FLAP! FLAP! FLAP! Claug flapped her massive wings, flying across the clouds back toward Rita. She soon reached the hole she dug and crawled down.
THUD! She jumped down from the ceiling, landing before the still unconscious Arad. “He still didn’t wake up,” She stared at him, nudging his body with her nose.
“Both he and Alcott are down.” Ginger had already healed up and was bandaging Alcott’s wounds. “Alcott’s wounds are severe, but I can’t say anything about Arad.”
Arad was still in his draconic form, and Ginger couldn’t say anything about him.
“He’s looking to be improving,” Claug licked Arad’s back, using her tongue to check the base of his wings. “Yes, the bones and tendons have healed.” She then turned toward Ginger.
“How about the mediator? I can still smell his blood.”
Ginger looked at Alcott, “I can’t give him too many healing potions. They will starve him to death. He needs to recover slowly, or at least until he can eat.” She patted Alcott’s head.
“This will cause a lot of commotion,” Claug growled, “They are coming,”
Ginger’s eyes opened, “Wait! Don’t tell me!”
“The chromatic and metallic dragons have felt the mediator falling. And they are bringing their armies to this city.” Claug looked behind her toward the crumbling wall where she killed Connor. “That furry human didn’t know what he was starting. If he had killed the mediator, dragons would rip this city out of the ground and toss it into the depth of hell.”
“Wait! Isn’t their response a bit too quick?” Ginger gasped, “If the chromatic and Metallic dragons met here, they could fight.”
“Alcott didn’t just mediate between dragons and humanoids. He also mediated between dragon kinds, helping the chromatic and metallic dragons to live in peace.” Claug closed her head to Alcott, sniffing him. “I killed everyone that had the furry man’s smell and burned them so the dragons won’t get any funny idea. I can see the chromatic wanting to burn the whole kingdom.”
“I see,” Ginger patted Alcott’s head, “Did you hear her? Dragons are coming.”
Claug laughed, “I came here for Arad,” She walked and curled around Arad like a cat over her kitten and started licking his back. “I will nurse this child back to health. That furry man cut my fun midway.”
“Your fun?” Ginger looked at her.
“Ah!” Claug looked away, “Nothing, nothing. I was just working on a hobby when I felt Arad getting hurt.” She didn’t want to tell her that she was watching them with spying magic and that she got angry when Arad was about to lose.”
Ginger looked back at the city, “John is dead. I wonder how we will find the twins now.”
“The twins?” Claug looked at Ginger, “Those two already legged it out,” She said as if it was normal.
“What?” Ginger gasped.
“They lied to John, saying they would wait, and ran away a week ago,” Claug replied, soon realizing that Ginger shouldn’t know that.
“How did you know?” Ginger looked at her.
“A dragon’s intelligence network is wide.” Claug looked away. ^I can’t tell her I was watching the twins as well.^
“Do you know anything about them? Where are they? And why did they keep sending pulses of magic from here?” Ginger looked at Claug.
“Their father wanted to force them to marry a noble who had something for twins. They refused but didn’t have a say in the matter and ended up in the noble’s bedroom.” Claug looked at Ginger, “Guess what happened?”
“I don’t want to think about it,” Ginger sighed.
“They stabbed the noble’s eye with a hairpin and ran away. Their way brought them here in the city where they put a magical device to deceive their father to think they were here.” Claug laughed, “I was on the edge of my nest every moment as they ran from bandits and slavers.”
“I find it hard to believe.” Ginger looked at Claug’s face.
“The twin came here wishing the search party would get killed in the city. They played everyone for a fool.” Claug explained with her tail wiggling from left to right.
“They ran from an arranged marriage and even attacked a noble.” Ginger scratched her head, “With their father trying to save face, I guess they will end up being gifted to the noble as slaves when returned to their home.”
“That’s right. It would be better to say they were killed here. Let them live their lives freely.” Claug smiled, ^I want to see how their story will end. But I can’t really say that.^
CRACK! Claug heard a small stone fall on the ground, and her head snapped, glaring in its direction. “Who’s there? I sense no significant magic or power!” She growled. She usually isn’t that aggressive, but she has Arad sleeping beneath her.
“Please! Don’t attack! I don’t mean any harm!” A man walked out. He was the slaver who met Arad.
“A human.” Claug looked at him and sighed, “Scram. Your kind has no words here.”
The slaver flinched. He did use all of his courage to get close and speak but had already pissed himself when Claug glared at him the first time. She was right. Someone like him didn’t have the right to stand before a dragon, especially a chromatic one.
“Wait,” Claug titled her head, “You’re slaver from earlier. Did you come here to bring Arad his reward? I don’t see her anywhere.”
The slaver started shaking. When did that dragon know? It just came here. Didn’t it?
“She isn’t here. Fled when the fight started and is taking shelter in the Slave building.” The slaver replied.
“Then what are you waiting for? Shitting yourself?” Claug glared at him, “Go bring her! You don’t promise dragon sacrifices and go back on your words.” Claug growled, and the slaver ran away, crying.
Claug turned back toward Arad and kept licking his back, “I will make sure you get everything,”
The slaver reached the slave building and kicked the door open. The manager rushed to him, “What is it? Is the fight over?” 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘭．𝘦𝘵
“Shut up and bring Tina and her child. The dragons want them.” He gasped for air, standing at the wall, “Fuck, it was a dragon! I shat myself.” He looked at the ceiling, “But having a connection with them is good business.”