A/N: Sorry it took a while. I don't have to explain how life works. Hope you all have a wonderful day/night.
Chapter 9
My Dear Everest
A few days passed by after the incident with Isis. Not a lot had happened between then and now, but her mind constantly wandered. There was the time she kissed Cosmo unknowingly. She still didn't remember doing it, but had trouble doubting both Cosmo and Everest. If it was indeed a joke, it was a cruel long-running one. Then there was Everest. She visited three times to check up on her. Isis didn't mind it, but over time she noticed Everest was fairly similar to another dragon she used to know.
Then there was Orion. The canid was always in and out the hospital, never sticking around unless it was to sleep. He didn't say much. All he seemed to do was explore the city on his own. With his polymorphing gift Isis had no trouble believing he could take care of himself.
Cosmo rarely left Isis's side. While Everest couldn't stick around all the time, he felt Isis would appreciate the company, even if she never said anything. He figured the fur dragon just felt awkward after what happened. A lot of thoughts must have been creeping around in her mind. Cosmo just hoped she was feeling alright. Considering it had been several days since Isis's split personality shown itself, Cosmo hoped it was just some sort of short amnesia after being shot. It only happened that one time, maybe it was just psychic trauma.
At present time, an experienced doctor was looking over Isis's injury. She stayed quiet the entire time, barely reacting to the dragon's touch as he unwrapped the bandages. Tossing the old fabric in the nearest bin, he gave the wound a quick examination.
"How are you feeling this morning Melody?" His voice was deep with age and showed a friendly smile toward the fur dragon.
Isis sighed. "Fine," she answered simply.
Cosmo stayed quiet. He watched the doctor as he placed his paw near the fur dragon's wound. She didn't make much of a reaction to his cold touch.
"Any pain?"
Isis shook her head. Honestly, it still hurt just a little, but if she had to sit in a bed for one more day she would have tore her fur out.
"Have you tried walking on it yet?"
Again, Isis shook her head. The doctor took a few steps back as he motioned for her to stand. Slowly, Isis moved out of bed and put her feet on the chilly floor. Cosmo was right beside her for support in case she needed it. Her legs shook at first, but she grit through it and began to force herself to walk. Isis wouldn't be lying if she said it hurt a little, but she did her best to hide it from any facial expression.
The doctor seemed a bit skeptical, but decided to cut her some slack. "I see . . . you seem to be coming along just fine. I suppose there's no reason to keep you locked up inside a depressing room any longer," he chuckled. "As long as you promise to keep off the leg for a little bit longer in your home."
"Of course," Isis eagerly replied, almost desperate to escape the prison she was held in.
"Then you're free to go. It doesn't seem that you need to keep a bandage on it anymore but it might leave a scar. Your fur should cover it up though."
"Thank you," Cosmo said, helping Isis walk toward the exit. "I'll make sure she heals properly."
"See that you do. If she puts too much stress on her leg too soon I'm afraid it might open up again."
After dismissal, Cosmo helped Isis into the hallway and began walking her down into the lobby. There wasn't much activity going on, but that was fine with both of them.
"Yo!"
Looking down, Cosmo immediately spotted a familiar fox looking up toward him. He wore his characteristic grin and completely ignored a visiting dragon sitting in a nearby chair looking over in confusion.
"Orion," Cosmo began. "What have you been up to?"
"You really think I would sit in a small confined space for days on end with nothing to do but hear you snore? I would rather be out looking around in this strange world of yours. There's so much to do and see, no point in sitting in one spot for a week."
Cosmo couldn't blame him. He would have done the same if he could. "I see."
"Oh, before I forget I ran into Everest the other day as she was leaving this place. She said she would be in the market today just in case Isis got out this asylum."
"It's a hospital."
"A hospital in disguise," Orion grinned.
Isis growled under her breath, already partially annoyed. "Enough . . . let's go to the market. Maybe we can catch Everest there and figure out where we'll be staying."
"Why not an inn?" Orion replied. "I saw a few of those around here."
"We need money for those," Cosmo quickly answered. He lowered his voice before continuing. "If we stick around in the city I'm sure we'll be found out who we really are."
"And that's a bad thing? So what? Other dragons will ogle over you and get in your way of your daily life but I don't think that's a reason to hide. You could probably stay anywhere you want for free if you just showed yourself for who you really are."
Cosmo shook his head. He could tell Isis was growing tired of standing, not to mention a few dragons sitting in the waiting room were looking toward him. They were probably just curious of Orion, but it still made him uncomfortable. If they didn't know for a fact the six were gone they could easily put two and two together. He decided to quietly lead Isis around the room toward the hospital's exit, figuring it was okay to leave without seeing the front desk. Orion silently followed.
Upon exiting, the chilly breeze conflicted with the morning sun's warm rays that shone down upon Cosmo's face. He squinted at first, but his eyes quickly adjusted. The streets of Warfang seemed mostly empty for the moment. He was honestly grateful for it, but if he had to make a trip to the market it would soon change.
"I don't want random dragons knowing we're here," Cosmo explained as he began walking toward the market. Making sure Isis was comfortable, he continued. "Like Isis said when we were in Clawstone, if Kali knew I was back but had to leave in the end again it would devastate her."
"And this Kali . . . I heard her name mentioned before. What makes her so important to you?"
Cosmo sighed to himself. He realized he never told Orion who Kali actually was. There was so much to tell but figured it was best to be blunt for the moment.
"She was my mate before we were all sent away back to the human world."
"Really?" Orion began, acting a bit surprised with a strange grin on his face. "Well I guess I understand then."
Cosmo eyed him for a moment before continuing, ignoring the chill the stone below him gave. "It doesn't matter right now though, we have more pressing matters to attend to. We need to find Everest before someone recognizes us and starts rumors. I can only assume that if they figure out me and Isis are here, danger won't be far behind."
The trio continued on at their own pace and neared the market a bit later than Cosmo anticipated. Isis was beginning to be able to walk on her own just fine, but he could plainly see the discomfort on her face. She ignored it however. Cosmo couldn't recall a moment when Isis was like this. Having her so reliant on him was something that never happened before. Orion decided it was best to polymorph into a much smaller version of himself to also avoid attention.
When they finally reached the market, Cosmo was a bit unhappy to see the market was lively with activity. He had hoped it would have been otherwise to make his job easier. Not only did he have to find Everest in this mess, but he also had to hope none of these dragons were brave enough to recognize and approach him. Isis stood to her feet and bared through the irritation in her leg. While she didn't want to, she didn't want to bring attention to herself or Cosmo.
But it wouldn't last long. All it took was a few minutes for someone to approach him and Isis. Cosmo looked him over and hoped the larger gray dragon to walk past him, but he only slowed down as he looked the two of them over.
"Pardon me but I'm looking for the wood shop. Would you happen to know where it is?"
A bit relieved, Cosmo shook his head. "I'm sorry I don't."
The gray dragon sighed. "It's fine. I didn't mean to impose but I'm just trying to rebuild my old home. It's been hard since the whole dark dragon incident."
"Oh," Cosmo began, immediately knowing what he was referring to. "I'm sorry to hear that. It was hard on all of us."
"And I couldn't help but notice your friend there. A fur dragon is a very rare sight in this part of the world. If you don't mind me asking, how long have you been in the city?"
"A month," Isis immediately answered, almost harshly.
It was silent for a few moments. Cosmo could tell Isis was growing annoying by their curious visitor. He figured the best course of action was to dismiss him as soon as possible before she did something they would both regret.
"We better be off," Cosmo began. "It was a pleasure talking to you."
Before anything else could be said, Cosmo guided Isis away to another part of the market square. The center fountain seemed like a good enough spot for the time being. He felt a bit guilty for just ditching that dragon, but the reasons were obvious. He just hoped they would find Everest before other dragons recognized them.
Meanwhile
The morning went by slowly for Spyro, Cynder, and Star. After deciding to begin search for the human that was sighted near Garipton, the three of them set out near the wooded area near the small city. At first it seemed like a waste of time, but it quickly changed.
Who would have thought he would have found him so soon. Spyro thought it would have taken days to track this human down, but found him walking on a path near Velxtra forest. He assumed it would have been easy to take down between him, Cynder, and Star, but he was proving to be quite the opponent.
Spyro growled as he jumped to the side as the human swung his sword. As much as the purple dragon wanted to, he couldn't use fire here. If a fireball missed or his flames were off he would risk setting the entire forest on fire. Regardless of snow hiding in the shadows, Spyro didn't want to risk it. He could tell Star and Cynder were holding back. He wasn't sure whether it was wise or not, but they had no clue's to this man's motives.
Cynder launched a glob of poison toward the human, who simply deflected it with his sword. It had to be enchanted. A normal sword would have been destroyed. The man's dark gray robe cloaked his identity as he took a few steps back to distance himself from the three angry dragons staring him down. It was hard to tell what he looked like, but Spyro could see some bushy facial hair on his face. He stood tall as he looked down toward the purple dragon in particular, a sense of pride stimulating through his body.
"It's not often I have the honor of fighting someone like you Spyro," the man began, calm in his light voice. "But tell me, why do you, Cynder, and Star fight against me? Do you even know the reason?"
That was a good question. Cynder and Star looked toward him dubiously as if they also wanted to know the answer.
"We have reason to believe you're up to no good," Spyro confidently replied.
"And what reason is that?"
"There has been very few humans we've been able to trust," the purple dragon explained. "Seeing you wandering near cities have raised our suspicions. We were sent to find out what you were up to."
Wasting no time, Spyro lunged toward the human with his claws outstretched. The human smirked and quickly jumped back, readying his blade. With one simple move, he sidestepped and swung nicking Spyro in the side. Fresh blood oozed from Spyro's small wound, but it still wouldn't even phase him.
Cynder retaliated with a shot of fear, but the human turned toward her with a grin. "And Cynder, you fight with spirit that I hardly see much of anymore." Then in the blink of an eye, the human charged forward with his sword stretched out, nicking her in the side, almost identical to Spyro. Cynder fell over in pain and surprise.
"My apologies, I didn't mean to cut that deep. I'm sure you'll be fine." He then turned to Star, who had a blank unreadable look on his face. "And Star. I'm not very familiar with you, but I'm sure you're a formidable opponent all the same. In fact, I'm sure you could all beat me in a fair fight."
"What do you mean by that?" Spyro began, annoyed as he attended to Cynder's wound.
The man said nothing, but charged Star just as fast as he charged Cynder before. Star immediately dodged, familiar with the man's movement from before. Before he could retaliate, a blast of electricity came from Spyro from behind, striking the man in his shoulder.
But it did nothing. The man's robe absorbed the element, rendering it useless. Spyro growled. Of course his robe would be enchanted. It seemed only physical attacks were going to work.
"The power I wield is not my own," the man began, backing up once again to keep an eye on all three dragons. "But of the temporal stones I keep."
"Temporal stones?"
The man nodded as he kept his blade ready. "If you want a reason to fight me honestly then you had better listen. I travel to collect these sacred relics from their hidden shrines. For you see, with their power, I can become stronger. I believe you may know them as the relic fragments."
Cynder stood to her feet, ignoring the slight pain on her side as she took her place beside Spyro. Star kept a close eye on the human as he took his place on the other.
"I should have known," Spyro hastily began. "You're just a fanatic like Ismeral Nexis. I should kill you now."
The man simply smiled. "The longer I quarrel with you, the less progress I have. I must apologize in advance, but I simply must move on. I would suggest you leave this business be. It doesn't concern you."
Spyro said nothing as the human turned and slowly began walking down the snowy path like he was before, pretending the whole fight never happened. Cynder looked toward him in anticipation and silent agreement of what he was planning to do. She made a simple nod.
An earth missile was fired toward the man's back. Spyro couldn't just let this man go. He had to be stopped. But it seemed it wouldn't be today. In the blink of an eye, the human somersaulted with his sword outstretched, cutting the missile straight in half. The two half's split off into different directions, causing a small explosion of snow a few feet behind him. Standing straight up to his feet, the man smirked toward the dragon trio.
Sheathing his sword, the man confidently sneered toward the purple dragon in particular. "I know you're holding back, but you'll have to do better than that I'm afraid." Then the human took a more firm stance. "It seems my business isn't done yet, so I'll stay for just one more moment."
Spyro prepared himself as the mystery man sprinted toward him, then quickly outstretched his arm. In a flash, an icicle was launched toward him. Spyro quickly raised the earth in front of him into and earth shield, blocking the ice spike from reaching him. Lowering the shield, Spyro launched an ice spike of his own, only for the human to knock it away with his cloak. The man was quick, already in Spyro's face ready to for a swift kick across his face. Lowering his horns, Spyro charged forward knocking the breath out of the human's lungs. Knocking his opponent over, Spyro utilized his ice toward the man's hand, freezing his arm in place into the ground below him. The human grunted as he used his legs to kick the dragon away.
Star was quickly on the scene, but not before the human simply broke free and pulled his arm out of the ice trap that was made for him. Unsheathing his sword once again, the man muttered a few incomprehensible words under his breath. Before anyone knew it, the man's sword was suddenly ablaze with fire as he swung it towards a charging Star. He quickly ducked his head and let loose a fiery inferno upon the human out of his maul, smothering him.
"Star!" Cynder exclaimed. "Be careful!"
The fire done little good however. The man used his enchanted cloak as a blanket, absorbing almost all of the flames. He jumped back, fiery blade in hand, with that same smug look on his face from before.
"Not bad, but I'm afraid I don't have time to dawdle any longer." The flames on the human's sword quickly died back down, revealing the normal blade he had from before. "I haven't had the honors of fighting dragons, but it's good to know I am getting better. The one's from the other night hardly put up a fight."
"What dragons?" Spyro immediately replied. "If you killed them I swear I won't rest until you are the same."
Chuckling the human's response was certain. "I didn't hurt them. In fact if it wasn't for that fur dragon I'm sure the other would have surely died in that snowfall."
Fur dragon?
"What fur dragon?"
"I suppose I owe you something for the fight you given me," the man begun, keeping his distance from the angry reptiles. "It might interest you to know that a certain couple of dragons have found their way into the dragon realms once again. I have no trouble believing you can figure out whom."
It grew quiet. A few songbirds chirped in the distance as a small breeze blew overhead among the treetops. Spyro was in thought as Cynder and Star exchanged improbable looks. The purple dragon looked back at the two of them, attempting to decipher what was said unto him, then back at the path before him. Somehow, the man was gone.
"Spyro," Cynder began.
"It can't be true," the purple dragon interrupted. "I can't believe that was Isis he was talking about."
"But what if it is true?" the black dragoness reasoned. "What if he was talking about Isis, and that was Cosmo, or maybe one of the others that was with her?"
"Why would I believe the words of that human?" Spyro retaliated. "He's after the relic fragments for his own purpose. You saw how he fought. He was holding back the entire time."
"So were we," Cynder quickly responded. "You really believe that he would have survived if all three of us were serious? We wanted answers which we got."
"But we didn't stop him! For all we know he's trying to become the next Ismeral Nexis!"
"That may be true," Star began calmly, "But at least we know what the human is up to."
"Star is right, we might have lost him but we know his plans. Let's go back to the Elder Hall and let Relic know. Maybe we can search for a relic fragment ourselves and wait for him."
Spyro sighed in defeat. If what the man said was true, if Isis really is back. Then the others won't be far behind. If they are back in the dragon realms, there was a reason for it. That man may very well be the reason.
Meanwhile
It felt like he stood there longer than he actually did. Cosmo was beginning to grow a bit irritated of waiting, but only because of the dragons that felt they had to stop and ask him or Isis a few obvious questions. Where he was from, what he was doing, and how familiar Isis looked. For Cosmo, it was a little easy to blend in the crowd, but a black fur dragon was a different story. From the random information he was given by passerby's, fur dragons were a rare sight because of where their homeland was. Apparently they're origin was across the vast oceans beyond the region of Highscales.
Orion stayed hidden, mainly staying on Cosmo's back or head polymorphed small enough to not even be noticed. Such power that fox had. He may not be an experienced fighter, but he sure had his uses in many scenarios. At least as far as Cosmo knew. Now that he had time to think about it, Orion was still as mysterious as the day he found him in the jungle. Maybe there would be time later to find out more about him.
Time passed as an overcast weather slowly covered the sky in thick gray clouds. The nippy temperature suggested that it was probably going to snow again. Cosmo didn't mind it. Winter was his favorite season after all. Assuming he wouldn't nearly freeze like last time, he welcomed the sight of white powder falling from the skies.
Back to reality, Cosmo felt himself nudged on his shoulder. Looking over, he saw the dragoness he had been waiting for. Everest stood with her head a bit askew toward him in thought. "Something on your mind?" she began. Cosmo could hear a bit of a familiar accent in her voice. "You seemed to be in thought for a moment."
The yellow scaled reptile shook his head, dismissing her concern. "No, just thinking about stuff. Sorry I didn't mean to worry you."
Everest showed a small smile in response. "Well it certainly is good to see you two standing. It's been a while since I seen you up and about. How are you feeling Isis?"
Immediately Cosmo silenced her and threw his paw on her mouth. Everest was a bit taken aback by his reaction at first, but it seemed the few dragons around them paid them no attention. Exhaling in relief, he put his paw back down.
"Sorry," Everest began apologetically in a low tone. "Forgot."
"It's fine," Isis replied. "I'm getting along alright. Still hurts a little bit but I would do just about anything to get out of that hospital."
The snow white dragoness smiled. "I understand. I don't think I could stay in Archie's cabin for longer than a few days without leaving, much less a hospital room. Those places are depressing. Speaking of which, I talked to Archie and managed to convince him to let you two stay for a while."
"That's great," said Cosmo, happy to hear it.
"And I'm assuming Orion is around here somewhere?"
Nodding, Cosmo pointed to the top of his between his horns. "He's there somewhere."
Curious, Everest couldn't help but take a look. With a slight squint, she approached Cosmo, barely able to make out the fox's small body. He only waved at her in response, saying nothing in the process.
"Alright then," she began. "I suppose Orion doesn't mind flying?"
Flying. Cosmo immediately felt embarrassed toward himself as he silently looked over toward Isis. He decided to just say it for both of them. "We can't fly."
Everest grew a bit surprised, but grinned nonetheless. "I see. You two really are part of the six. If you don't mind me asking, could you ever fly?"
Cosmo nodded. "Yeah, we just haven't been in the dragon realm long enough to get back into the practice of it."
"Well it's fine, we'll just have to walk then."
Leading them through the market and around any small crowds, Everest made her way down the familiar streets of Warfang. It had been a while since Cosmo had a casual stroll through its roads, but the sense of familiarity was nearly overwhelming. Not much had changed since he was last here. In the distance he could see a familiar working clock tower. He often wondered how it actually worked, but in this realm of magic casting wizards, he didn't question it.
Slowly but surely they arrived at the edge of Warfang and continued past it's walls onto a well traveled path leading toward a forest in the distance. Not much was said along the way apart from Everest asking Isis if she was okay. Her injury was slowing her down, but she tried her best not to show it. If Isis taught Cosmo one thing during their time together it was that she was tough. He had no trouble believing she was going to be just fine.
Making their way into the forest, Everest continued on the path for a little ways until turning onto a smaller path on the side. It looked as if it was rarely used. Seeing as there were no dragons anywhere in sight, Orion took the moment to return to his original size to stretch his legs.
"How's Archie doing?" Isis suddenly asked.
Everest almost rolled her eyes. "Don't get me started on that nutjob."
"Don't you like him?" Orion added, a small grin on his face.
"Of course I do," Everest quickly answered. "He's just . . . unusual all the time. I guess that's a trait for a bravo gate human."
"Bravo gate human?"
"Well he did come from one of those gates along with all the others. The dragon realm has its own humans, but they know magic and swordplay. Humans like Archie though . . . so much of a difference between them."
"Like what?" Orion continued, avoiding a pile of snow taking refuge in the shadows.
Cosmo and Isis knew what she was talking about. There was quite the difference. Everest took a moment, having to think about it before answering the curious fox's question. "The humans from the bravo gate seem a bit more strict and territorial. They don't know magic at all. The mere thought of it would almost make one laugh."
"That's it?"
"They're also cowards."
Cosmo was a bit taken aback. Everest's tone shifted a little when she said that.
"What makes them cowards?" Orion continued. "When I met Cosmo he seemed pretty brave to me. I don't think all human's are cowards."
Everest grew quiet for a moment, but continued walking regardless. Cosmo and Isis could both tell there was a little tension in the air.
"Maybe you're right Orion," Everest replied simply. "I shouldn't accuse them all of being cowards if someone like Archie exists."
"What makes him so special to you?"
"Orion," Cosmo interrupted. He could tell the fox was beginning to get under Everest's scales. "I think that will do for now."
"It's fine," Everest assured. She sighed and continued. "I guess it would do me some good to tell you of what Archie did for me, but another time."
All was quiet after that. Time passed as the trio and canid walked through the forest, but eventually they arrived at their destination. A small log cabin stood in a small opening in the timberland. Making their way towards it, Cosmo couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy about it. Something about a log cabin in the middle of a forest reminded him of a few horror movies he seen back on his world. Still, it was better than nowhere, and if Everest and Archie had been settled in and happy with it, who was he to judge whether or not a random psychopathic killer would pass through the area.
Those thoughts aside, Cosmo was led towards it's front door beneath a small overhead awning. Opening the door, Everest led them all inside.
It felt a bit warmer inside which Cosmo was immediately thankful for. While he enjoyed the cold weather, it felt nice to warm up for a change. While there was no fireplace, it somehow felt comfortable enough to call it a home.
While it wasn't very big on the inside, Cosmo was surprised to see two small sofas and a few chairs off to the side near the front window. He could see another room near the back of the cabin off to the side, but assumed it was a bedroom for Everest or Archie.
"We had to visit the market for another sofa so I hope it'll do. Archie complains about them being different from his world. Something about fabric or the inside of it being hay instead of cotton or something. I can hardly understand what he rambles about sometimes."
"You brought a sofa all the way here?" Isis asked, genuinely curious.
Everest shrugged. "Well not by myself, you know how those transporting services work. Besides I wanted another sofa and figured since you two were going to be staying here for a little while you would appreciate instead of sleeping on the floor."
"So where's Archie?" Cosmo began, making himself at home as he sat down on the nearest wooden chair.
Everest shrugged. "Knowing him he's probably getting into trouble somewhere."
Meanwhile
One gunshot rang out into the quiet air. Archie lowered his pistol in relief as he looked upon a wolf who decided to attack him. He didn't want to, but had no choice.
"Eyes bigger than your stomach wolfy," Archie said to himself. "Sorry . . . but I have to go."
Putting his weapon back into his coat, he sighed in contentment. He hoped he wouldn't have had to use his gun. Ammunition was difficult to come by for it. That and it was loud. Loud enough to attract unwanted attention by dragons that happened to be passing by . . . or human.
"Six," he simply said to himself, making an internal note of it.
Continuing onwards, Archie slowly made his way towards a familiar site in the woods. While he didn't want to do this alone, he knew better than to bring anyone else into this mess, including Everest. Archie shook his head. She already been through enough.
Arriving to a large opening, Archie spotted the campsite he had become acquainted with in the past. Deciding to approach, Archie made his way toward the pitched tents in the short distance. When he arrived, he immediately spotted a familiar man standing in front of a stairway leading down into the depths of the planet.
"Archie," the man began. "I can't believe you actually came."
"Wade," Archie grinned. "How's the leg."
"Fine. You'd be amazed at what we've accomplished so far since we've been here."
"Grand," Archie plainly said. "Where's your bodyguards? I know better than to believe you're in the sun by yourself."
"Actually it's a bit cloudy," Wade corrected. "But no matter. What does matter is that you're here. I assume you given some thought to my offer?"
Archie was quiet for a moment. While he hated keeping secrets from her, Archie knew Everest would have fought to convince him to ignore this man. One previous day, Archie found Wade once again. Instead of attacking, Wade convinced him he only wanted to talk. For some reason, Archie agreed to meet him here and now, but not before making him an offer.
"Let me get this straight," Archie began. "You want me to come back and help continue this research and in exchange, you would burn my records and make me a free man?"
Wade nodded. "Completely free. No more persecution. You'll have a new life to start over however you please. All we ask in return is your cooperation for the short time left we have here."
"Remind me, what is it exactly we are trying to accomplish in this world."
"You should know."
"I'd like to be well-informed for what I'm signing up for."
Wade showed a small grin. Putting his hands in his black coat pockets he answered almost as if it were routine. "We're here to study the effects of magic. We want to make our world a better place, less sickness, more cures, make things easier for the old folks. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity Archie. We had to take it."
"And what is the reason behind you siphoning dragon souls?"
Wade was a bit taken about by the tone that was directed toward him. "What do you mean? You know as well as I do the reason behind that."
"I just want to hear you say it. Now say it."
"Fine," a few silent moments passed as some snow began to fall from the sky above. Archie kept his eyes on Wade the entire time, but kept his distance as well. "We harvest dragon souls to power the stone. From our studies, it seemed as if the stone had much more power, but had slowly diminished over the ages it spent idle here."
"So you murder dragons to power a freaking rock," Archie plainly replied.
"It's the only way."
"Says who?!" Archie shouted. "You didn't even have the right to take that stone in the first place! Who knows what that thing actually did!"
"It did nothing!" Wade shouted back. Anger was beginning to grow between the two humans. "We took it off it's pedestal and it did absolutely nothing!"
"And what of the person who told you that using a dragon's soul was the only way to use this thing! Did you ever stop to think that those dragons have lives?! That they had children?!" Then Archie did the unthinkable. He reached into his coat and pulled out his pistol. Wade grew shocked at his actions. Pointing his gun toward Wade, Archie grit his teeth. "I should have killed you when I had the chance."
Immediately a bodyguard appeared out of nowhere from behind Wade with a pistol of his own. The muscular man pointed it towards Archie, who seemed unaffected by the weapon.
Putting his hands up, Wade began to speak. "That wouldn't have been like you Archie. I don't know why you side with these dragons, especially considering your past, but I won't question it. I suppose this means you decline my offer?"
Archie sighed. He couldn't do it. Even knowing the man before him was responsible for the many deaths he witnessed, Archie couldn't pull the trigger. He slowly lowered his weapon in defeat. Coming here was a mistake.
"No . . . I can't do it. I can't turn my back on her. Not now when she needs me."
" . . . I see," Wade said, lowering his hands. "You care for that dragon more than I believed you did. Tell me, what makes her so special to you?"
The snow began to fall a bit more as it began to grow more chilly in the air. Archie tucked his pistol back into his coat, not even giving the bodyguard beside Wade any attention.
"Me . . . it was because of me that she is alone in this world. I was the one killed her relatives. Her loved ones. I would do anything to make it up to her . . . even if I have to throw away my own freedom."
All went quiet. Wade silently dismissed the bodyguard, who seemed reluctant to leave, but did so anyways. Archie felt much grief come over him as he reminded himself of the terrible crimes he committed in the past. It was almost too much to bear.
"A promise is a promise," Wade announced. "I'll let you go this time, but I'm afraid our next encounter won't be the same."
"That's it?" Archie questioned. "You're just done with me?"
"We might not see things eye to eye but I keep my promises, especially with an old friend."
"We're not friends."
"Perhaps not," Wade began, turning toward the descending staircase behind him. "Not anymore I'm afraid. It's almost sad honestly. Please . . . do me the favor by never letting me see you again. I wouldn't want to be responsible for your death."
With nothing else to say, Wade descended the staircase and was out of sight. Archie silent stood there, snow falling on his head, contemplating of the event that just happened. While he wanted to further the advancement of technology on his own world and change his life, he and Wade had different motives. Well . . . much different motives. While Wade showed no care for the life in this world, Archie did. He had much to make up for in the short time he spent in the dragon realm. All it took was one day to change a dragon's life for the worse. That dragon was Everest.
Turning toward his cabin home, Archie began his lonely walk, leaving nothing but the footprints of his feet behind him. The one thing he didn't notice was the tears of grief he also left behind.