Rampion
Chapter 3
There was only one creature that I knew, that was capable of this sort of thing. Kia Tamrinkas, and it seemed that she was nearby or if not, she was inside of the tower for I noticed a shadow passing behind a curtain. Unfortunately I could not see much for the window was very small and thin.
If I was to confront the sorceress, I would need to rely on my hearing to pin point her location in the tower. I landed a few hundred feet away from the structure in a part of the dense forest, and waited. The figure that I had seen had stopped moving for a moment, and I feared that it had noticed me.
After a moment it began to move again, seemingly in a circle. Was she pacing? I could not smell any fear, apprehension or worry, do to the obscene amount of magic surrounding the tower. She obviously did not want anyone to find her here. But why?
My patience had ran thin by the time nightfall arrived and thankfully the land was still dense with fog. A storm was brewing, now and lightning streaked across the sky. Illusion in front of the tower seemed to be blinking rapidly. It was failing. Could it be that Kia Tamrinkas's magic could not stand its ground against the Goddesses of Nature?
Suddenly a thick and jagged bolt of lightning struck the top of a tall pine, and the it burst into flames. The tree fell forward and ripped a hole through the illusion and fell onto the tower. Flames licked their way up the tower and I got to my feet immediately. My ears picked up the panicked movements of the creature inside and I briefly considered just watching the wicked woman burn. But I was curious, why did she not just fly away? Why would she seal herself in a tower that had no door?
I beat my wings steadily and rose into the air and past the broken wall of illusions. Flames wrapped themselves around my tail and legs, but it did not hinder me. Dragons were born of nature's fire, so we could not be killed by it.
Some of the stones at the top of the tower were beginning to loosen themselves from the rest and fall to the ground. Others crumbled where they had been placed. The missing block created a big enough hole for me to see the inside of the tower.
A small child was lying under a table. She was still breathing but if she stayed in that spot the table would collapse onto her, and she would perish.
I do not know what came over me just then, but I knew I could not leave the child to burn, so I grabbed her. I cradled her small unconscious form in my talons and flew away from the crumbling structure. As I passed the broken illusion, I felt a small tug and the child stirred but I did not stop.
When I returned to my cave I placed the girl beside some rocks and just watched her. Now that she was not surrounded by smoke and flame, her breathing was steadier and she was beginning to move.
I retreated a few steps and considered leaving, so when she woke up she wouldn't be startled by my presence. But why? Why did I care about whether I startled her or not? Why did I save her from death?
A small gasp interrupted my thoughts and I looked down to see two large frightened eyes staring up at me. One green and one brown.
Just like my Azuna.
If I was to confront the sorceress, I would need to rely on my hearing to pin point her location in the tower. I landed a few hundred feet away from the structure in a part of the dense forest, and waited. The figure that I had seen had stopped moving for a moment, and I feared that it had noticed me.
After a moment it began to move again, seemingly in a circle. Was she pacing? I could not smell any fear, apprehension or worry, do to the obscene amount of magic surrounding the tower. She obviously did not want anyone to find her here. But why?
My patience had ran thin by the time nightfall arrived and thankfully the land was still dense with fog. A storm was brewing, now and lightning streaked across the sky. Illusion in front of the tower seemed to be blinking rapidly. It was failing. Could it be that Kia Tamrinkas's magic could not stand its ground against the Goddesses of Nature?
Suddenly a thick and jagged bolt of lightning struck the top of a tall pine, and the it burst into flames. The tree fell forward and ripped a hole through the illusion and fell onto the tower. Flames licked their way up the tower and I got to my feet immediately. My ears picked up the panicked movements of the creature inside and I briefly considered just watching the wicked woman burn. But I was curious, why did she not just fly away? Why would she seal herself in a tower that had no door?
I beat my wings steadily and rose into the air and past the broken wall of illusions. Flames wrapped themselves around my tail and legs, but it did not hinder me. Dragons were born of nature's fire, so we could not be killed by it.
Some of the stones at the top of the tower were beginning to loosen themselves from the rest and fall to the ground. Others crumbled where they had been placed. The missing block created a big enough hole for me to see the inside of the tower.
A small child was lying under a table. She was still breathing but if she stayed in that spot the table would collapse onto her, and she would perish.
I do not know what came over me just then, but I knew I could not leave the child to burn, so I grabbed her. I cradled her small unconscious form in my talons and flew away from the crumbling structure. As I passed the broken illusion, I felt a small tug and the child stirred but I did not stop.
When I returned to my cave I placed the girl beside some rocks and just watched her. Now that she was not surrounded by smoke and flame, her breathing was steadier and she was beginning to move.
I retreated a few steps and considered leaving, so when she woke up she wouldn't be startled by my presence. But why? Why did I care about whether I startled her or not? Why did I save her from death?
A small gasp interrupted my thoughts and I looked down to see two large frightened eyes staring up at me. One green and one brown.
Just like my Azuna.