Dragon Seekers

Chapter 17

It took everything Jamie had to not shout like an excited child. He definitely felt like one though. The flight to Central Isle was longer than he thought it would, with Ash trying to keep Cinder from speeding up too much as this was his first flight. Honestly though, Jamie wouldn't have minded it too much if that meant that he could see the dragons sooner. It made him more ecstatic than anything had before in his life. Nothing would ever compare to this moment.

By time they were flying among the vast buildings on Central Isle, the sun had fully risen. More drums were out in the open, each one carrying riders, with some also carrying what seemed to be cargo in large saddle bags. All of them came in many shapes, sizes and colours. A lot of the dragons were on roofs of buildings, waking up from their slumber, eating or being prepped by their riders. There were people on the ground as well, setting up small shops and market stalls. Along with some children, small dragons, some no bigger than Jamie's hand, were rising on their shoulders. Everything was so peaceful. Jamie truly wished that Jasmine was with him to see it.

Jamie didn't want to think about home for another minute, but he couldn't help it. He had been gone long enough, it was time for him to see hike again. Maybe he can find a way to come back with Jasmine, so they could be happy here. It might be hard to get used to it all, but it would be better than living with Carl.

Jamie was still taking in the city, and planning on how to get Jasmine here, when Cinder changed direction, starting to swoop into an area. It looked very out of place in a city like this. It was a wide forested area with what seemed to be a large house that reminded Jamie of a large Victorian abbey. It was pure white with silver turrets and flags. A large lake was behind the house, and a large patio area in front of it. Compared to the rest of the city, this whole area just seemed quiet and tranquil. Whoever lived there must be extremely important.

Cinder continued to glide towards it. Jamie held on tightly to Ash as they descended. It was a bit bumpy, like a plane landing on tarmac as Cinder landed onto the patio. Jamie was sure that he would be on the ground if he didn't hang onto Ash that tightly. Cinder slowed down to a stop as she landed on the ground.

"Here we are! Oh! We're not as early as I hoped," Ash smiled before she spotted an adult dragon not too far away from where they landed. It was ice blue and seemed to be a completely different species from Cinder. Shrugging off what she had said, Ash leaped off of Cinder and Jamie followed her example. He regretted it as he was painfully reminded at how bad his feet were. Ash was quick to steady him.

"Easy does it," she smiled reassuringly as she helped to walk him to the large doors that led into the house. Cinder could be heard grumbling a little as she laid down to recover from the early flight. "It's best if you let me try talking to Nexus first." Jamie nodded as they approached the door. Ash would know how to talk to Nexus better than he would anyway. Once they got to the door, Ash pulled a cord that was next to it. A loud bell was heard from inside the house. Ash stood back as it seemed to echo. About a minute later, footsteps could be heard and the loud click of a lock.

The door slowly opened, revealing an old man. He was hunched a little, giving the illusion that he was smaller than he was. His wrinkled skin reminded Jamie of tree bark. His eyes were a deep sapphire blue. His long bread and short hair was snow white. He wore an extravagant robe that was pristine white with various silver patterns on it. He had a staff that seemed to help him walk. It looked almost like a tree branch with a clear crystal ball attached to the top.

The moment the man saw Ash, his eyebrows rose up in surprise.

"Ash, what brings you here?" he asked, his voice seemingly stronger than Jamie thought that it would be. It almost felt a little intimidating. He would've backed away if Ash hadn't gently brought him forward.

"Slight odd thing happening here, Nexus. Jamie here is a little late getting his dragon," she smiled, keeping Jamie from going anywhere.

"Wait a minute-" Jamie tried to protest. He couldn't finish as Nexus stepped forward suddenly. His gaze hit the boy intensely, as if he were staring right into his soul.

"Is he now?" he asked, maintaining eye contact with Jamie. The boy wanted to back away, but he couldn't. Not just because Ash was holding him there, but he felt like something was weighing down on his feet. Something invisible that was physically holding him down. Nexus stared at him a bit longer before he finally stepped back. "Bring him in." The weight on Jamie's feet was suddenly gone as he breathed a breath that he intentionally held. Ash rubbed his arm confidently as she helped to walk him inside the house.

The entrance hall was welcoming enough. It had polished wooden floors that gleamed and marble pillars that were pure white. A set of stairs disappeared upstairs as they split into two. Tapestries hung on the walls, each detailing the islands and the dragons that supposedly resided on each one. Jamie couldn't be sure, but he thought that the tapestries were moving. It was mystifying to say the least.

"Don't dawdle," Nexus suddenly spoke, walking almost too quickly for a man his age. Ash helped Jamie along.

"Ash? I thought we were here to get me home. Not get me a dragon," he said, barely able to keep it in.

"Jamie, that dragon has been waiting two years to see you. I'm hoping that it's still alive somehow," Ash sighed, rolling her eyes a little. Her words sunk in quickly for Jamie. A dragon that might be his has been waiting for him that long. A life that he may take care of was waiting for him. If all that were true, and he was to have a dragon, he only hopes that it was still healthy. If it wasn't, he'll never forgive himself for it.