Dras Leona

"Dras Leona is three days away on foot but I do not want to risk it. Our dragons are tired but I would feel safer if we rode them to the city and then rested once we met with the other riders. We should be able to get to the city before dark" Melor said, his expression thoughtful, as he looked at the rising sun on the east.

Arhan village was only a little ways south of Teirm but it was still a week's trip on foot to Dras Leona. Flying on dragon-back after the events that had occurred, did indeed sound like a better alternative to Tristan. For some reason he felt a lot safer being on dragon-back. However, he was a little bit disappointed as he had never seen Leona Lake from up close and flying would rob him of the chance to swim in its clear blue waters.

The grey-blue dragon next to him squeaked in amusement. They had yet to communicate with words but emotions and images were just as good and Tristan saw the blurred outline of an island. He laughed, earning the bewildered look of Melor as he settled on Gijnard's back and shook his head.

You are right, we are going to an island. There should be more than enough water there!, he told the dragon and then realised he had yet to name it. He repeated some names to the grey-blue creature but it was not interested in any of them so it settled on his shoulder and closed its eyes.

Kayla was still unconscious and so they had to strap her on Stoic's dragon. Someone suggested building another cage for purple but the dragon was behaving itself, silent most of the times and always near his sister so they quickly turned down this thought.

Before midday Tristan could already see the Lake ahead of them. He kneeled at the edge of Gijnard's back, careful not to injure himself against the dragon's sharp orange thorns, in order to get a closer look at it. Its waters seemed to extend for miles and they were crystal clear and calm, very much resembling a mirror. Tristan looked down and saw himself and the dragons reflected. The image was blurry but his hair looked longer, his skin browner, his body lean and muscled, his ears looked pointy… Bewildered, he looked away from the distorted image.

When the sun started lowering on the horizon, Tristan could feel the dragons reducing their speed, their breath coming out louder and each flap of their wings seemed to be a struggle.

Less than twenty miles away is the Lake's edge. Dras Leona is only a few minutes ride after that. We are almost there, the Urgal said encouragingly in all their minds.

Tristan did not doubt that if the dragons had not fought the previous night and were carrying less weight they would not have tired so quickly. When he saw Leona Lake's shores he let out a sigh of relief. They continued a few miles after the shores until they saw the city's walls coming into view and they descended on a flat green surface. From there on, it was only a few minutes' walk until they reached Dras Leona's gates. The guards acknowledged the riders without a second glance and they casually walked in from the main gates.

What Tristan saw inside was completely different to anything he had expected. He had never visited a city, true, but this place seemed to be teeming with people running around, going about their business, selling, entertaining, laughing and crying.

There was a stand in front of him with bread sticks being sold and he saw a small boy trying to grab one. He watched patiently as the boy hid around the corner, as less visible as possible and then like a snake, attacked by extending its hand and grabbing the bread stick. By the time the man behind the table stand noticed the missing bread stick the boy was lost from their sight.

"Is there a celebration happening or something?" Tristan couldn't help but ask just as a magician stood in front of him and blew fire from his mouth. The fire disintegrated into smoke but the smoke stood in the air a little bit longer than expected and he realised that there was a message written.

Tonight. 7. City square. Prepare to be amazed.

The smoke blew from his view and the dwarven rider coughed.

"It is the continuation of the Brasungr festival but there are always celebrations and markets around such a large city" the dwarf answered and as Tristan looked around him, he realized it was true.

The city was massive. It must have been at least ten times bigger than his village. The walls stood high, concealing the outside world and encircling the tall white-okra buildings. As he was walking further inside he realised that the planning of Dras Leona very much resembled a labyrinth. The difference was, though, that if you followed the main road and went towards your right you would slowly approach the centre whereas if you went from your left you would go towards the outside. There were smaller roads going straight through the circle rather than around it, but Tristan wasn't sure he wanted to walk these roads alone as he was afraid he would get lost. With the help of the riders and their dragons, however, they managed to move quickly in a straight line as people moved back to make room for them. He often heard the riders being praised, names of riders he knew and didn't know being called.

"Greet the new riders!" someone shouted and blew another whiff of that fire-smoke thing that left a message in the air before it disappeared.

"What is this? Can you teach me how to do this?" Tristan asked excited and turned to the closest person next to him.

Unfortunately it was the Urgal who looked at him through slit yellow eyes, his pointy teeth slightly protruding from his lips.

Melor let out a deep throaty laugh. Tristan hadn't heard him laugh since they found the two dragon eggs destroyed.

"It's a storytelling of sorts but far more interesting, which occurs in the city square near sundown. The "magicians" here with the fire messages are no more than witches or wizards. The fire message is a simple enough trick to do if you have the right means and wizards are the masters of trickery" he finished.

Curiosity emitted from his dragon through their bond as he lazily walked and flew to his side. He gently nudged Tristan's shoulder and he turned to Melor.

"Can we go?" he asked, not sure if he would be granted something like this. The dwarf went to say something but Stoic shook his head angrily, his dragon blowing whiffs of smoke.

"How young and naïve you are! Haven't you been taught anything?" the Urgal asked in a furious tone and his eyebrows pulled together.

"I thought that once we were inside the city we would be safer…" he started but the rider cut him mid-sentence. He grabbed him by his shoulders and pushed him to a nearby wall. Tristan's grey-blue dragon stood next to him, hissing and Melor put a restraining hand in front of the boy's face.

"We are dragon riders. We are never safe! You would do well to remember that!" the Kull shouted one more time, his ram horns looking as if they could crush Tristan's skull just by a single nudge. The boy nodded, slightly perplexed and annoyed, and then the rider released him and he almost dropped to the ground.

His dragon run to his side, licking his shoulder in a calm demeanour and he watched silently as Stoic walked further ahead.

Melor helped him up.

"I am sorry boy. This trip has taken a harder toll than anticipated and we are all on edge. Stoic is right, however. We are not safe"