The Fall of Dragon Haven - A Dragonkeeper Fanfiction

Stalemate

Where the Hell are the others? Hei Lei grumbled. It's been over a week!

They had just finished another job in Tinkling Village. In the time since Lao Longzi, Gao Zi, Danzi and Lu Yu had taken off to check on the Chu without them, Anh and Hei Lei had cleared out the orchards of their remaining fruit, caught half a dozen geese and ducks for Joi, and located a missing flock of sheep. The past two days, they transported packs of jade mined on nearby Jade Mountain to the village carvers, saving the locals a day's journey there, and another back.

They had earned enough money in the last eight days to purchase all the groceries and medicine needed for the Haven, plus new clothes for Anh. He even had enough to purchase gifts for the others. But that mattered little by day eight. Hei Lei was tired of humans. He wanted to return to the Haven. Anh too was growing frustrated as the days went past. Not at the jobs, or the town – he rather liked the town, or rather, Yara, who he had seen each night since they arrived. It was the waiting that bothered him.

Anh gave away the final pack of jade they had brought from the mountain to the carver. The carver in turn gave Anh 19 coins. He bowed before turning to Hei Lei who was making a racket by the gates, scaring a few children with his angry gonging.

Stop that! Anh growled at him. They will be back soon.

Oh! And I suppose your Second Sight has now miraculously manifested as something more than just who's in the room? Hei Lei quaffed. Now it knows fortune too! Why, you think they'll return tonight and just carry on as heroes meanwhile we get stuck with the dirty work of lazy humans!

"Ugh!" Anh huffed walking off.

Tell me! Hei Lei carried on trailing close behind. Does your Second Sight foretell the coming of venetian for dinner? Or of Bong and Jiang putting their heads together to finally form a single brain cell?

"Enough!" Anh yelled, which lead to some to stare at the pair skeptically. He brought his face close to the mighty dragon's head. Hei Lei's breath smelled of boiled coneys. Look, I'm not happy about them abandoning us either. But we have to work with what we've got. Also, you really shouldn't say things like that about Jiang - she's a great mediator, you know?

We could fly back to the Haven and let these shit for brains humans work their lives out. Hei Lei spat.

Anh sighed. We could – but we're not leaving. Not until the others return.

He turned to go back to the town just as he heard Hei Lei chime, If they return.

Anh stopped and looked over his shoulder. Are you coming or not? Hei Lei had spent the last two evenings sleeping in the orchards. He did not enjoy the human comforts of shelter and warmth as much as Anh had of late. He was not surprised when Hei Lei huffed once more, before spreading his wings and taking off.

Anh blew air up towards his fringe. "Bloody grouchpot." He muttered as he walked into the township. He had grown used to the stares of the travelers and the feigned politeness of the locals. Even without Hei Lei, he was recognized as a dragonkeeper now. He couldn't go anywhere without someone talking to him, staring, or asking about the dragon.

"What's the Black Thunder like?" One young child asked this afternoon as Anh sat upon the bench by the community garden.

"A sourpuss." Anh said flatly. He looked upon the child's mothers horrified face and immediately apologised for the profanity. "Say," he asked as they began to walk off. "Have you seen Yara this evening?"

The woman squinted. "Whom?"

Anh bit his lip. Maybe she was a traveler and not a local. Anh apologised again and went on staring at the garden. Yara was usually here by sun set. He asked a passerby if they had seen her, to which he was met with similar, perplexed expression.