The Dragon Liberator: Escapee

POV: Fendrel

The sky was a bit brighter now. Faint hints of orange and pink were making an appearance with the sun.

Fog and Fendrel walked beside each other. Stone Edge came into sight, as did the cliff near Stone Edge that overlooked the ocean.

“The others should be waking up by now.” Fendrel smiled. They were making good time. They might even be able to meet up with the others on the road rather than arriving at the Black-Brick Ruins at separate times.

The vapor dragon sniffed the air, made a strange face, then sniffed again.

“Is something wrong?” Fendrel looked at her, confusion etched on his face.

Fog’s feathers stood on end. She stretched her neck higher and squinted. With her feathers now bristling, she stuck her nose to the ground and kept walking. Her tail flicked, not in an excited way like when the group was getting on the road again, but in a way that made her look like she could spring forward at any given time.

Just as Fendrel was about to ask again, Fog stopped in her tracks and her whole body froze.

“You don’t see that?” Fog raised her head. Her voice was shaky.

“What is it?” Fendrel looked where her eyes were targeted and swallowed.

There was a clump of bloodied gray fur.

Tears welled up in Fog’s eyes. She whimpered, stepping away from the fur. “She’s gone.”

Mist.

Fog collapsed, her wings and front paws thrown over her face.

Fendrel pulled one of her wings out of the way and lifted a paw off her face. “Fog, we haven’t seen her yet. We don’t know if she’s dead.” He pointed toward Stone Edge. There was a trail of dried blood and fur. “Look, she went this way.”

Her tears ran down her water-repellent feathers, catching on the grass and mingling with the morning dew. She stifled her sobs and traced the trail with her gaze.

“We can still save her. Come on.” Fendrel squeezed the paw he held, then stood and moved forward a few paces.

Fog sniffled and nodded, dragging her feet as if they were burdened with steel. The further along they went, the less blood and fur they found.

“See? Maybe she found something to staunch her bleeding.” Fendrel gestured at the diminishing trail.

The vapor dragon trotted ahead, and Fendrel chased after her.

It was eerily quiet, more than it usually was when Fendrel came here.

Maybe Mist scared away the animals?

Fog’s ears pressed flat against her head. She stepped over rubble and between half-collapsed buildings. “Mist?”

Fendrel joined her side, scanning the debris.

“Mist?” Fog raised her voice.

Fendrel stepped in front of her and put his finger to his lips.

Fog shut her mouth. She kept her steps light and lowered her head. “What is it?”

“You’re sure that fur belonged to Mist?”

“Yes, it was her scent, and it was the right color.”

“Okay.” Fendrel looked around, then back at her. “She had been injured, which means her attackers could have followed her. They might still be here. Stay as quiet as you can, and don’t leave my side. There’s a good chance her wounds came from dragon hunters.”

Fog shivered. She nodded slowly and continued searching for Mist, her eyes welling up with tears.

A stick snapped somewhere ahead. Fog and Fendrel whipped their heads toward the noise.

Something’s here.

“Stay behind me.” Fendrel pulled out one of the knives in his bag from the dragon hunters’ valley base.

Fog eyed the blade and shrunk back.

“If they attack, I want you to run.” Fendrel kept his voice low.

Fog held her breath and sniffed the air.

“What is it?” Fendrel’s eyes wandered around the rubble.

“Mist’s scent is stronger here.”

“You think it’s her?”

Fog paused for a moment, sniffing again. “No, it would be a lot stronger if she were here. But someone who’s been around her is here.”

“Then we should be wary.” Fendrel gripped the handle of the knife.

The vapor dragon’s ears perked up and she tilted her head to the side.

Fendrel heard it too. Two human voices. He crept toward a stone column that leaned against a scorched cobblestone building. A few of the stones had fallen out of the wall, revealing a spyhole to the two humans on the other side. Fendrel immediately recognized one of the voices.

“No dusk dragons here.” Charles was leaning against a wall.

“Well, we need to find one soon for the Stronghold, and not a hatchling, we need at least a thirteen-year-old dragon.” The second hunter paced. “The new recruits can’t learn how to fight them if they aren’t exposed.”

“Rogues are scarce around here. We should be searching somewhere else, maybe farther south.” Charles shrugged.

“Who cares if it’s a rogue or not. Any normal dragon will attack a human just the same as a rogue if it’s scared enough. Besides, we have paint at the base to make it look like a rogue.” The second hunter sighed. “We’re already here, and there’s no time to travel somewhere in the hopes of finding a dusk dragon. Their nest is around here somewhere. They should be close.”

Charles sighed.

Fog crept up next to Fendrel’s right and peered through the hole in the wall.

Fendrel stooped down and picked up a loose cobblestone.

“Exactly, their nest is nearby. That means there’s likely to be more full-grown dragons. It’s too dangerous here.” Charles stopped leaning on the wall.

The other hunter’s shoes scraped on the rough stone ground as he paced. “If you want to face Sadon’s wrath and refuse a direct order to bring in a dusk dragon, then be my guest. I’m hunting one down, no matter what.”

Fendrel threw the stone. It sailed over a pile of rubble and thudded against a wall far to his left.

“You hear that?” There was amusement in the second hunter’s voice. “There’s probably a clumsy dusk dragon here right now.” He jogged toward the noise.

Scanning the wall, Fendrel saw there was a hole below him that he could squeeze through. He gestured for Fog to jump over the wall to the other side.

She shook her head vigorously and backed away.

With a huff, Fendrel crawled through the hole to the other side of the wall. He stood up and dusted himself off.

Charles turned around, recognition lighting up his worried face. “You made that noise, didn’t you?” Charles nodded his head toward where Fendrel threw the rock.

Fog leaped onto the broken, uneven top of the wall with her wings spread out for balance. She glared at Charles and hissed. Vapor curled out of her mouth. Her feathers puffed out and her claws dug into the stone wall.

After a quick glance at the empty space the other hunter previously took up, Charles tensed as if someone was watching him commit a crime.

Fendrel held a finger to his lips and pointed in the direction of the thrown rock.

Fog closed her mouth.

“I see you made it out of Sharpdagger safe… again, but how did you get here so fast? The city is on the other side of the continent and as far as I know you don’t have a horse.” Charles gestured to Fendrel. “Unless you stole another horse.”

Fendrel jutted his thumb at Fog, who continued to glare daggers at Charles.

“Fog, this is the one who helps me if we find each other at the same base.” Fendrel gestured at Charles.

Fog dropped down from the wall and stood behind Fendrel. She snaked her head over his shoulder so she could continue to eye the dragon hunter.

Charles chuckled. “She’s not a friendly one, is she?”

Fendrel looked over at the vapor dragon. “This is actually pretty rare for her, at least from what I’ve seen of her.”

“Hey Charles!” The other hunter rounded a ruined corner. “Forget what I said. It wasn’t a dusk dragon, but keep your eyes peeled. There might be something—” His eyes widened, and his hand reached for the crossbow strapped to his back.

Charles grabbed a throwing knife from his own belt and threw it at the hunter.

The knife flew by the hunter, grazing his arm.

Gasping, the hunter cried out and clasped the rip in his shirt. “You really are a traitor!”

The hunter’s eyelids drooped, and he crumpled.

Fog sidled up to Fendrel and partially drew her wings around him. Her feathers remained on end and the metal attachments on her claws scraped on the stone ground as she shifted her paws.

Charles held his hand palm-up toward Fendrel. “I laced my knives with a liquid version of the knockout powder.

Fendrel nodded. “Was he the only other hunter here?”

“Yeah. He’s a good kid, he’s just confused about who the enemy is.” Charles turned around. He tried to conceal a laugh. “Does she… does she normally do that?”

Fog rested her chin on Fendrel’s head and started growling at Charles. Mist poured from her jaws.

Fendrel waved the vapor out of his eyes. “She’s never done this before.”

“Usually if a dragon is growling at me, I’d defend myself, but fluffy here is making that a little hard to do.” Charles turned his head and covered his mouth to avoid laughing in her face. “Oh, we should take care of him.” He pointed at the sleeping body.

“Yeah.” Fendrel ducked under Fog’s wings and followed Charles.

“You’re not scared that he’ll hurt you, too?” Fog almost shouted.

“He was protecting us from the other hunter.” Fendrel gestured at Charles.

Fog lowered her head. “He was so quick.”

Fendrel shrugged. “He’s been training for years.”

“But he’s a dragon hunter, not a human hunter.” Fog flung her wings out.

“The dragon hunters teach their students how to fight humans, too. Just in case. But they focused on that part a bit more once I started infiltrating.”

“Do you want any of these?” Charles pulled knives out of the holders on the unconscious hunter’s belt. “I don’t know if they have the knockout elixir on them, so be extra careful you don’t cut yourself.”

“Sure.” Fendrel accepted Charles’ handout.

Fog came up beside Fendrel. She bent her head and sniffed the sleeping hunter’s hand. “He hasn’t been around Mist.” She stretched her neck out and sniffed Charles’ hand. Fog jumped back with a hiss.

“Grumpy and jumpy?” Charles tilted his head at her.

“Him. He’s been around Mist. Her scent is coming from him!” Fog kept her eyes on Charles.

Fendrel furrowed his brow. “Charles? Do you know anything about a captured vapor dragon?”

Charles shook his head. “Other than the one you rescued from Sharpdagger, we haven’t had another vapor dragon capture. Why?”

“We’ve been looking for one. She went missing several days ago.”

“Hmm. Maybe Sadon has a few dragons he doesn’t want anyone knowing about. I haven’t heard anything.” Charles shrugged.

“He says he doesn’t know where she is.” Fendrel turned to Fog.

Fog peered at the fangs tied to Charles’ shoulder guard. “The other hunters we saw before had two or three fangs, but he has four. What does that mean?”

“He’s the second head of the dragon hunters.” Fendrel kept his voice low.

“Their leader trusts him that much? Does Sadon know that some of his hunters are being attacked by your… friend?”

“Sadon doesn’t trust anyone. He just tolerates some people more than others, but he mostly keeps Charles in high rank to keep an eye on him.”

Why is he here without Sadon’s supervision?

“I should have taken up your offer on learning draekonik when I had the chance.” Charles gave a short laugh. “I never thought I’d actually use it, but here I am. What have you two been talking about this whole time?”

Fendrel stuffed the new knives in his bag. “We were wondering why you’re here without Sadon looking over your shoulder every second of your life.”

“Ah.” Charles nodded. “I’ll fill you in later.”

<~><~>

Charles dragged the hunter against a crumbled wall. “Hey! Do you want to stop by the cliff base really quick?”

“I thought that base was closed down?” Fendrel gave Charles a confused look.

“There are still dragons there.” Charles stood.

“How many?” Fendrel’s heart raced.

Charles shrugged. “At least fifteen. After Sadon decided not to hold the final exams there anymore, he left them to die. He said it would take too many resources to transport them all.”

“Fog, we’re stopping by a base close to here. It’s an emergency. You can come inside with us or go to the Black-Brick Ruins if you want.” Fendrel started out of the Stone Edge Ruins with Charles close behind.

“Are you serious?” Fog followed him.

Fendrel nodded. “Yes, I have to do this. And if you don’t want to come with us, all you have to do is follow the coast and you’ll reach the Ruins.”

“No, no. I’m coming with you. You might need my help, you never know.” Fog sped up to walk between the two humans.

“Thank you, Fog.” Fendrel peered in front of her to address Charles. “Why would they just abandon it?”

“Sadon is planning something. He’s holding back on dragon abductions. The dragon hunters’ numbers seem to be shrinking. Sadon’s increasing training too, even of already graduated hunters. It’s happening almost everywhere. I think four of our bases are vacant now.” There was an edge of worry in Charles’ voice.

“What’s happening?” Fog bent her head down.

“There are over a dozen dragons trapped in a base near us.” Fendrel pointed in the base’s direction. “When exactly did Mist go missing?”

“Almost a week ago.” Fog looked where he was pointing.

“Charles, when was the base abandoned?”

Charles leaned forward. “Five days ago. I’m sorry, I wasn’t able to tell you sooner.”

“I’m not promising anything, but Mist might be there.” Fendrel looked up at the vapor dragon.

Her wings lifted. “Really?”

“I wouldn’t get my hopes up, but yes.”

“Well, I’ll keep my hope because that’s all I have at this point.” Fog’s voice was barely above a whisper.