A group struggled to tie down a creature when a pale green dragon landed.
"Are you joking?"
"That is not a dragon, that is a Salamanda. This is like calling an ape a human. They are even worse, they can not be reasoned with," the dragon stared at the scaly lizard as he spoke.
In front of him, a human knelt
"Lord Dew said that is not a dragon!" the man got up and yelled at the group.
"What should we do with it?"
A man asked as he pulled on a rope.
The salamander blew flames at them, luckily they were prepared. They were wearing flame-retardant clothing.
Unfortunately, the ropes they were using were not. The fire burnt through the ropes letting the Salamanda break free. It grabbed someone and swallowed him like a pill.
As Dew flew back to Ark Vasto, a couple of cloud chasers saw him. The camp ran helter-skelter as they quickly packed their belongings.
Kafui shook Loric and Laud awake.
"We need to move, this is it. This is what we have been waiting for," Kafui said and started to put clothes into a bag. A crowd ran after the soaring dragon. They lost sight of it but kept heading in the same direction.
"Why don't you just take the Griffin and catch up?" Laud asked as he and Loric rode on the griffin.
"It does not work like that. I have actually been to the dragon island. The worshipers turned me away," Kafui said panting. He stopped and grabbed his knees as he caught his breath.
"So why buy a griffin if you are not going to use it?" Loric asked as they waited for him on the Griffin.
Loric got off the creature and went to help Kafui.
"The dragon worshipers act as mediators between the dragons and the humans. I have to do as they say if I want to meet a dragon. You see, my people are suffering. A sea monster terrorizes my town.
We are fishermen but we are not able to fish anymore. The sea monster sinks every vessel that leaves our shores," Kafui said and sighed.
"So you are going to the dragon's island to ask for help? What makes you think they won't eat you when you get there?" Loric asked and the man chuckled.
"When people you love are suffering, you take any chance you get to help them," Kafui said and walked a little further before he took a break again.
"I mean, are you not scared?" Loric asked as Laud watched their interaction.
"Of course I am scared, I am scared out of my mind. But I am more scared of what will happen if I don't try. I did not just decide to ask the dragons for help. I have been to countless hunter's guilds. They could not help me," Kafui lamented, and Laud stared.
"I guess some people have it worse. We had dragons at our beck and call. And what we did was raid cities with them. Maybe it was just time to pay for all the pain we caused," Laud thought as he stared.
"If the dragon worshipers want you to do it the right way. Would buying a griffin not be considered cheating?" Loric asked with a frown of confusion.
"Yes, it is somewhat of a cheat but I would not be flying it to the island. It's just to catch up with the group," Kafui explained.
After a while, the group made camp by a stream. Beside was a rocky hill with various shrubs. They mounted a tent by the hill and Loric took out tried meat from his bag.
"You know meats are not allowed on this journey," Kafui said.
"Sorry," Loric apologized and was about to put the meat away.
"No one will know," Kafui said and Loric handed him the meat chop. He then broke off a piece and handed the rest back to Loric.
Soon night came with croaks and chirps. In the middle of the night, Laud woke up to pass water.
On his way, he saw someone in the dark. The place was pitch black. The only source of light was the moon. By the silhouette, he knew it was Kafui. He watched him enter someone's tent.
He ignored it and went about his business. After that, he went back to bed. When he woke up he noticed people whispering. A crowd was gathered at a tent. He was going to check what was going on when Loric grabbed him.
"Lord, what is going on?" Laud asked as he was being dragged away.
"Someone died, I heard she is the third to die on this trip. You have to be careful, where is your dagger?"
Loric asked as they walked to their tent. Laud picked up the wrapped dagger and showed it to him.
Later in the day, Laud passed by where the crowd had gathered. He noticed it was the same tent he had seen Kafui visit the night before.
"Lord, I think Kafui killed that woman," Laud told Loric. He was grooming the Griffin when Laud to him.
"Why do you say that?" Loric asked as he brushed the griffin's fur.
"I saw him enter her tent the night before," Laud mentioned but Loric did not seem to care.
"They said she was attacked by a wild animal. They may have just slept together before she was attacked," Loric rationalized and Laud realized Loric might be right.
He could definitively say Kafui killed her. He could not even say he saw him. He decided to keep an eye on him to know what he was hiding.
That night Laud woke up to see Kafui ransacking Loric's bag. Laud stayed in bed as he watched him Kafui chomp on Loric's dry meat.
He turned and Laud quickly closed his eyes. He pretended to be asleep then headed him to walk out of the tent. Laud got out of bed and followed him.
He saw him untie the Giffin and walked it behind the hill.
"Where is he going at this time?" Laud thought as he followed him. He tried to make as little noise as possible.
Laud heard the Griffin rattle. He later heard a screeching roar. When he got there the Griffin was on the ground. Kafui was on his knees with his face deep in its guts.
The sight startled him, this made him slip. A couple of stones rolled down the hill and got Kafui's attention. The crackling sound of bones did not help.
He turned around and growled, his face was covered in blood. His eyes glowed red. Laud immediately unwrapped his dagger.
"What are you?" Laid asked pointing his dagger at him.
"It is not what it looks like," Kafui said and got up.
"It looks like you killed the woman in her tent and now you are eating a griffin. What are you?" Laud said with the dagger still up.
"I guess it's what it looks like. What I told you was the truth just not my truth. I am Nox and I am a dragon," Kafui said as he walked toward Laud.
"Lies, I have seen dragons and they look nothing like you," Laud said as he walked backward.
"It is the truth and those people deserved to die. I am still deciding if your brother ends up like them," Kafui said and wiped his mouth with his sleeves.
"Who are you to decide who lives and dies," Laud asked asked as he continued to walk backward.
"In that context, I am no one but when it has to do with my species. I will always have a say. Your brother killed a dragon, I am trying to decide if he did so in self-defense. Or he kill a dragon just to get it's breath," Kafui said.
"He would not kill a dragon. We are dragon riders," Laud said and slipped but regained his balance almost in an instant.
"Maybe he was but not anymore. With dragon's breath, no dragon would ever trust him again," Kafui said, and for the first time, Laud doubted his brother.
"You seem to be telling the truth so I would give him the benefit of the doubt. He is now living for two. If he does not live a life that honors the dragon's life he took. I would be back for him," Kafui said then grabbed his lower jaw.
He yanked it down and a pop sound rang. A continuous sound of cracking bones beaconed a transformation. Skin fell off his body revealing black scales. He continued to grow in size. After what felt like hours, he was a dragon.
He walked back grabbed the Griffin and disappeared into the night.