From the morning of the attack to the late afternoon, the people living in the village had been working hard and working together to have their feast set in the early evening. It was the first day of autumn and the weather was perfect enough not to sweat. And doing so the people will have completed the tasks given to them by Geraldus.
For the hybrid himself, Vaeludar stayed at the watchtower, to make sure he stayed away until he knew he was needed. During his fight, he damaged several yards of the wheat field and destroyed one house. He needed to stay away from the attention until everything was ready for him to reveal himself to the people Vaeludar risked his life to save or keep himself from doing any more damage.
From the tower, Vaeludar saw a Dragon placing the disembodied Minotaur head on a golden altar, surrounded by people, four emerald torches, and a stack of axes around the head. For the first time in his life, Vaeludar was now feeling like an important figure for the village. He gave a small sigh of relief; he was now being accepted into the village’s society.
Never before had this village been under attack. Vaeludar had heard of no wars that had taken place for some several hundred years. For the seventeen years Vaeludar lived in the village, it was all peace, love and hard-working people harvesting in the wheat fields and no attacks.
Little did Vaeludar take notice of tiptoeing footsteps echoing from the hole of the watchtower’s top level. Someone was coming in the watchtower and he wasn't going to be alone with his thoughts from his morning battle.
“I thought I would find you here again,” said Flavius, entering from the staircase.
Vaeludar didn’t look back to greet Flavius “And I thought you were helping the others,” replied Vaeludar, looking at the crowding people working hard in the prepping of the feast Geraldus was going to be hosting.
“It was getting too crowding over there. Too many people were getting in my way and your twin brothers are being watched by Alaric.”
“Let me guess: Geraldus is asking you to watch me in case I did leave.”
“No, not quite. Before this morning’s attack, you were going to depart from this village, but you’re still here. Starting to reconsider leaving?”
“No, I have not reconsidered leaving. Somewhere on this island or the next island over, lie answers I need to find. As I have mentioned, my parents left me behind. I want to find them.”
“You really don’t want to stay here for the rest of your life?” asked Flavius.
“Yes, I am sure I don’t want to stay here forever. After all, I’m half dragon.”
“What’s wrong with being half dragon?”
Vaeludar sighed. “Dragons live longer than humans do. They can live up to five-to-eight hundred years, and I’m half-dragon. In theory, I will live up to two-to-four hundred years. I’ll outlive your family by a few generations.”
“You’re worried about being lonely after my father, my siblings, and I die? I knew you were worried about us.”
“I’ve been alone for the past decade, keeping my distance from humanity, the Dragons, and others I know what it feels like when I’m wondering through the woods on my own. I would be living like a hermit or a nomad, but I want to discover my past, my place in life on my own. I will walk, I will fly, and I will stand as I always will be: alone.”
Then Vaeludar turned to Flavius with a small smile. “But after tonight, people will have second thoughts about me, and I won’t be an outcast anymore. I will finally be a part of human society.”
“You have always been in human society,” stated Flavius. “You just don’t want to have staring faces looking at you in disgust, thinking you are not a part of the human world. You just think appearances are everything.”
“In my experience, appearances often best describe the personalities. The way I look at myself through a mirror my body reflects my personality. I look human; who means my personality shows I am more human than a drag—”
A horn blew firmly.
“It seems the celebration is about to start, Flavius,” said Vaeludar, turning back with his three-clawed wings touching the window edges.
“Then I’ll be see you at the festival,” said Flavius. Flavius bowed his head before leaving through the hole.
Vaeludar looked at a dozen soldier battalions holding red torches and marching around the head on the golden altar, belly-dancing gypsies, food-serving servants, and Geraldus standing on the altar giving a speech about how Vaeludar killed the Minotaur with his fiery, ice, electric beam of energy.
Vaeludar couldn’t hear what Geraldus was saying due to the cries of laughter, cheering, and shouts of partying voices. Then he could smell the scent of smoked pork, roasted turkey, caramelized pigs, and other roasted meat was being placed on the tables by the Griffins.
Crowds were energetically crowding around the tables, anxious to eat. The Griffins and the Faeries were holding steady to the nicely polished bronze plates with the roasted meat. The Centaurs were placing fruits next to the crowding tables.
It seems the creatures were having a difficult time to place the wonderful food on the crowding tables. Some hardworking peasants wanted to eat now. Geraldus himself couldn’t handle the situation.
The hybrid could see some things were getting out of Geraldus’s control and needed to help out with another bad situation, which didn’t need to resort to violence like he did earlier that day.
Here I go again, Vaeludar thought. He jumped out of the window with his wings wide out. He used strong, wind power from his winds to glide and soar on. He flew past several lightless houses, over foul, fenced pig sties, and over the golden altar. He did a loop-de-loop in the air
