But all of that was going to change. Tomorrow morning, he would leave the village and seek out where to go and what he was going to do. He never felt he belonged in the village but belonged someplace else. He felt of no use for this village.
After all, how useful could he be if the village was at peace? It was said there have been no great dangers for centuries and there were no evil animals lurking in the shadows of any tree. If there was no danger haunting anywhere on the island of Shimabellia, then it would be a good opportunity for Vaeludar to start a personal journey.
A gentle, soft knock stuck Vaeludar’s doorway. His ear flickered at the quiet knock coming from his bedroom door. “Come in,” he said. He heard the open while he was still gazing out the window.
“You awake?” said a girl’s voice.
Vaeludar turned to see Eliana, the eldest daughter of Geraldus, walking into his room. “Let me guess: you want to see me breathe fire from my mouth?”
“No, I haven’t come to see you play games,” said Eliana. “I just wanted to talk to you.”
“Talk to me? About what? I hope it wasn’t about playing dress-ups your younger sisters.”
“Would you comment on such little games for kids?” asked Eliana. “I wanted to talk about your departure.”
Vaeludar stood from the window to look at Eliana. She was as beautiful as tree leaves of in the season of autumn. Her long brown hair was tied in a ponytail and her brown eyes flickered from the light behind her from the doorway, but Vaeludar wasn’t leaning toward her. “You heard me conversing with Geraldus about my future, didn’t you?”
“You’ve lived here all your life, Vaeludar. My father gave you a home and a place to raise you when you were younger. My younger sisters played with you the most and they think of you as their best brother. We’ve been your family all your life when your parents dumped you here. Why must you leave us behind?”
“There is nothing else for me here. I feel I have no meaning in my life; the only things I’m good at keeping the blacksmith’s fireplace on fire, keeping the twin boys in check, and being stared at. No parents want to see their children near a human-dragon hybrid. And I don’t know who my parents are, let alone who I am supposed to be. I’ll be leaving sometime after dawn. I don’t know when, but I just want to leave.”
“Why must you leave father’s house?”
“Ever seen a hybrid composed of human and dragon flesh, Eliana? Have you ever seen a hybrid creature looking like me? Dragon wings with legs and a tail attached to a human body?”
“No.”
“And I am told I’m the first hybrid. I’ve never heard of any female human specimen and a male dragon coming into a strange union to produce a child of their own. I don’t know the chemistry of two different species, one that’s small as a house door and one large as a tree. I’m sure they found a way in the process.”
“How do you know that then?”
“Easy answer, Eliana: me. If I wasn’t born, then they wouldn’t have found a method to make a hybrid like me.”
“Don’t joke around. I’m being serious.”
Vaeludar tilted his head away to look outside once again. “So was I. And anyway, I have my own life that I need to live, and I feel like my obsession of living in this village is starting to wither like a leaf in the autumn.” Vaeludar sat on the windowsill and looked outside again.
“So in the morning, I’m going to be leaving this nice village I’ve lived in my whole life and depart into the great unknown. I need to find answers as to why my parents left me here in the first place, where they may be hiding, and why I had to be left behind.”
“You must stay because this place is your home.” Eliana quickly walked closer to Vaeludar and gently grabbed his hand. “This is your home, and we’re your family.”
Vaeludar felt his hand being grabbed by Eliana and holding his hand close to her cheek. He softly grunted and just let Eliana hold his hand for a while. “I’m a hybrid; I do not have a home. I don’t belong anywhere, and I certainly don’t belong here. I’ve already made my decision, Eliana. I am leaving tomorrow and that is final.”
Then Vaeludar removed his hand from Eliana’s grip, stood back up, and jumped down from the window. He landed on the ground, with his wings spread wide open. He knew Eliana wouldn’t follow him if he jumped out the window. Humans would easily crack their bones if they made a man jump from a window from a great height.
His legs felt fine after he brushed off some dirt. He knew Eliana would come running after him, so Vaeludar widened his wings and with one flap he rose into the air. He floated several feet from the ground as he kept his wings flapping heavy beats.
Vaeludar had his sights on the watchtower, which was located on the north-eastern border of the village. It was a secondary place for him and he would usually use it as he main hideout to escape the dozens of glaring eyes of strangers. It was like a real home to him where he could go and not worry about the people staring at him all day and night.
At a soft speed, Vaeludar headed toward the direction of the watchtower. Upon its view, the watchtower was big and wide
