Daggers & Knives
Chapter 3
A dot of water hit Arca’s forehead. She blinked oblivious to the weather around her. She was so deep in her own mind she didn’t realize that the world around her had darkened. Arca peered upwards and saw the once scattered clouds had passed and ominous black ones had arrived in their place, concealing the sky.
As more droplets of water hit Arca and Gekido, they began to come down harder and harder. With the rain now hitting them like sharp needles, Arca gingerly crawled down off Gekido’s neck and placed herself on his saddle. Arca shivered as the rain drenched her armor. She attempted to wrap her wings around herself to keep herself a little warmer. After becoming settled she quickly grabbed his reigns and made Gekido fly faster.
Perhaps after fifteen more minutes of flying through the drenching rain, Arca saw land slowly protruding its way onto the horizon. As she flew closer to the land, the rain quietly subsided. When the two arrived to the land, the rain had completely stopped. The clouds were still there, but they only remained quiet.
Arca jumped down and examined her surroundings. Through a thick fog she could see cypress trees randomly littering the area. The fog was thick on the ground, masking any paths that would lead her to a major city. Arca frowned once she realized where she was “I hate swamps” she muttered.
Arca took Gekido’s reigns in hand and began to lead him through the swamp. As they trudged through the land Arca saw that her heels were already caked with wet mud. She wrinkled her nose with disgust.
“Damn swamp,” She muttered under her breath. “I loved these boots!” She lifted up her left foot to examine the ‘damage’ done to her shoes. She put her leg back down in the sludge and continued to walk, whining all the way until she saw what she thought to be a building concealed by heavy fog in the distance.
Arca’s eyes lit up as the fog slowly dispersed, revealing a small town. Her slow walk broke into a jog as both Arca and Gekido approached the houses.
Obviously
“Halt,” an unexpected booming voice ordered. Arca stopped dead in her tracks and turned towards the direction the voice. “Is that creature under your control?" asked a man in heavy clad iron armor.
"What’s it to you?" Arca asked, slightly annoyed that this man was the only thing between her and a possibly hot meal.
"I am a local imperial guard and as so it is my duty to protect this town from trouble and monsters like that," he harshly pointed at Gekido.
Arca glared daggers into the man "this 'monster'" she put extra emphasis on the word” wouldn't dare cause any problems under my watch, officer"
He took a moment to reexamine Gekido before speaking again. "I’m afraid that i cannot take your word for it, I have to ask you to leave immediately"
Arca took Gekido’s reigns in her hand and stormed off, leading her mount away from the small village. She continued to walk west until they came across a large open cavern. " look what we found hatchling" Arca teased the dragon, trying to mask the fact she was still angry with the man from the town
Arca let go of the reigns, letting them dangle off of Gekido’s large muzzle. She wondered blindly into the cave, thankful her eyes could adjust to the darkness faster than a human’s average eye. It was a typical dull cave, had rocks and the occasional glowing mushroom scattered about.
Arca mentally noted an old campfire in the center of the cavern. She bent down and examined the ash, holding some in her hand. The ash was cold as the air around her. "No one has been here for awhile now." the ash slipped through her fingers and sank to the ground.
Gekido peeked his head into the cave and gave off a gentle growl. Arca smiled and faced her mount. "Coast is clear buddy" she ran up to him then began unbuckling his reigns. “you can wonder in the cave until I come back from town " after Arca managed to take off the head piece she walked to Gekido's flank and unbuckled his saddle. The saddle was a very large leather seat that contained many large pockets and sacks on the sides to help arca carry loot from the wilderness to town.
Arca pulled off the heavy saddle, letting it plummet onto the ground.
Arca bent forward and gathered everything she needed to bring back into town.
"Watch my things wyrm" Arca slung her loot sack on her back and sauntered out of their new camp, heading back towards the village.
As more droplets of water hit Arca and Gekido, they began to come down harder and harder. With the rain now hitting them like sharp needles, Arca gingerly crawled down off Gekido’s neck and placed herself on his saddle. Arca shivered as the rain drenched her armor. She attempted to wrap her wings around herself to keep herself a little warmer. After becoming settled she quickly grabbed his reigns and made Gekido fly faster.
Perhaps after fifteen more minutes of flying through the drenching rain, Arca saw land slowly protruding its way onto the horizon. As she flew closer to the land, the rain quietly subsided. When the two arrived to the land, the rain had completely stopped. The clouds were still there, but they only remained quiet.
Arca jumped down and examined her surroundings. Through a thick fog she could see cypress trees randomly littering the area. The fog was thick on the ground, masking any paths that would lead her to a major city. Arca frowned once she realized where she was “I hate swamps” she muttered.
Arca took Gekido’s reigns in hand and began to lead him through the swamp. As they trudged through the land Arca saw that her heels were already caked with wet mud. She wrinkled her nose with disgust.
“Damn swamp,” She muttered under her breath. “I loved these boots!” She lifted up her left foot to examine the ‘damage’ done to her shoes. She put her leg back down in the sludge and continued to walk, whining all the way until she saw what she thought to be a building concealed by heavy fog in the distance.
Arca’s eyes lit up as the fog slowly dispersed, revealing a small town. Her slow walk broke into a jog as both Arca and Gekido approached the houses.
Obviously
“Halt,” an unexpected booming voice ordered. Arca stopped dead in her tracks and turned towards the direction the voice. “Is that creature under your control?" asked a man in heavy clad iron armor.
"What’s it to you?" Arca asked, slightly annoyed that this man was the only thing between her and a possibly hot meal.
"I am a local imperial guard and as so it is my duty to protect this town from trouble and monsters like that," he harshly pointed at Gekido.
Arca glared daggers into the man "this 'monster'" she put extra emphasis on the word” wouldn't dare cause any problems under my watch, officer"
He took a moment to reexamine Gekido before speaking again. "I’m afraid that i cannot take your word for it, I have to ask you to leave immediately"
Arca took Gekido’s reigns in her hand and stormed off, leading her mount away from the small village. She continued to walk west until they came across a large open cavern. " look what we found hatchling" Arca teased the dragon, trying to mask the fact she was still angry with the man from the town
Arca let go of the reigns, letting them dangle off of Gekido’s large muzzle. She wondered blindly into the cave, thankful her eyes could adjust to the darkness faster than a human’s average eye. It was a typical dull cave, had rocks and the occasional glowing mushroom scattered about.
Arca mentally noted an old campfire in the center of the cavern. She bent down and examined the ash, holding some in her hand. The ash was cold as the air around her. "No one has been here for awhile now." the ash slipped through her fingers and sank to the ground.
Gekido peeked his head into the cave and gave off a gentle growl. Arca smiled and faced her mount. "Coast is clear buddy" she ran up to him then began unbuckling his reigns. “you can wonder in the cave until I come back from town " after Arca managed to take off the head piece she walked to Gekido's flank and unbuckled his saddle. The saddle was a very large leather seat that contained many large pockets and sacks on the sides to help arca carry loot from the wilderness to town.
Arca pulled off the heavy saddle, letting it plummet onto the ground.
Arca bent forward and gathered everything she needed to bring back into town.
"Watch my things wyrm" Arca slung her loot sack on her back and sauntered out of their new camp, heading back towards the village.