How liberating it was to touch the sky once again. Kinsoriel took a deep breath, savoring the slightly salty taste it held. Being forced to walk for days on end had only made flying feel that much better. Each flap of his wings widened his grin a bit more.
“How much longer will it be?” Benjamin called up to him, trying to outdo the interference of the wind.
He raised the deathbound up to speaking level. “We are about halfway now.”
Even with the wind hampering his hearing, Kinsoriel could still pick up the groan his servant uttered. He rolled his eyes. If they had been going at a real speed, they might be there already. But if he were to do that, the mortal in his hands would keel over from the chill. So many problems for the dragon, created by another’s weaknesses.
He didn’t mind going a bit slower though. Any excuse to fly some more was a welcome one to him.
A few minutes passed by, and something started to feel amiss. The warmth of the air disappeared without warning, and the clouds began to darken. Wind sheared around him, making flight harder by the second. By the time the first droplet of water hit his scales, he knew what was coming; a tropical storm.
“What’s going on?!” he barely heard over roaring winds. With a threat like this looming over them, Kinsoriel ignored the question, instead searching for a place to land.
They seemed to be over an archipelago, but few of the islands offered any cover whatsoever. The largest of them was likely to be their best bet. Going as fast as he could while maintaining control, Kinsoriel sped towards the island.
Sand flew up into the air as he touched down. The landing wasn’t very elegant, but it was a mostly safe one. Once at a complete stop, he set down Benjamin- who had gone into a coughing fit from the airborne sand- and began scouting out the most secure area. The palm trees and foliage inward were being blown around like nothing, so those were out. There was a mountain-like cliff area, but flying around it to find a spot could be dangerous. Spotting what looked to be a large seaside cave close by, he pointed to it.
“Over there! Follow me!” he yelled as he bounded towards shelter. It sounded like Benjamin said something, but he couldn’t make it out. The storm was in full effect now, producing claps of thunder and jagged lightning. All of it together was heavily disorienting, but the dragon persisted.
Once he had made it to the edge of the cave, he craned his head back. Though the storm wasn’t helping in the slightest, there wasn’t any sight of the little author.
“Deathbound!?” He shouted out across the beach, “Where are you?” No response.
He started to get angry. “If you don’t show yourself in the next five seconds, there WILL be consequences!” Still nothing. Snarling, he tried one last time at the top of his lungs. “BENJAMIN!” Only the wind said anything back.
Was his servant this much of a weakling? Was it possible that he got blown away? Ugh, of course it was. As easy as it would be to just relax in the cave and wait for the storm to pass, he’d rather not have his student go missing. Sighing heavily, Kinsoriel began backtracking.
It was hard to see anything at all between the darkened sky and sheets of rain. He couldn’t smell anything either, his snout was being overwhelmed by the scents of salty water and ozone.
He continued, looking around for what must have been a good half hour. He found nothing for his efforts except waterlogged sand and uprooted plants. As time went on, it was looking more and more like his teaching days were already over. But as luck would have it, the storm started to pass by.
With his sight and smell returning, he resumed his search in earnest. He soon found his servant’s tracks, which were already starting to get covered up. Tracing them as best as he was able, they at a point had stopped suddenly.
His first thought was his initial fear; the scrawny mortal had up and blown away. The winds were powerful enough to give even him difficulty after all. But upon sniffing around those last steps, he realized it was much worse; the scent of another dragon.
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Clack, clack, clack. Benjamin strummed the wooden bars of his cage with one of the sticks he had lying around him. He could probably get himself out of it with one of the spells he’d been taught, but the presence of his captor hampered that idea.
“Would you stop that?” the unknown dragon demanded with a hiss. Sighing, Benjamin put the stick back on the ground.
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How did this even happen? One moment he’s trying not to die from all the sand inviting itself into his lungs. The next, this bozo has him in this little jail that looks like it was made in arts and crafts.
Aside from the cage, everything in this cavern looked decently nice; if you were a nautical enthusiast that is. There were decorations strewn about that would make you think you stepped into a seafood restaurant. Captain's wheels, figureheads, and even treasure chests.
His belongings were placed by those same treasure chests, away from the entrance. At least he'd been allowed to keep his attire.
“Do you have a name?” Benjamin asked, trying to get his captor to open up.
“Of course I have a name, trespasser.” He responded while fanning the flames under a giant cauldron with a palm leaf. Oh… that can’t be good.
“And what would that be?” Benjamin prodded further, leaning against the bars.
Grunting, it turned around and plodded over to the cage, giving him his first clear view. He looked to be larger than Kinsoriel by about another couple of feet, though smaller than his true size. The horns that adorned the top of his head looked like those of a bull, ready to gore at any moment. Those claws seemed fit to tunnel through the ground rather than kill but were still imposing from the sheer size. He had those same ‘dragony’ eyes, just in blue.
His scales were a dark shade of green, which meant that this dragon was likely devoted to Isdri. Benjamin wished he had given himself more than just the mythology so he could know what scale color really meant, but this was the most he had to go off of.
He glared down at Benjamin, revealing a set of teeth that looked wicked sharp. “I don’t share my name with my food, deathbound.” Ben cringed on the inside as his fears were confirmed. The green dragon then picked up the cage from the top, bringing it towards the cauldron.
“W-wait!” Benjamin shouted up trying to get the dragon’s attention.
“What now?” he complained as he stopped, lifting the cage up to his eyes.
“If you eat me,” Benjamin pleaded, “you’ll make my master very mad!”
This softened the green dragon’s face a bit, eliciting a laugh. “Oh no, my next meal will deliver itself to me! Whatever will I do?”
Getting more annoyed than fearful, Benjamin corrected him. “My master is also a dragon you know!”
The green dragon stopped laughing, instead looking back at Benjamin intently. “Repeat yourself.” Benjamin did so, being watched the entire way through this time. After he finished, the dragon sniffed at the cage. “Hmm… So you speak the truth.”
The glimmer of hope he had fizzled out when the dragon started walking again. “What are you doing!?” he asked frantically.
“I’m still hungry now.” The dragon then put a claw to his chin in contemplation. “Maybe I’ll save your master a serving, show there aren’t any hard feelings between us.”
If he didn’t do anything right now, he’d be kissing this world goodbye in both ways. Think, what to do. Eugh, the heat from that cauldron was reaching even over here. He could scarcely think with the hot air smacking him in the face. What he wouldn’t give to cool down at a time like this. Wait, cool down.
Doing his best to remain calm and focused, Benjamin clasped his hands together. Singular point, ball of ice between the hands, shoot. That’s what he needs right now. He started drawing mana into his hands, keeping his mental image clear. He’d have to thank Kinsoriel later for helping him practice his E.K., but now it was time for action. Once the orb grew enough to fill his hands, he shouted “Ice Beam!” and fired it straight at the cauldron.
It had finished its purpose within moments, freezing the iron and its contents solid. Benjamin let his arms down with a breath of ease, still feeling a slight tingling in his fingers.
“What?!” the green dragon exclaimed at the now frozen cauldron, letting the cage fall from his hands. Benjamin fell to his back as it hit the floor. When he sat himself back up, he saw his would-be devourer tapping at the now-solid water. Angrily, he looked back to Benjamin. “Were you hiding a grimoire from me!? Where is it?”
As the green dragon started inspecting Benjamin from all sides, he noticed a shadow appear at the mouth of the cave. “There you are.” came a familiar voice.
The green dragon turned his head to the cave mouth just in time to see Kinsoriel walk in. “Who are you?” the green dragon spat.
“I am Kinsoriel, son of Ortremel,” he said in regal fashion, “to whom do I speak?”
Upon hearing this, the green dragon bowed his head respectfully. “Seigill. I apologize for any rudeness, elder one,” he gestured to the cage, “my meal has been giving me issues as you can see.”
Benjamin flailed his arms and shouted in an attempt to get attention. “Kinsoriel! I’m over here!”
The black dragon closed his eyes and placed a hand above his brow. “Yes little servant, I know that already.”
With a suspicious look about him, Seigill pointed a claw at Kinsoriel. “This deathbound… is your servant?” When he confirmed this with a nod, the green dragon started to raise his voice. “It would be one thing if it was a youngling, but why would the son of Ortremel ever humor this?!”
Baring his teeth alongside a growl, Kinsoriel replied, “My reasons have no part in this, I’m only here to take back what’s mine.”
Seigill’s face once again reverts to that of anger. “I’ve protected these islands from their ilk for decades, met their destruction with my own, and my elder strolls in to save one!”
They both looked at each other with an intensity that even Benjamin managed to feel. “I ask this only once,” Kinsoriel said as he continued to stare down the green dragon, “will you give back my mortal willingly?”
Without any hesitation, Seigill said, “I will not.”
After hearing this, Kinsoriel sighed and untensed himself. “Very well.” Before Benjamin could begin to panic, his main character continued. “I challenge you for the right of ownership.”
Seigill followed suit, also untensing. “All over a single deathbound.” With an indignant huff, he said, “I accept your challenge.”
Both in agreement, Seigill picked up Benjamin’s cage and followed Kinsoriel out of the cave. Now outside, Benjamin could finally see where he had been taken. They were above what seemed to be a cliff, surrounded below by the remains of numerous ships. Cargo from them bobbed up and down against the tide.
They flew out from the perilous terrain and went to a more stable rock face. Once there, Benjamin’s cage was put down a distance away from the two dragons. As they both squared up to each other, Benjamin gripped the bars, muttering to himself. “Please, don’t lose.”