safe! Good travels!" Tony added.
"Bye! Goodbye! Adios!" He cried, "See you all in the distant future! Be sure to catch us when we find ourselves a god dragon!"
All the way, as the pair strayed farther and farther from the remaining group, they found themselves already missing them. Even after walking out of sight, they each looked to each other. Both of them gave a small laugh.
"Geez...this is almost as hard as leaving Podunk." Ninten said, "How's that for a 'pit stop'?"
"You took the words right out of my mouth. I think I'm actually gonna kinda miss those guys." Ness replied.
"Oh, you miss Travis, admit it. You love that kid." Ninten nudged him a bit.
"...Fine, fine, I guess he's kinda grown on me." Ness sighed, shrugging, "Now, you sure you're okay?"
"Oh, I'm 'aight. I miss those two little squirts like hell." Ninten said, averting his eyes to the side, "I'll miss 'em for a long, long time, I bet. But, life must go on, I suppose."
"That's the spirit."
The found themselves on the outskirts, facing the vast scenery of the plains surrounding Threed. In the distance, a forest. They looked at each other once more.
"That's a whole lot of walkin'. You still up to it?" Ness asked. He paused for a moment, "...I'll sing with you this time."
Ninten's eyes widened and glimmered with a spark of delight, "You mean it?"
"...I guess."
Ness suddenly found himself nearly falling as Ninten slung an arm around his shoulder.
"This really is the 'Ninten and Ness Best Friends Club'! I dunno what kinda magic Travis used on you, but it worked!" Ninten cried happily, "Next stop, Tazmily!"
"O-Onwards...!" Ness exclaimed, trying to match his enthusiasm.
Both laughing, the two broke into a jog, which eventually turned into a sprint, which turned into a race. As they ran side by side, they unknowingly took each other's hands. Ness was the first to notice, but instead of pulling his hand away like he usually would, he left it there. Just like earlier, something about this felt right. Ninten seemed to notice too, as they shared a quick side glance. Ninten only smiled, and to his own surprise, Ness smiled back. Off they went, down the everlasting fields, breaking into spontaneous song. Both were incredibly off key and unsure of what lyrics they were reciting, but neither cared. Ness felt like he was truly carefree and happy. Even through all the hardships and grief of the past twenty four hours, just being here, free to run wherever he pleased with Ninten by his side, that was enough.
'This trip's for you, Lucas, Claus, both of you.' Ness thought. 'We won't be forgetting you any time soon.'
He looked up at the bright sun, the overcast having now parted. He felt the wind practically rush through his skin, blowing back his hair and coursing through his feathers. For the first time in ages, Ness felt alive.
'Onwards indeed!'
