1Mad Hatter Tea Party

Chapter 8

The Dragon Knights

"How could we not notice them missing?" Thatz wearily states. "I mean how could two, no three dragons go missing all of a sudden? It's just not right. I must be losing my touch if two pinheaded girls can steal something right under my nose."

"You mean 'above' right," Rune corrects. "They stole them right above our noses."

"Whatever. Who cares, they stole my dragon. And when I find them, their heads are mine."

"Oh, give it a rest Thatz, what are you going to do? Hit them? We all know you wouldn't hit a girl." Rath said.

Thatz looked incredulously at Rath. "What you do you mean I wouldn't hit a girl? I could hit a girl if she provoked me enough. Isn't that right Rune?" He said looking behind his shoulder at Rune, who turned his head and looked intently on the forest.

"Rune! You don't believe this do you? I could to hit a girl."

"Oh c'mon Thatz," Rune said exasperated. " Look I'm married. Trust me I know the female species. They may look like you could knock them over in one, big, manly breath. But trust me, they can cause you more bodily harm with their pinkie then you can with your entire body. It's just better to let them get away with stuff, or else risk serious injury."

Rath had stopped and now looked at Rune as he walked ahead of him as he talked. "Is that true Rune?" He wanted to know. "Can girls really hurt guys, more than guys can hurt girls?"

Rune stopped and looked thoughtfully, "Oh yes," he nodded, "they can us more than we can."

"Then they must be demons if they can cause that much harm." He decided, and started off running, yelling behind him: "Let's go guys! There are demons to be had!"

Rune and Thatz looked at each other. "You just had to say their stronger didn't you? You just couldn't help yourself could you?"

"Oh pu-lease!" Rune shouted. "It's not my fault. They are so much stronger than us. But, let's catch up to him. I don't trust him to think logically when we reach a town."

And the two ran off to catch up with Rath.

A few miles ahead…

Two very tired Dragon Knights sat their tired selves down on two wooden chairs surround a table, outside of a café, while their partner radiated excitement and adventure.

"How – can – he – be – so hyper?" Thatz asked in-between gulps of air.

"It's what he's made of. This is the only thing that gives him some purpose." Rune concluded. "Though how he's going to find them in this place is beyond me."

When Rune and Thatz were hurriedly catching up with Rath, they had over heard two peasants gossiping about three new-comers in the town ahead of them. " They were so awkwardly dressed. I don't believe they came from Dusis, because they had an odd awkward accent and the taller one would always speak to the shop-keepers after the other two told them what to say."

"Oh I know," the other peasant said, "And I saw their packs moving and thrashing about on their back, like something alive was kept in there…"

And ever since the trio had entered the town they had spent the last hour or so looking high and low, or rather Rath was looking high and low, not so conspicuously, to search for them.

"Ah-ha!," Rath shouted. " I've found them. Let's go guys, it demon exterminating time," and off he ran his sword drawn as he raced towards the center of the market place, crowed with people on the annual market day.

Rune sighed. "How can he see anybody in this mess?"

"Don't ask me," Thatz said. "He's unusual and we both know it."

"To true. Anyway let's go get him before he mistakes someone for a demon." And Rune and Thatz headed off into the crowd.

"Rath," Rune shouted. "Where are you?"

"Over here guys, I think I got one of them!"

Rune and Thatz made their way over to the Rath only to see him holding a little girl with brown hair by the collar of her cape.

"What do you think you're doing?" Rune shouted as he grabbed the girl from Rath's grasp and set her down on the ground, giving her a pat on the butt to send her away. After she had disappeared in the crowd, Rune stood up and glared accusingly at Rath, his hands on her hips.

"How could you do that Rath? You know very well that that wasn't a demon." Thatz said walking up to Rath and punching him in the shoulder.

"Sorry, I guess I got carried away, but you didn't have to hit me." Rath apologized rubbing his sore shoulder.

"Well, just don't let it happen again, okay?"

"I promise Rune."

"Good. Now, if you were a girl and you had been traveling for a fifty miles on foot, with no food supplies to think of and Kitchel; where would you go?"

The three thought for awhile, people walking around them, going about their business, before Thatz snapped his fingers.

"I've got it!"

"Well," Rune and Rath said in unison, "where at?"

"Hold on, let me bask in the glory that I thought of it before you guys. Is this what you feel like all the time?"

Rune and Rath starred at each other for a moment, "JUST TELL US!"

"Okay, okay, hold your horses. If a person needed supplies, but didn't have any money, I would go to the nearest Thrift store to sell anything I could get a profit on."

"Oh, "Thatz sighed thoughtfully. "That could be a good possibility that they would do that, especially with Kitchel with them."

"Right," Rath said. "So all we have to do is find out which shop they went to and we could get our dragons back and I could kill some demons," he added, rubbing his palms together in anticipation.

" Well okay then," Rune said clapping his hands, "lets get to it!"

"Muhahah, "Rath laughed evilly, "I'll get you my pretties and your little dog too."

"Umm, Rath?"

"Yeah Thatz."

"Don't do that ever again, okay?"

"Whatever."