Strange Journey

By Phoenix Hoshika

Part IV

A black hole suddenly opened up in the middle of a forest and Ryu's unconscious body, still in dragonized form, was dumped out of it onto the forest floor. It was the middle of the next morning before he groggily regained consciousness. Standing up Ryu removed some twigs and flower petals that had gotten tangled in his hair. "Where am I?" He thought looking around wildly. "Nina! Lin!" He yelled at the top of his lungs. Rushing through the forest he came to a small clearing and called out the names of his two companions once again before rushing through what seemed like an endless maze of trees. He came to a stop and let out a blood curdling roar as his thoughts became jumbled. All he could remember were the words Elyon had spoken to him before he was pushed into the black hole that sent him to his present location.

"…I will send you to a place where you have no friends."

"I'm alone? I'm here alone?" Ryu thought as he started to run through the forest for a third time hoping to come upon familiar surroundings, but the more he ran the more unfamiliar the terrain became. "So, this really is someplace… far away." Ryu thought as he glided through the trees. "So, how far did he send me? I don't even think I'm in the same world anymore." Ryu thought as he slowed down and started walking. "I didn't know the dragons had that kind of power." He thought looking down at his hands.

"Odjn." Ryu uttered as he looked up at the sky. A cloud quickly rolled by covering the sun and a breeze blew knocking flower petals from the trees. As quickly has his thoughts had came back into focus they again became jumbled. Ryu became still as he heard something approaching. He listened as the footsteps stopped. Just a few yards away he could see what looked like a woman with three sets of wings fall hard onto the ground. He carefully started to approach her, but stopped when she looked up at him. A strange feeling came over him as he looked at her. Blinking as if waking up from a dream Ryu heard something else approaching and jumped up into a heavily leafed tree so that he would be out of sight. Ryu sat on the highest branch watching what looked like a man with similar wings appear and the two started arguing. Despite the fact the other winged creature looked the same age as the female Ryu could some how tell that he was much, much older and at first assumed that it was a father and daughter arguing, but as he watched it became clear that was not the case. Jumping out of the tree Ryu dashed over to the couple, but before he could reach them they were air borne and out of sight leaving Ryu looking helplessly up into the sky.

"Where did they go? And why do I feel this way?" Ryu thought as he felt a very strong twinge of jealousy, an emotion so foreign to the young dragon he couldn't even tell what it was and it scared him. "What should I do?" Ryu thought as he stared at the ground. After a moment Ryu took off in the direction he thought he saw them go in before they disappeared out of eye shot.

For three weeks Ryu traveled relentlessly searching for the two winged creatures. He was about to change directions for the fourth time since he set out on his quest when he heard a scream. It sounded like it was saying something, but that mattered not to Ryu at that moment, hearing the scream he had immediately sped off into the direction from which it came. Finally coming out of the forest Ryu came upon a huge clearing and in the middle of it was castle. Ryu had never seen such buildings and for a second he stopped and gaped at it in wonder before refocusing on his mission. Flames poured from his body as he cut across the clearing somehow the fire resonating from his body not burning the grass beneath his feet. As he ran on the air just above the ground Ryu's thoughts became disconnected. Reaching the castle walls he struck into the stone with his right hand then the left as he climbed upward. Nearing the top he jumped high into the air and landed on his hands and feet on the floor of the balcony that belonged to the highest tower. Standing he turned his head and saw what he had came for, but the man with wings darted before him blocking his path. Ryu quickly knocked him away, but the man came back attempting to stab him. The attack had no effect on the dragon, but annoyed him none the less. Ryu knocked the winged man away a second time. As the man spoke to him Ryu came out his haze and watched him as he staggered back over to where he and the girl were standing.

"Why is he… that's right, I hit him." Ryu thought as he watched the injured man come to stand beside the young woman.

"Take her!" The man said pushing the girl so hard she collided with Ryu.

"What's this?" Ryu thought as he looked down at her back and saw that it was covered in a hardened yellowish substance. "What did he do to you?" Ryu thought as he removed it. Looking at the man Ryu's thoughts begin to turn violent. Before his mind could go into another haze Ryu picked the girl up and started to leave.

"Wait!" He heard the man call out.

"Why does he insist on making things difficult?" Ryu thought as he struggled to keep his mind in check.

…To Be Continued…