Two sharp spears crossed the gate and blocked Kai and Nya's view of the land beyond the entrance. Standing on both sides of the large doors were two heavily armed soldiers.
"No children beyond the walls," one spoke in a husky tone. "The Lords order it."
"'Children'?" Kai muttered irritably. Nya smiled sweetly at them while harshly tugging on her brother's shirt sleeve.
"C'mon, Kai, don't act difficult here," she whispered anxiously. Ember chirped in agreement and stood by him.
"Ugh, fine," he said at last. "But I swear, one day I'll file a complaint about this…"
"You do realize that Lord Krux and Lord Acronix will behead you for that?" Nya said, shivering at the horrendous thought. Kai scoffed and waved her off.
"Those maids you work with are filling your head with ridiculous thoughts," he told her. "They are the Lord Protectors, after all. And surely it wouldn't even hurt to contend about one thing?" He gingerly rubbed a bulging bruise on his temple. "We'd be better off with Dad, anyway."
They trudged along the path, ignoring the passersby and sales marketers. Nya looked a little upset at his previous comment towards the maids, but Kai was oblivious. He stared ahead and pondered about the forest beyond the walls.
"We moved to this town because of that incident all those years ago. Dad didn't want to live anywhere as dangerous anymore, so we came here. Nya, don't you think we've been stuck here long enough?" he said, turning to his sister with pleading eyes.
"It's literally like you said. It's dangerous out there, and Dad would hate it if we were to leave. He even gave us a stare down!" she argued, placing a hand on her hip. "I was a baby when that 'incident' happened, but if it's enough to drive Dad crazy, then I'm not willing to find out about it."
Kai groaned impatiently. Ember perched on his shoulder and gently pressed her face against his. She then gave him a curious look, magnificent golden irises searching his, and he sighed.
"If he could just see how good I am… what good of a hunter I am—" he raised his crossbow, "—then he'd have to let me come along." Nya pinched the bridge of her nose and his dragon simply let out a small rumble.
"What are you, Ember? A dragon or a chicken?" he joked. Smoke billowed out of her flared nostrils, but he waved it off with a laugh, suddenly feeling confident and cheerful. "C'mon, Nya!"
Not having much to do for the rest of the day, and not wanting to be left alone, she decided to follow Kai.
"Why do I feel like I'm gonna regret this?" she muttered to herself.
They hid behind a stack of barrels and carefully watched the soldiers, who stood as stoic and stern as ever. Suddenly, he felt Nya slightly push against his side, and he turned to see the same group of boys who trapped her in a cage. They were singing the same tune, and anger rose within his chest when he saw them pick on a small girl. Her blond braid slowly undid itself as she shook away, and her bright green eyes grew wide when they wouldn't let go.
"Leave me alone!" she cried, but she was held firmly in place by the head of the gang, who was gripping her sleeve. Adults watched sadly as they continued to pick on her, some even trying to avert their gaze. Nya held her mouth in shock and lowered her head shamefully.
"Get away from me!" the girl shrieked, but she was roughly pushed aside. She fell on the concrete and stained her hands and cheap clothes with dust.
"Your voice is annoying," one of them spat, and she cowered into a tight ball, tears streaming down her flushed cheeks. Kai boiled in rage and propped up his crossbow, but Nya caught his attention and pointed to a swaying flag tied to a pole. He mentally thanked her. If she hadn't been there, there would've been a high chance someone would have gotten hurt with an arrow.
"Heh, we've got you now, wolf!" the black-haired teen said, smirking wickedly.
Kai pointed his weapon higher and shot the arrow. The ropes cut clean in two, and the flag fell right over the mob of rebels. They screamed and thrashed around, and the girl didn't waste a second to dash out of there.
Once they pulled it off of them, they laughed triumphantly.
"Guys, look! We've got ourselves a flag! Come on!" They ran to the market brokers and raised it over their heads.
"Down with the Lord Protectors!" one shouted.
Kai couldn't help but laugh under his breath. At least now they wouldn't cause too much trouble.
Crack!
Smash!
Bang!
Well… scratch that, he thought with an eye roll.
"Hey! Stop this at once!" boomed a soldier's voice.
"Get out of here!"
They ran straight for the rebellious group of teens, armor clanging noisily with each step they took. They scurried off in different directions as fast as they could, having an advantage of running faster since they were armor-free.
"Get that flag!" one yelled.
"What do you think I'm trying to do?" his acquaintance retorted.
They chased after the cackling teens and passed a merchant. She leaned over the counter and pounded her fist on the barrels.
"Oh, go on, you little rebels, you!" she chortled, smirking as though she found the entire situation hilarious. Luckily for Kai and Nya, this sort of trouble gave them a clear opening.
Quietly, they raced to the gate and crawled to the side. They heard the fishmonger encourage the boys from afar, and Nya gave Kai a shrug, who seemed perplexed at the crazed lady.
"So close, Nya. Let's go!" he said, and he pushed through the wide bars easily. His sister followed, and Ember flew through the closed gate, trilling eagerly. They ran down the dirt path and made sure to keep a great distance away from their father, who was trudging towards the forest.
Nya gasped. Kai merely smiled.
They left the enclosed town. Heavy stone bricks built the outer walls to protect the houses inside, but they were covered in grime and mud or dragon droppings. Looking down, Kai saw abnormally huge claw marks, indicating the rash behavior of what seemed to have come from an Earth Dragon. Those species were made to survive in tough lands, varying from their round, hard skin to their gargantuan wings to the sheer size of their colossal claws. Kai could only imagine how unfortunate it was for it to live under the hands of an uncaring trainer.
He wished he could do something about the freedom of the dragons trapped within the walls. They would eventually grow up to become massive, so they required as much space as they needed. Kai scowled as he thought of Lords Krux and Acronix. To everyone else, they were like saviors descended from the heavens or something, but he didn't trust them. He only received a disturbing and conniving aroma from them, something mandate. Nya tried changing his mind a few times, but he was already stubborn enough as is. Though, at least Ember agreed with him.
Despite these depressing thoughts, Kai couldn't help but smile when Nya took in the fabulous view from the gateway. The sky was astonishingly clear and bright, the brilliant sunlight shimmering through the vast mounds of clouds. The damp oak fences lit up considerably, and the vivid sunbeams shone on the animal pens. Stacks of hay were scattered around, left for the sheep to eat, but aside from the sprouting plants and a few roosters and hens, that was all there was.
Still, it was enough for Nya's jaw to drop in awe.
Kai and Ember shared a knowing glance, and they both knew it. It wasn't like it was Nya's first time leaving the fortress grounds, but he did find it unhealthy how much time she was spending inside the kitchens with the maids. She was so invested in her work that she barely had the time to acknowledge the beauty outside.
It was evidently clear now why Kai was very excited to show her what he found utterly astounding.
"Pretty nice, isn't it?" he asked her, taking in the fresh forestry scents. The tips of Nya's lips perked up, and she beamed.
"It's wonderful!" she breathed. "It's so much fresher than inside the town." Kai was delighted to hear this, but then he frowned when she added, "Though, we really shouldn't be doing this… Dad's going to get really mad—"
"Oh, give it a rest, Nya, it'll be fine," Kai said coolly. He darted after his father's trail, and his sister hesitated a moment before following reluctantly. "If you stick with me, then there won't be any problems."
Taking off, Ember glided across the clear sky and circled the air way above Ray's head, watching him carefully. She observed him stomping past the trees and jutting roots, pushing away lush leaves and swirling branches.
Entering the forest was rather peaceful, to say the least. The ageing tree barks closed in over their heads and partially sheltered Kai and Nya from the sunlight, laying out a warm and cozy glow from the auburn-colored leaves. The beginnings of pale green sprouts grew into pretty bromeliads and daisies, the lush wings of each colorful petal stretching magnificently. The flourishing blossoms varied from all sorts of colors—from warm pink to pale white, to pear green and goldenrod—and it was a wonderful sight to their eyes, especially after living in such a confined and grey town for so long. It gets boring pretty quickly, you'd be surprised.
And this was just the beginning of the vast woodland.
Kai's chest tingled with excitement as he trekked on the leaves. Nya still didn't think his idea was a smart one, but who would go against exploring the forest? They heard birds twittering happily and sometimes noticed a few of them fluttering their vibrant plumage.
Ember glided through the tunnel of trees, completely soundless, but her ears perked up when she heard distinct rumbling pouring into her sensitive ears. She landed on the ground and watched carefully as the trunks and branches slowly shifted from their place. Kai and Nya caught up with her and stopped right in their tracks.
"What's going on?" Nya whispered, her hushed voice sounding frantic. Kai was locked in place, equally as alert, yet he tried his best to keep a cool head. The roots ripped out of the soil and dragged along the path, the sound of shuffling leaves and branches loud in their ears. Ember roared enthusiastically and raced off, diving right into the bushes.
"Ember!" Kai called, sprinting after her. "Hey, come back!"
"Kai, wait!" Nya quietly shouted after him. She swiftly crawled past the moving trees, ducking under swishing branches and swaying leaves. "What's happening?" she murmured to herself, feeling a little scared at that point.
Ember halted right in front of the base of an oak tree. She pounced on a jutting stem and bit down hard on it, her golden talons etching long marks in the bark. Kai kneeled down and pulled her away, confused at her sudden change in behavior.
"Ember, why're you acting like this?" he asked in a low voice, struggling to keep her still as she squirmed in his grip. After a lot of thrashing and occasional snapping, she eventually stopped and perked her ears once again when the same rumbling noise came from ahead.
All three of them stood still. Kai watched his surroundings closely, and he soon caught sight of something bright green flash by. It was really fast, but he managed to spot dark and lime green colors. Whatever it was, it blended really well with the forest.
"Kai, over there!" Nya warned. He turned to see another blur of green sprint by before he could take a good look at it. Meanwhile, Ember was chirping excitedly, flapping her wings as though she was ready to fly straight-on.
Kai pulled out his crossbow and aimed at nowhere in particular—he slowly moved in a full circle while keeping his weapon trained on the clearing ahead. Nya glued herself to her brother, but Ember crowed madly at both of them, especially at her trainer's weapon.
"Okay, what's really going on with you, Ember?" Kai demanded. He slightly backed away from her growling, which she had never done to him before. Pacing several steps back, he suddenly felt a warm breeze tickle the back of his neck. He spun on the spot and saw a huge dragon covered in emerald scales, darker shades of envy spreading all over its body. It had fairly unique designs that complimented the forestry around it—spines shaped as fronds, but no less sharp, spikes extending from its joints and long tail, and of course wings that looked like leaves themselves, lined with flexible clover-colored appendages.
Kai stared, avidly, at its round face, noting every detail with wonder. The dragon had its maw drawn back in a snarl, revealing large, glimmering teeth, and it took him a few moments until he realized that his crossbow posed as a threat.
He instantly threw it out of sight and crouched down, Nya following his movements silently. Ember was doing the exact opposite, jumping around and snapping at its feet playfully. It stared at her, then lowered its head to briefly sniff her. She pounced eagerly, but it calmly sang into her ear, and her rush of joy almost instantly decreased.
A dragon of Nature…" Kai breathed, completely invested at what was standing mightily before his very eyes.
"Would you stop acting like such a draconologist for five minutes and lower your head from the clouds?" Nya insisted. "What about following Dad, huh? Forget about that?"
"Just a few minutes, Nya," Kai promised. He slowly approached the Nature Dragon, carefully inspecting each aspect and admiring every detail as it watched him with sharp, glowing teal eyes. He noticed the canary tips on the ends of its head spikes. He read in one of his father's old studies that they were a defense mechanism—the frills would flare when used to poison any predators or threats prowling too close.
He remained a good distance away, but as long as he didn't posses anything harmful, Nature Dragons were generally very docile and passive. They knew the forest like the back of their talons, precisely why they were so quick and swift running around each copse and thicket. And according to Ember's change in behavior, they were quite calming. He also found it incredibly interesting and amazing how they were the ones responsible for shifting the forest around.
He was a total geek about this stuff, and he knew it.
"C'mon, Kai! We're really gonna lose Dad this way!" Nya pleaded. She was good with dragons she was familiar with, so this one made her feel a bit nervous.
A few more growls could be heard from within the deeper areas of the woods. Several more dragons slithered out from the spaces in between the oak trees, brushes, and thick branches. Some had slightly different designs from the rest varying from their size and age, which Kai gladly took note of.
The Nature Dragons gazed at them prudently, but the first one slowly stepped forward and gently pressed its snout to Nya's shoulder. Kai was about to push it away, a wave of fierce protectiveness taking over, until he realized that it was merely sniffing her.
Pulling away, it sniffed him next, then it turned to the opposite direction. It promptly padded on the trail, and Ember signaled for them to follow. Trying to go unnoticed, Kai quickly ran to a bush and rummaged for his crossbow. Once he found it, he raced off and tailed the rest.
Their walk was nice, to put it simply. The clearing had gotten much darker as the trees closed in over their heads. A light shower of leaves tickled their noses as they walked on the strewn path.
Several minutes had gone by in peaceful silence. The Nature Dragon strolled forward and peered ahead, occasionally sniffing the air to catch any traces of familiar scent markers.
As they came to a sudden halt, Kai and Nya found themselves spotting their father heading towards a towering birch tree, lush, golden leaves abounding as strong branches swerved in perfect coils. A stream of leaves directed to Ray's footsteps, and he placed the same poster of a wolf on the ageing bark. Eyes twinkling, Kai saw him set a wolf trap below an arching branch sprouting from the ground. He grabbed a mound of leaves and spread them evenly across the mechanism.
The Nature Dragons, having completed their task, spun around and pelted to the safety of their forest haven.
"Thank you!" Kai called, but they made no signs of having heard his acknowledgments, the last sight of scales disappearing into the shrubs.
"So, they were just guiding us?" Nya said.
"Well, yeah. They must've picked up Dad's scent from us," he replied. "And he's probably known them for a while. He's got loads of records lying around at home—you should read them!"
"Yeah, I'm gonna go after Dad this time. I don't want my ears to bleed from your endless facts and opinions of every single dragon in existence," Nya said nonchalantly, getting a head start.
"Well, excuse me for wanting to explore instead of staying inside all the time," he shot back.
They began a heated argument, Kai catching up to her as they continued to bicker about their biased opinions. They didn't notice the small pile of grass at their feet, and Ember bolted right in front of them, warning them with a sharp cry.
"Oh! Jeez, didn't see that… thanks, Ember," said Kai, using an arrow to move the pile away. Once they were clear from danger, her covered it again, but did a poor job of it. Ember sniffed in a pretentious manner but bounded after him regardless.
Still, both Smith siblings resumed their dispute and sometimes yelled loud enough to scare nearby critters away. Eventually, they heard a rush of streaming water, and Nya slapped her hand over her brother's mouth.
"Shush! Dad's there!" she whispered. The soft crunch of leaves under their boots momentarily distracted Ray, and he turned to look behind him, but Kai, Nya, and Ember were, fortunately, hidden behind a boulder. Not paying much mind to it, Ray dipped his feet into the stream and continued to travel further into the woods.
"Hey… look at those," Kai said quietly. Rushing to the edge of the water, he gently placed his hand on a massive paw print. They were bigger than his hand, which was definitely something.
"They lead into the stream," Nya analyzed. "And they look fresh."
Before Kai could answer, he heard faint shouts coming from the edge of the forest, along with a clear note resonating from a ringing church bell. Nya turned around and scanned the woods, the hairs on her neck standing up.
"Help!"
"Wolf! Wolf!"
"HELP!"
"SOMEBODY, HELP US!"
Ember flew around Kai's head, eyes wide with concern. Nya was beginning to feel afraid for whoever was calling for help, but Kai grinned eagerly.
"Wolf! Ember, quick! Fly! Find the wolf!" he said, and his dragon parted into the sky, letting out a long, smooth cry. Kai and Nya followed her and bolted through the shrubs. Kai jumped over logs and shoved any branches blocking his way. Nya tried catching up as best as she could, but her brother was in the lead, running with great speed.
Once he jumped out of the bushes, what he saw played out much differently than what he had expected in his mind. Farmers Ed and Edna were standing off to the side, their cheap clothes soiled with sweat and dirt. Ed was shaking the rope and ringing the bell while shouting unintelligibly, causing his flock of sheep to go in a great panic.
"Wolves!" Edna shrieked, her lopsided glasses slipping off her thin nose. Her blouse and long black skirt swished amidst the stampede. As the sheep ran over the wheatfield and wreaked havoc, Kai glimpsed matted grey fur among the pale tufts of wool. He heard their nasty snarls and growls as they scrounged around the herd and snapped at their necks.
Ember swirled in the air and circled the area. She cawed at the racket down below, not wanting to risk burning down the crops and scorching the sheep. Nya was in a fight or flight situation, whereas Kai clutched his crossbow. He felt a tug on his shoulder, and his sister pointed ahead.
"Edna!" she warned. "Over there!"
Kai was rooted dead on the spot. He lied to himself. He lied about not fearing wolves. He lied about all of it. Completely fear-stricken, a vague memory suddenly pounded at his brain. He was young—too young. His father was fending off a voracious wolf, Flame was slashing at their pelts, and his mother was… was…
"Kai! Snap out of it!"
Nya shook him back to reality and shouted in his ear. Snapping awake, he rapidly gathered himself and charged forward, pushing the sheep aside. He saw Edna struggling to scare the wolf away with her pitchfork.
"Wh—shoot! Shoot, for God's sake, shoot!" she begged, hot tears ready to stream down her wrinkly cheeks. The wolf snapped its maw, saliva spewing everywhere. Kai's heart tumbled into the pit of his stomach, but he raised his crossbow, arms failing to hold it from quivering.
Something held him back. He didn't know what—perhaps it was the pressure from having once chance at shooting before everything went wrong, maybe it was the frantic shouting coming from both farmers and his sister, or maybe it was the sheep distracting the heck out of him.
Or maybe he was afraid.
He hesitated a second too long before something launched itself onto him. He fell back hard and hit his head on the ground, and, after recovering from the black dots blurring his vision, he saw a lean wolf unlike any other.
Its pelt was a light blue color with darker tufts on its neck, head, ears, and tail. Its fur was extremely smooth and well-groomed, yet it was clear that it was a canine that belonged in the wild. What was most stunning about it was its eyes. Bright, ocean blue. They heavily reminded Kai of someone, but his thoughts were interrupted by short growling.
Unexpectedly, it stopped snarling and merely stared at him with wonder. His arms were trapped under its paws, but he reached for his crossbow with the tips of his fingers. Kai grew confused when it started to whine, but, not daring to waste a moment, he seized his weapon and pushed the wolf off of him and aimed right at its pointed face.
With a piercing shriek, a red and golden figure dove in his way just as he pulled the trigger.
What the-?
It was the most horrendous sound he had ever heard.
Why would you do that?
Blood melded with crimson scales and tainted the golden ones. Weakened and injured, Ember faltered onto the grass, her tail twitching as she embraced the agonizing pain the arrow left in her side.
Ember, stay with me!
The wolf stared.
No.
Nya gasped in horror.
Please?
Why couldn't Kai move?
Ember?
Why did she do that?
Ember!
Why was this happening?
Ember!
This couldn't be happening.
"Ember!"
The breath was ripped out of Kai's lungs as he screamed her name. He crouched next to her limp body, his insides squirming uneasily as he saw her blood staining the grass. Nya ran through the river of stampeding sheep, but a clear howl broke through the air.
Every wolf inclined their heads and perked their ears. Their eyes glowed brightly, and their hackles were lowered against their dark grey pelt. Ed and Edna's backs were pressed against each other's, and they trembled in fear as the wolves ran towards the trees.
With one last look at Kai and Nya, the blue wolf followed the rest of its pack, ears pressed against its head. It disappeared into the forest, but something, or someone, else crawled out.
Unable to speak, Kai watched as a well-built boy around his age crept into the empty clearing. He had shaggy black hair, tousled with leaves and twigs stuck in the loose strands. He wore a baggy green robe fastened to his shoulders and waist, and thick leather wristbands covered his muscular forearms. He stared fixedly at Kai with sharp, emerald eyes, and he let out low growls from within his throat.
Slowly advancing towards Ember, he took a quick whiff at her body, then slowly turned her over. He inspected the nasty gash on her side.
"Let her go!" Kai demanded fiercely, ignoring Nya's stricken expression. Sending them a furious snarl, they boy grabbed onto Ember and parted, sprinting into the woods.
"Stop!" Kai yelled, but he was driven back by a few wolves. They skulked out of the tunnel of brushes and flared at him, threatening to bite his arms right off with their shiny fangs.
Kai and Nya had no choice but to back away. Up close, they looked terrifying. Now Kai understood why they were considered so beastly and dangerous. They paced backward slowly, only to find an arrow whiz by and hit a wolf on the shoulder.
"Kai! Nya!" Ray shouted.
The wolf whined in pain, but they all headed back when the same howl infiltrated the sky. Kai raced after them without sparing a second thought, but Ray grabbed him from behind.
"Kai, listen to me—"
"Ember! They've got Ember!" he cried, tearing his father's hands away. "She's gone! We've got to get her back!"
"You could have been eaten alive!" he reprimanded; terror clear in his voice. "What were you thinking? What were you doing out here?!"
"We… we were trying to help you, Dad!" Nya spoke from behind.
"HELP ME?!" he boomed dangerously. "I told you! You shouldn't be out here, this is why!"
"They took Ember!" he shouted, writhing away from everything except the thought of his best friend. Ray grabbed his jaw and turned his face to his.
"No, son, you are not going after her," he finished in a severe tone. "Not in there."
"We can't leave her!" he said weakly, his voice cracking.
"I promised your mother I'd keep you both safe!"
Kai grew quiet. He couldn't. He just couldn't. Exhausted from all the grief and overwhelming pressure, he faltered into his father's arms and stayed there.
"It's going to be alright… you'll be safe back in the town."
Ray and Nya supported Kai back to the town, not addressing the situation any further.
"It's for your own good," their father said quietly.
The forest suddenly seemed so dense and frightening to him, like an excessive nightmare. Just looking at it made Kai feel as though he was suffocating. His breath was lodged in his throat, and soon his tears dried away, his eyelids growing heavy as each step he took grew weak on their way back home.