Chapter 9: Dragons teeth

The clouds had ended a long time ago and Ramirez had realized how close to the ground the clouds really can be, he looked around and saw straight ahead of them the mountain tops of the dragons fang, or the grey mountains as the dragons called it. Na T'hels home, it was still distant but they could be there by the end of the day. He was still baffled by far they had flown during one day what would take a week or so by horse, he knew dragons were fast, but this by far is the fastest he has ever traveled. She had to be using magic, or maybe this was normal for dragons, he wasn't sure.

Na T'hel started descending slowly, she was tired from the pace she had upheld the entire day plus the day before, she was exhausted, but she knew there wasn't much further until she was home. She was still unsure why she was chosen for this mission, a guardian was much more suited for dangerous missions like these, but she couldn't just dismiss a formal request from both the council and the guardians. She has exhausted all of her magical energies, and she is both physically and mentally tired, been held captive by dragoons, nearly killed and sentenced to death. She's been through more the past couple of days than her entire life.

The ground drew ever so closer, from where they were the treetops and few farms and houses that could be seen started becoming less flat, as it looked like from the clouds, Ramirez had never imagined flying at such a height ever, his father had told him, who had flown on a dragon, his old companion, he couldn't remember the dragons name, but that dragon was a master of runic magic. "Na T'hel, what will you say to the council when you arrive? You never did complete your mission." She sighed and took a steeper angle, she didn't flap her enormous and strong wings, but merely floated on the wind, gliding down on the currents, he now noticed how big the dragons wings are, nearly twice her length. It was a sight he never thought he would see, especially from the back of a dragon, it was magnificent. She kept soaring down as Ramirez realized that the air suddenly became easier to breath, he had been taking long, deep breaths during the entire flight, he never noticed it until now, Na T'hel looked over her shoulder a bit quick and snickered a bit, "The air is different when your higher up, harder to breath, you get used to it" she looked ahead again, the grey mountains where closer than ever, Ramirez had been in the village at its foot, but he had never been inside, he's not even heard stories off it. It's become more of a legend than anything, to think that there actually are dragons living there, deep down under the mountains.

Ramirez was deep in thought when he heard a loud crash and the familiar sound of a roaring fire behind them just as a bright, red light flashed up behind them. He turned only to see an explosion of fire just dying and turned ahead again, only to see another fireball heading straight for him. Without thinking he stood up on Na T'hels back and stretched his arms forward, just towards the fireball, he knew he couldn't keep his secret hidden from dragons for too long. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath and opened his eyes again, forcing the magical currents around him, in the air and his own into his hands just as the fireball impacted on him and threw the currents to the sides in a wide, sweep motion the energies that created the fireball exploded outwards, away from him and Na T'hel, saving them both from harm. His motions all happened in the fraction of a moment, outside of a normal humans limits, but usual for a wizard of high caliber.

He took stance forced the magical flow over his arms again and into his hands and with the snap of his index and middle finger summoned up a great, roaring flame in his hands and threw his hand and arms forward, sending a small, beam like flame towards the source of the fireballs, two dragnars. He missed the two dragnars on purpose, knowing they are not enemies; he did it just to make them think twice before sending another volley at him and Na T'hel, who roared loudly, signing her presence with a stream of bright blue flames from her maw, the fire that only dragons possessed, judges flame, criterion fire. He kept standing on Na T'hels back during the rest of their approach; nothing more happened though, no more volleys of fire or other element. He was prepared in case something happened, but minimized his intervention.

When they landed on the ledge more dragnars had gathered and were prepared to strike, but where halted by the fact that it was Na T'hel, Ramirez was the only reason they had fired a warning shot, the only reason they had acted at all, he understood this as many humans look down on dragons. It was understandable that they took the precautions, they were guards, and people like Ramirez are the reason they are even needed.

~End of chapter~