Daydream [First Draft]

Chapter Three: A Rather Rude Awakening

The crisp air filled my lungs leaving me refreshed. On our way to the market, the bridges are completely lined with string gardens, the plants in them however, were starting to droop. Soon the sky would be snuffed out, like a pitch black curtain thrown over a lamp. The wyverns and dragons circled above our heads, probably planning to go on a hunt, whilst the lightening birds and minokawas perched high up on the branches of the library.

After a long walk down to the market, Strompi seems to be tired and a bit worn out. We carry on a little ways past the bakery to the waffle house. I'm sure that Marine will meet us here, this is where we usually have breakfast. This is where we have all our meals, for that matter.

I walk in, to see Marine already waiting for us. She was standing with her back to us. "I've been expecting you, Skye."

I was a little confused, and so I asked, "How did you do that without turning around?"

"... To be perfectly honest, the first couple of people I did that to, were not you."

Both of us burst out into an uncontrollable fit of laughter as she turns around to greet me. The café was almost empty, all except for three other people, us and the waitress - Olivia. Olivia, or as we sometimes call her, Olive, is a very pleasant person to be acquainted with.

We went to the Waffle House quite frequently throughout our childhood, and even hung around after hours to help Olive clean up and lock the doors. We did many things together for the past 2000 years, but within these past few hundred years, we haven't had as much time together as we'd like to.

We take our seats at a booth in the corner, and I order the usual, waffles, ice cream, and chocolate sauce, and a bowl of berries for Strompi. The food came not long after we ordered, and we started digging right away.

The wooden table was a rainbow in browns, the kind that brought sweet memories up for air. The soft curves on the outer edges were carved from scratch with tools forged from an ancient ore on another planet. A vase was set atop the table, brimming with crystal clear water and lively-looking toffee roses, which complimented the curtains.

The lighting is a dim yellow hue that makes it feel like home, and the counters were lined with more sugary treats than you could ever possibly name. This café is our second home, during winter, we'd be here almost every single day.

"Hey, Skye, it looks like Euphoria is on city patrol today." exclaimed Marine. "Perhaps when the next group take over, we can go say hi." Euphoria, one of the drakes that guard the city, was on patrol today. He walked with an upright posture that made most outsiders cower, his eyes were sharp and focused. Though he was normally always on guard, something seemed off.

"Yeah! That is, if his shift ends before the sun moves around to the east." I replied. The air began to feel heavy and dense as I watched him scan through the city. The crowds became quieter and quieter and a feeling of dread spread among the people.

The café and everyone inside it had fallen silent. Not even Strompi made a noise. Looking outside through the window, it seemed everyone else had fallen silent too. The wind howled through the branches and grew stronger along the bridges. Wind chimes went off in the distance and leaves tumbled and dived all around.

It soon became clear to everyone that something was up. The cool breeze, that I had once been enjoying had now turned to gusts of wind and sent cold shivers down my spine. Everyone went about their business in silence, including Marine and I. It felt as if all the joy had been stolen away from the city, and it was now destined to become a wasteland, just like the rest of the universe.

A quiver of wyverns flew overhead, the flapping of their wings could be heard, even from this distance, due to the dead silence that had washed over our world. A thunder of dragons followed in pursuit.