Daybreak - Dragon Embarks! [Hayate, Dragon]

[Dragon]

“I bear the strain of these chains, so that when set free, I will never debase the worth of having wings unfurled”

The sun rose from its recurring slumber, light pouring through the worn embrasure of the great corone library, located within the capital Radasanth. The stream spilled out, filling the libraries reference section, finding its resting place upon Erik’s pale cheek and besieging his eyelids, playing a game of tug of war. He had once again passed out reading over old encyclopedias containing information about the magical arts and how to utilise them. It was time to wake up.

As he fought for consciousness he took notice of that same familiar feeling, a comfortable thin down blanket placed over his shoulders while he had slept, keeping him with warmth over the night. “Good morning, isn’t the sunshine wonderful this morning?” a voice Erik was all too accustomed to had spoken. It was his caretaker Alred, a tall elven man with long golden hair and green eyes that also took care over the books found within the great libraries stone walls. Erik focused his posture straight before stretching, allowing his bones to pop loudly while yawning and replying in a miffed tone “Yeah, I suppose.”

“So I presume that have you decided then.” They both exchanged a glance in recognition of the milestone that had been in development over the past year. “It’s about that time now isn’t it.” The truth was that they both weren’t looking forward to departing from each other, but knew that it was inevitable at some stage. Only on two occasions his father had come to see him, his 10th birthday, and his 20th birthday. On his 20th birthday he had received a warning not to disappoint his mother, along with a dragon egg. He was not entirely sure what to make of the encounter, feeling a cocktail of emotions he couldn’t explain. But curiosity and a chance to discover his purpose trumped all.

The two briefly discussed travel arrangements before sharing an eventual embrace. “Remember, Stonevale can be a dangerous place. Having Ddraig with you will make you a target. You will have to quickly learn how to protect yourself.” From behind a bookshelf came a cooing creature clad in black scale no bigger than a kitten, responding to the sound of its name. The baby dragon dug its tiny claws into Erik’s pant leg and crawled its way up to his shoulder before curling around his neck and resting in place. Alred continued “I will escort you to the harbour and you’ll be on your own after that.”

“Thank you, Alred. You have done more for me over the past twenty one years than I could ever hope to repay. I will forever be indebted to you.” Alred scoffed at his statement before patting him on the back. “Enough of that, it's time to leave.”

After a moment of packing some books and necessities into a tanned leather knapsack they were both on their way. Alred was well known by the people of the city and so it made passage less arduous than they had to be due to the traffic restrictions. The destination was stone vale, located in the isle of Scara Brae. It wasn’t long before the two had arrived at the docks and it was time to depart. “I guess this is goodbye, Erik Von Dragon.” Erik forced a smile.“It is time to say goodbye, but I think goodbyes are sad and I’d much rather say hello. Hello to a new adventure, and farewell to a friend.”

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Adventures are filled with trials.

“Hey get back here you kidnapper!” It wasn’t a single day into his journey and he already happened himself into trouble. Erik went chasing after a man in a black cloak who had snatched his baby dragon right from off his shoulders. “You’ll pay for this!” Erik shook his fists in anger as he followed him through the streets of stonevale on a wild goose chase. It seemed as though they were headed towards a rocky overpass he could only assume was to lead to the mines in which he had heard about from Alred. “That bastard…” Erik muttered to himself. Civilians paid their gaze towards the spectacle that had unfolded, in broad daylight no less! “Another victim…” A man sighed. “This madness needs to end.” An old lady rejoined. Ddraig could be heard squealing in the distance as the thief slid down a rocky bluff into the mines below.

A sinking feeling washed over Erik, as the thought that he’d never see his scaly friend again occurred to him now that the thief had entered the mines. For all he knew the cavernous area could be a labyrinth leading into dangers he was nowhere near prepared for. Erik was already faced with a fork in the road and a decision to make, and he felt that it was way too dangerous to go into the mines alone, he needed help.

"Psst, hey you." Came a voice.

Erik turned his head to the source, eyes meeting with a larger than average fellow equipped with mining gear. Erik proceeded towards the man and pointed to his chest before looking around him for others. "Who, me?"

The miner scoffed "Listen, you'd be best leaving those mines well enough alone. Whatever thems thieves take don't come back out, capiche?" Erik shook his head and scowled. "No way, im getting my dragon back." The miners ears perked. "A dragon you say? Well it'll be even more not coming back out than before, capiche?" Erik grimaced "There's got to be a way. I mean doesn't this town have security for these kinds of things?" The miner bursted out laughing. "You're funny kid. Listen, there may be one hope, and it sure as hell ain't the guards." The miner leaned in closer before whispering. "Look for a man who sounds of sudden wind. No one's seen him around in ages but he's the only one around this part obliging enough for a job like that." Erik nodded in response and immediately ran off. There's no time to lose.

Erik spent the rest of the day running around town, asking the townsfolk about a man who sounded of sudden wind. Of course, no one had either heard of the man or was just keeping their mouth shut. It was almost as if this person didn't exist at all. "How frustrating..." Erik muttered. "I bet that guy just wanted to get rid of me. He must have been in on it too. I'm such an idiot." Erik sat down at a nearby bench as the sun began to set, his head resting in his hands. "A man who sounds of sudden wind. That sounds so stupid who would have even believed something like that apart from me?"