Alazarr and the Silver City

Chapter Four - King Alazarr

"Well that was terrifying." Jonathan murmured as they left town.

Aiden nodded glancing over his shoulder, "Yep. Keep your wits and we're not stopping till we get to the next town- I'm not camping out in the bushes again."

The sounds of the town faded, they took the main road for a while.

They branched out to a quieter side road the forest was thick and the trail narrowed considerably, patches of blue sky framed in scalloped green branches.

"Even under the circumstances being able to see the country like this has been amazing." Aiden uttered staring up at the tree cover, lazy clouds moving like ships in the sky.

"My sister always loved cloud gazing, she was the one who wanted to fly; ever since she could play with her toys, they're adventures were all about dancing on clouds and worlds up in the sky. Her favorite game she would play with me was when I'd spin her around till her feet lifted off the ground." Jon grinned. "Pop told us dragons were real. That they bargained with the fate of mortals, that they were guardians for people. Especially to the children that still believed in them. Specifically one in particular was the highest of all of them, and in ancient times he was the ruler of the world."

Aiden asked, "How old is your sister now?"

"She's seven and a half now, she's getting heavy for me now.. but I don't think I'll let that stop me." Jon pulled a long strand of grass splitting and twisting it in his hands. "Her birthday is in November."

"What about your birthday?"

"June twenty first- a few months away." Jon smirked, "Don't be getting any ideas now."

"Who said I was?" Aiden deflected. "You'll be twenty one won't you? Twenty one on the twenty first. That's kind of special, you have anything planned?"

Jon became quieter, "My dad, I want us together.. We had a big fight when I was sixteen, he hasn't been back since. Pop died three years later." Jon forced a smile. "Sorry to dampen the mood, I got a lot of good time with Pop, he really stepped up when dad left. I'm just hoping I can find him now. I don't know how much Elara remembers of him. We didn't agree on much when I was young but I know he was trying. I said some things I regret and now that I'm grown up I want to see if he's changed at all."

The mountains crested all around, twin peaks ahead of their path; far beyond, it cut through unseen, that was their last stretch into the lands of the kingdom.

The sun was setting through the branches when Jonathan stopped, A shiver ran up his back through to his head.

He started to scan the trees to the right of the trail. Aiden started to look as well. "What's wrong?"

He searched the dappled shadows of the arching trunks of the redwoods and oaks. The morning doves were cooing softly. He scanned from one side to the other, his eyes lingered on something in the crook of a branch, the doves stopped. The breath of the wind brushed his hair tickling his temple, he stayed ridged.

He saw a glint of something, the hair on the back of his neck stood up. He yanked Aiden back as an arrow flew past.

Eight men came rushing out with swords.

Aiden lurched forward to the men but the archer now in full view, Jon saw him as he notched his arrow drawing back, warning them to stop.

Time was slowed. Aiden roared toward them.

Jonathan got his arm over pulling himself in front of Aiden. "Wait! What do you want?!" He gasped his throat thick, "What do you want!!"

Jon set his feet plowing up the earth trying to slow him down.