Defeating Dragons

Chapter 4 - Lakamhaan Town

As I run, a few startled faces see me, but by the time I'm scraggily panting and not so much running in any sense besides the adrenaline sifting through my veins, there are a few ushering me into the town hall.

Good thing too, else I would have never known this was a door.

They closed the door behind me and not as much slumped as just merged with the floor while my breath returned to somewhat normal.

Kyle's face had disappeared at the screech of the monster, but his voice still came through. I may have heard a, "Bye, you can handle it from here."

Or not. I'm still catching my breath.

I soon hear a chuckle above me.

"Saw a monster, did you, boy?"

"Uh"- pant –"Huh"

Muffled chuckles.

"You're safe in here."

I vaguely nod, the last of the adrenaline leaving me for pain and a little bit of writhing in its stead.

Soon I'm helped up and escorted to another room and sat in a chair.

The Chieftain comes in. It must have been a really recent photo; he doesn't look like he has aged at all.

I go to stand up, but he chuckles and tells me to stay seated.

Good, I'm sure I would have tripped, just like every time we have an athletics day and I run, I can't stand up without falling after sitting down for the rest of the day.

The Chieftain sits across from me.

"Nice chairs," I start. He raises an eyebrow.

"Ummm, Kyle sent me?" I almost try to squeeze out a laugh, but he beats me to it.

"Yeah, we figured. So, tell us. What is the problem?" He has a nice old man voice. Like a line of blue is within it whenever he speaks. Deep, but worn out. So not too deep. But worn out by laughter, not yelling and stuff. Or, if old and battled, has been covered by laughter afterwards. Maybe?

"Wait, you knew there was a problem?"

"Kyle, is it? Did he not tell you that we would know it's a problem as you've come a year or two early to just be checking up on thing?"

"Ah, yeah, he did say that."

Wait.

"Isn't his name Kyle? Do you not know him as that?"

The Chieftain nodded his head slowly, "He is known by many names, but mostly we call him Caelestis."

Ah. Wow, I was close. He really does look like a Kyle, huh.

I've been calling him Kyle for a while now. Does an hour count as a while? Has it even been an hour? Funny how travelling to another planet makes you feel closer to the one who threw you in.

"So, the problem," I muse a moment as I flood my thoughts back to the topic at hand.

"Yes, um, you have a dragon?"

The Chieftain gives a funny look, like why I would have to ask?

"It wasn't a thing that I knew about anything this morning. A few hours ago. Um, it's been a weird morning." Yeah, I nod once and come up to see the Chieftain's face grow white and his mouth open.

"We- well", he stammers, "I guess that does sound like a pretty big problem. The arm band normally takes a while to adapt to the wearer for starters."