My mind came back to its wakefulness and my senses immediately began sending messages, alerting me of everything around me.

The singing birds of the morning found its ways to my ears. The smell of the forests flower, animals, and so much more blanketed the air all around me. The plants brushed lightly against my body, the breeze flowing throughout them all.

I cracked my eyes open to a blinding light.

I sat up and rubbed my eyes slightly to try to clear them from the night's wilderness sleep. I opened my eyes again, slowly, waiting for my eyes to adjust to the light. I stretched my arms out, taking in the sun's warmth of the day.

I searched around besides me for my satchel, and then my hand bumped into it. I grabbed it and brought it into my lap and began rummaging through it looking for a cube.

The cube was outlined by a silver lining and had a grey, sublime circle on each face. The substance was like a grey, silvery liquid but yet didn't come pouring out. I placed my black shaded clothing inside the cube, disappearing after the silvery grey liquid.
The same black clothing I had used the previous night for my midnight venture into a danger zone.

What I want to wear today is ragged set that will allow me to blend in with the populace once more and slightly dark so that I may blend in the shade.
I then put my hand inside the cube again and pulled out some ragged clothing such as deep brown colored trousers that were ripped and a greyish white tunic that was fairly clean but ragged at the edges. As well as some under garments and wool shoes for my feet.

I dawned the clothes I had chosen and then put the cube back into my satchel and headed towards the location I had written on the message I had left for the Queen.

I reached the area with a giant stone boulder in the center of it, and so I climbed a nearby tree to get a perch view of the surrounding area as well as to stay hidden from whomever came. I carefully settled on a spot that was lush of leaves and waited for the arrival of whatever may come.

A few minutes pass by, and nothing yet…

I hear something coming, very clumsily through the undergrowth. I continued to wait at my spot and a man in armor came out from the trees. He had metal armor that was roughed up and not as glamorous as the ones I had seen yesterday within the city.

He was holding a book, a ring, and what looked likes some parchment. He quickly placed them onto the rock and then scurried back into the deep confines of the forest.

I continued to wait for a few more seconds, listening for any more signs of movement as his sounds faded away and the whistling of the slight wind.

I carefully climbed down from upon my spot and onto the ground below.

I stalked my way up towards the rock to get a closer look at the items.

They consisted of a book in fine lining, a silver ring with a sapphire as its core gem and a emblem of a simplistic rose symbol, and a piece of parchment with some writing on it.

I wasted no time and hastily stashed the book and ring into my satchel, all that was remaining was the parchment.

I picked it up and began reading through it.

I, Queen Everose, am quite alarmed at how you may have entered my chambers during the nights. I do not know who you are nor if I may trust you, but I will guarantee your safety since you have not harmed me in any way as far as I know of. Should you attempt or commit to such an act again of breaking into the castle, I will have to hunt you down for the crimes you have committed. I will let you off easily this time but not so much a second a time. Now onto the subject at hand, I do have one son which will be all of the information I will willingly give to you. As stated before, I do not know who you are, and I doubt you can be trusted. Although, if you do have any information on the whereabouts of my son and husband, I will reward you handsomely with a large sum of gold. Since you already know so much of that day, I will pay for any information you may be holding on my husband or son at the throne room of the castle, just go to the front guards and say "Nightwing".

The Queen of The City of Rubies,

Queen Everose

She doesn't think I'm her son but she has basically confirmed it that she is Mother, when she refers to that horrific day. I really should go to the castle and confirm it with her, since she has given me an opportunity to finally reunite with my Mother!

A twig snapped behind me and I swirled around to see what it was.

Suddenly, something whizzed past my face, a few inches from creating contact with my head. It swooshed past my face, a stick like object with a grey tip and feathery end.

An arrow?!

With a thud, it landed in a tree farther to my left, embedded into its trunk.

Archers or crossbowmen, I have to leave now!

I quickly stowed the parchment into my satchel and began to sprint the opposite way, shouting and more whizzing and thuds of arrows passed me, but luckily, none hitting their mark. I jumped over logs and bushes, avoiding trees, rocks, and rough terrain alike.

I eventually arrived outside of the forest, coming out into the open slopes of the mountainous landscape with sparser trees farther up the slope.

Shouting, the clamoring of armor, and torrent of rustling sounds throughout the forest of men and women crashing through the plant life.

I continued to sprint and climb the increasingly steeper slope of barren rocks and jagged stones.

I looked over my shoulder and spotted five people in armor and an assortment of weapons such as crossbows and a few with swords exit the forest.

I hurried my pace and got up to a large boulder settled on the steep slope of the mountain, I slipped or kind of tripped on the loose pebbles of rocks and stones as I scrambled behind the large boulder. Although, far too late as I peered around the boulder to see some of the humans climbing their way up to the boulder I was currently taking refuge behind. Taking in deep breathes as I recollected my mind and regained my thoughts.

I've really gotten myself into a knot this time, haven't I? I need to think of an idea to escape while keeping my abilities hidden and escaping. Perhaps I can incite fear into them so as to give me time to get away? That gives me an idea.

Maybe I can use the powder from the lab that is highly explosive. And I can use the device my Father and I had created to produce an explosion in the sky!

I hastily searched through my satchel and brought out a medium sized glass tube with the black powder and then brought out an object made form a cylinder with a tipped top and stick extending past the cylinder.

I poured half of the black powder into it, placing the fuse inside and then closing the compartment off and then placing some more in a smaller compartment following the fuse before closing it off as well. I lead the fuse along the extended stick past the cylinder.

I scrambled farther up the steep slope and looked behind me once more, the armored people were closer than ever, less than thirty feet away and shouting to their comrades.

I stuck the stick in the ground to where it was stable and held itself upwards. I quickly located a flint and piece of metal from my satchel and immediately tried lighting the fuse. I continued to try lighting the fuse with the sparks from the flint and piece of metal. It failed twice but on the third try, it lit and I began running away from the device and continued up the slope.

As I reached the edge of the mountain that turned into a downwards slope, I looked over behind me to see the results of my handiwork.

With a sparkling fray of light and fire, the device flew into the air in an arc leaving a trail of smoke behind it. Before suddenly exploding into an explosion of color red and the people below stopped in their tracks and peered into the sky at the sight.

I took advantage of this moment as the looked away from me and to the sky.

I hurried my way down the slope until I felt I was safe enough and out of sight panting and out of breath.

That was certainly a rush and dangerous experience, I hope I never have to go through that again, ugh.

I looked off into the horizon of peaks, clouds were forming, cumulous clouds to be exact. And they weren't the nicest looking ones with their dark grey undersides.

Well, looks like I won't be out of the danger zone quite yet, I had better find a place to shelter for the next day or so. I don't want to be stuck out in the open in the mountains where landslides, random change of the winds, and the cold wet rain would not be that great.

I spent a few seconds resting there on the mountain side, catching my breath and reorganizing myself before transforming into my dragon body. Planning to head deeper into the mountains as to not encounter any more humans.

Well, let's go find a place to rest some more and take shelter for the rest of the day and tonight.

She said in her message to me I had guaranteed safety, so much for that! I don't think it was very kind to send armed soldiers after me that seemed to be on the intent to kill me! I did not expect the queen to lie in her message, despite the royal seal being there to prove it was sent by her.

I took to the sky and began my flight Northwards towards a place I thought may have some further clues…