A Dragon's Path - Chapter Six
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This is the most current chapter of A Dragon's Path, and the end of what I call the "Tutorial/Prologue" part of it, where we introduce the characters and get used to the format of the story. From here on out, we'll be going out to bigger and better places.
We have three options from this point. Each is an island we can head to next.
Up north is a rocky, barren island without much on it. This might not seem like the ideal destination, but it's also the closest one, and there's reason to suspect that there are other islands very close to it. This is option A.
To the east, a little bit further, is another island populated with humans, but a lot more of them. This is perfect for those looking for a little thrill with there adventure; the dangers are apparent, but the rewards are plentiful. This is option B.
To the south, furthest away, is an island teeming with other species of dragons. Most of them don't have the ability to swallow things whole, but some do, and there are many, many different species there. This is option C.
Let me know what you think, and also, as a bonus, tell me what you think about this series as a whole. What do you like so far, and what do you think could be improved on? What are your general thoughts?
Thanks guys.
A Dragon's Path
Chapter Six:
Departure
Skytail and her parents spent about another hour together, before she had to go again.
They discussed briefly what her plans for traveling were. She said she wasn't quite sure yet; Nightclaw probably had the plans, and she was fine just going with the flow.
Then, her parents started talking about their time off of the island. They had barely left it since Skytail had been born, preferring instead to settle down and raise her in one place. But they had been out to see the world before. They told her of all their adventures that they had had. Skytail listened intently.
Then, she realized how much time had passed, and decided she should go see Nightclaw and tell him what had been decided.
She said goodbye to her parents, and promised to come say goodbye to them one last time before she left for good. Then, she returned to Nightclaw's cave.
When she got there, she saw that the Monstrous Nightmare had had a few snacks as well. His belly ballooned out with the struggles of what looked like three humans inside of him. He lounged on his side, his gut splayed out beside him, wriggling and gurgling and churning.
"Nightclaw," she greeted from the cave entrance.
He opened his eyes and looked up. Clearly he hadn't been expecting her back so soon.
"My parents are fine with it," she announced.
"Fantastic," Nightclaw said. He rolled onto his gut, squishing the food inside, and slowly rose to his feet. "When do you want to leave?"
"Hmmmm..." she said, going deep into thought. "How about tomorrow morning? Give ourselves some time to digest so these humans aren't weighing us down."
"Good idea," Nightclaw replied. "Let's do it. First thing tomorrow morning?"
"Sure thing!" Skytail replied. "I'll come over as soon as I'm up!"
"Sounds like a plan," Nightclaw agreed. "See you then."
* * *
Skytail left the cave, and returned to her own. There she spent the rest of the day and all of the night, resting off her meal. Though the bulge was shrinking rather quickly, the nutrients she gained from it would last her at least a few days.
By the time the next morning rolled around, her belly was nearly back to its normal size, with only a small layer of pudge and a small bulge of sloshing mush to show that the humans she had devoured had ever been there.
She stood up, and walked back to the entrance of her cave, her belly sloshing as she moved. The Nadder stopped at the entrance, and stretched out her body and limbs, removing the sleep from her muscles. Then, she took one last look around at her cave.
It felt weird, to be finally leaving it. Though she didn't have anything she wanted to bring with her, she still felt as if she were leaving something behind. This cave had been her home for the past few years, and this island had been her home for her entire life. Once again, she wondered if she could really leave it all behind.
The answer came back to her then. Yes, she could; especially since she wasn't truly leaving it behind at all. She would return one day. She could feel it inside of her.
With that, she turned back, spread her wings, and took off.
* * *
She went to her parent's cave first, to say goodbye. The three dragons exchanged one last, heartfelt farewell. They told each other how much they loved each other, and Skytail promised to take care of herself, and to return one day.
Then, she left to go see Nightclaw.
When she reached his cave, she saw that he was up and ready, lying down at the entrance and sunning himself. As she flew in, he stood up, and she could see that his belly too had shrunk.
The two greeted each other, and then took one last moment to take in the island around them. Then, they spread their wings, and took to the air.
"Which way are we going?" Skytail asked.
"I'm not sure," Nightclaw replied. "Let's just... Pick a direction and go in it."
"Sounds good," Skytail replied.
With that, the two dragons flew off into the horizon, beginning their adventure together, and leaving the island they had called home behind.