“This place has a pact with creatures of sky and lands,” said the Dragon King. “This level we’re on that’s for flying creatures, while the first level is for walking creatures.”
“This is someplace,” said Vaeludar.
“Well, this someplace is wilder and a bit dangerous than your home village,” said the Dragon, seeing Flavius, Wonomi, Monico, and Galvin dismounting from his bodyguards. “This place has merchants, bounty hunters, stalkers, and mercenaries. This place won’t be as peaceful or good-looking as the village you grew up. You better watch your step because there are only a few good people here. Even farmers here aren’t very nice.”
“I can take on anyone who comes my way,” said Vaeludar.
“And you're powerful,” said Wonomi. “My brother and I lived here for most of our lives. This place os not meant for any crossbreeds.”
“But I am more than a crossbreed; I am a human dragon crossbreed,” corrected Vaeludar. “If people are bad enough or stupid enough to take me on, they will be walking to an early grave with no tombstone. I managed to kill a Minotaur without getting a scratch on my skin. No weapons here can harm me.”
“Let’s get moving,” said the big Galvin, with a manly tone. “We’re losing daylight.” Galvin made a mad walk towards a large opening that lay beneath the tall wall.
The Dragon King shook his head in disapproval. “The same grumpy man as ever. Humans never change, do they?” he asked his dragon bodyguards. They nodded their heads in agreement.
“What’s wrong with him then?” asked Vaeludar.
“I can’t really tell you about him other than he’s very rude and impatient,” said the Dragon King. “If you want to know more about him, you’re going need to ask him yourself.”
Vaeludar took off to follow after Galvin, with Marina behind him. “Where do you think you are going?” she asked.
“Going to find out more about him, if he is coming with me,” said Vaeludar, as he kept walking passed Marina who was trying to stop him.
Once they walked through the open gateway, there were many people walking in different directions. Carriages rolled in the streets and soldiers stood guard on high tower posts.
Galvin had disappeared in the crowd before Vaeludar could track his scent; there were hundreds of people walking around and he couldn’t pick up anything from Galvin. Wonomi and Monico walked past Marina and Vaeludar and they too disappeared into the large crowd, pushing anyone out of their way.
“I never expected to see this large of a crowd, and vehicles moving on stone streets,” admitted Vaeludar.
“Welcome to my home, Vaeludar,” said Marina. “You better cover your wings around your chest and your tail tied around your wings. People around here are not going to be used to seeing a winged-human.”
“How about my legs?” asked Vaeludar.
“They don’t pay attention downwards, only upwards. Come on, we’ll go to a place I like, it is not far from here.”
Vaeludar raised his arms and wrapped his wings around his middle body and squeezed his tail into his folding wings.
“Wait,” said Flavius, walking with a white cloth. “You may need this to cover your wings and lower body.”
Vaeludar touched it and a white glow formed around Vaeludar’s body. The one piece of cloth he touched suddenly swirled around Vaeludar’s body, covering his dragon parts. Seconds later, Vaeludar looked like a noblemen instead of a hybrid. His head still showed the red dragon ears and horns.
“A little gift from father,” said Flavius, before returning to the Dragons.
“You look nice now,” said Marina.
“You look nice as well, for a huntress ready to do some hunting instead of a noblewoman ready to go shopping,” said Vaeludar. He looked at Marina’s hunting clothes and he wondered how Marina had changed so quickly.
“If we’re going on a dangerous mission, dressing like a princess isn’t the way to go,” said Marina. Suddenly, she grabbed Vaeludar’s hand tightly. She seemed to be excited. “Come on. I want to show you around.”
She pushed through the crowd while Vaeludar was following inches away, with his hand being pulled by Marina’s fish-feeling, scaly hand. They passed a number of people and guards stationed beneath very lantern post. Usually it would be the man leading the woman through a heavy crowd, but it was the other way around.
Vaeludar kept up with Marina as quickly as she was rushing through the crowd. He was finding it easy to keep up with Marina as he was a bit taller. And for some reason, he couldn’t feel any wings or tail trailing behind him; he just felt the two legs moving and not any wings wavering or a tail slivering.
So this is what it feels to be human, thought Vaeludar.
As the two came slowing around a small corner, they came to a pub with a large sign name BLUE SIREN, Marina pushed open a fine door and showed Vaeludar the inside.
Inside, the room the duo entered in was filled with sky lanterns, with papers in the shapes of bells. Booths were built with walls on the sides. A half-oval shape bar was built in the center of the room. A middle-aged, broad bartender was slowly serving drinks to some overworked people. The room was crowded with people sitting at each booth.
Marina let go of Vaeludar’s hand and went straight for the bar. She sat herself on the closest seat at the bar and waited for the bartender to be at her service.
Vaeludar, who was seeing how nice the place was, followed after Marina. He followed her towards the bar. He almost tripped and lost his balance when he stepped on steps he did not see after he started walking in.
“Ah, Marina, good to see one of me finest patrons here again,” greeted the bartender. “What will it be today? The usual, I assume? Or something new? Dragon’s Flare? The Gorgon’s Brewery? Maybe a paint of the
