“I may be able to help you.” The stranger said.
“How? Are you a Wizard?”
“No, but my brother could very well do something for you.”
“Is he a…?”
“A wizard? Some people believe he is.” The stranger said with a grin.
I said nothing, not daring to believe there was hope.
“What?” The small man, at least relatively speaking, seemed suddenly anxious, “I guaranty he is! But before anything, do you think you can do me a favor?” He gestured meaningfully with his head
I lay in the middle of the road facing the stranger, with tall trees all around me and a canopy growing overhead. A trail of destruction spread off the beaten path behind me, trees broken in half or knocked down all together, as if a huge force had plowed through, which in fact was the case. As it happened to be, I was quite an enormous creature as such things were measured here on the Earth. The stranger was standing in front of me, tied up to a thick tree with stout ropes. He was looking at me and waiting for an answer.
With one of my claws I cut the ropes holding the human to the tree and saw him fall on his knees out of exhaustion. At that point I wondered why humans turn on each other so easily, but then after a moment thinking on it, I realized it was most likely the same reason why my own race had done so to me. Looking at the human in front of me, I was skeptical but at the same time curious.
“So you think this wizard can give me back my home?” I asked glancing up at the sky; or at least what was visible through the thick canopy.
The human looked up as he stood and figured out what I meant. “I’m dead sure of it.” it said with a humble smile towards me. “Think we should get going, Dragon?” the human said after a brief pause. I realized I’d drifted off slightly, staring at the strange clouds and thinking how strange it was that I was underneath them.
“Agreed, however if you please, don’t call me Dragon. It feels as if you were belittling me. I have a name, you know.”
The human took a step back, overly cautious. “I’m sorry ‘bout that, it’s just you didn’t tell me your name yet. Um… Mine's Isaac… Isaac Xion.”
When I scented his fear I backed off, not wishing to intimidate the tiny creature. “My apologies. I’ve been dealing with these other humans for a while now. They just don’t seem to take the time to listen to my words…” I sighed as I explained to Isaac. “I am Nodalisk.”
It was hard for me to stand back up. For one, all the cuts and bruises I’d accumulated from running through the forest, hadn’t started to heal yet and then the fact that I never had the chance to actually stand straight and look around with the trees all around forcing me to crouch and stoop. I was still quite sore for the awkward run, and yet at the same time, getting to my paws felt wonderful, as if the simple act of just standing there was making me stronger in the wake of my recent trials.
“Um Nodalisk?” I hear Isaac say from near the ground. “What of your… er… Worshipers?”
He just made a very good point. However, for a moment, no matter what I thought up, the future for those humans I left behind seemed grim. ‘Wait a moment,’ I thought, twisting my head down to look at the scraggly bearded man, ‘how did he know about them?’
“I don’t know… If I stayed with them, they would eventually realize I’m no god and perhaps try to kill me,” I said, pretending like I didn’t notice the discrepancy in our conversation, “And since I left them, they are most likely following me right now and maybe going to kill me once they caught up… How did you know they were people of worship?”
“It was how you said it. You sounded annoyed and, just guessing, not much would annoy a dragon of your stature. Men of faith, especially the villagers nearby, I heard are total nut cases.” He chuckled at that for some reason. “Hell, I know they're crazy. I’ve been here for almost two days because of them. I was supposed to be an offering or something… most likely an offering to you.”
I simply nodded at his logic. It was nice being around someone who was not absorbed in verses out of a dusty old book.
“Why don’t you just kill the people behind you and be done with it?” Isaac asked.
I hissed and the pearl white feathers around my neck ruffled at the thought, “I’ll rightly defend myself, if I’m caught, but if there is no need to kill, I don’t. It’s as simple as that. Besides I doubt that any human would dare try hurting a Seraphan.”
“You’re a Seraphan?” he asked me.
“Yes?” I questioned I thought my brilliant coat of feathers and two sets of wings would have given me away immediately… then I remembered that I didn’t quite fulfill the second descriptor anymore.
“It's just... you’re the first I’ve seen, ever. It’s rare to even glimpse at one, yet I’m a few feet away from one. From you…” Isaac’s eyes grew wide as he spoke.
“Are you going crazy like the others as well?” I asked, my tail lashed to the side and began curling around the trunk of a tree.
“No. Of course not. It’s just amazing is all being so close. It is said to be a sign of great luck to even see a Seraphan No wonder those people thought of you as a god…” he replied, clearly eyeing my plumage.
“Then Isaac, let’s be off.” I said beginning to trot off down the road. I felt uncomfortable with the man’s eyes on me like that. Stopping for a moment, I looked behind me and saw the damage I had done in my haste, then back at the road ahead of me. It was quite narrow for me but it seemed I could fit in either direction.
“Something wrong?” Isaac asked.
“In which direction does your wizard live?”
“That way.” He pointed behind me. “Although, that way leads right past the town whence you came. I really don’t want to run into those people again.”
“That’s understandable.” I full heartily agreed with him. “So then, what of the other way?” I asked.
“The city of Bellwood. That’s where I was headed before I was forced to… Stay put as it were.” Isaac answered. “What do you have in mind?” He asked.
“As of now, I just want to lose my Followers.” I said with a little sarcasm. “So that means as of now, our only two choices is either this Bellwood place or past that Village we both were at before. Well I know half of those villagers are behind me right now breaking their way through the forest, so backtracking could be safe, I think. It might even throw them off our trail altogether”
“Either way, I do suggest we hurry it up. I mean you just said those nuts are following you right?! And exactly how long have we been standing here talking?” Isaac said.
“You’re right…" I said, lifting my nose to the direction we would travel.
*Edited by Shalion at the Author's request*
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