Dragon's Gate

Chapter 8: Answers and Antics

So much time had passed, and the sun looked like it was starting to set on the horizon. He had stared at the ground for so long, occasionally taking peeks around and at the Dragon who was sitting and waiting patiently for Devon to talk to it. He finally started by slapping his left hand and legs a few times. Getting up, Devon approached the dragon, its eyes watching him as he did.

He put his hand on the front leg of the dragon and moved his hand back and forth a few times. The scales were smooth like polished marble, he retracted his hand and looked up to meet the gaze of the dragon.

"Where am I?" he asked with an expressionless face.

"Not on Earth, it may look like it, but you're not in Kansas anymore," she said.

Devon was thrown off by her response, "How did you know where I was from!? And Kansas does not have this many trees!"

"Oh, is that a real place? I had no idea." The dragon's face curved up, creating a smirk, "Call me Raissa."

"W-wait, can you read my mind?" Devon asked.

"In a way, plus you're not the only human that's been here before. We're sentient, we know things, we're intelligent."

"So, how can you help me?" Devon asked.

"There's another human that lives here permanently, others just came and left, stopped showing up. He stayed, I can take you to him."

"I guess that's a start if he can get me help or get me home, or wake me up from whatever dream this is," Devon said thinking of his options.

"He can probably show you to the nearest gate, he does not possess any means to return to Earth," Raissa said.

"All you can do is take me to him?" Devon asked.

"I'm here to help you, but I didn't realize I needed to be a princess about it. What next, want me to be your guide?" she asked mockingly.

The silence in the mind and in the clearing that followed while the two of them stared at each other, Devon hoped she'd take as an answer.

"You're kidding...." Raissa said rising to her feet, "Alright then sir, what be it, walking, or flying?" she asked flapping her wings a few times.

Devon's eyes widened, flying on the back of a dragon sounded like a dream come true. However, looking at the beast allowed him to actually see and picture in his mind realistically now, how scary it would be. Nothing but a few scales in her back to hold onto, and he'd be up who knows how high with the risk of falling to injury or death. Still, the experience itself would be something Devon would marvel at for years to come.

"How much longer would it be to walk?" he asked, still mulling the choice around in his head.

"I would say the walk is about 30 minutes or less. It would only be a few minutes if we flew. We all reside just on the other side of this mountain." she said.

Devon had just met this creature, so maybe allowing her to take him in the air was a bad idea, even though she seemed to have no ill intent. Devon swung his arm outward while looking at the dragon, "You lead the way." he said.

"Oh, you don't want to hop on? I thought that's what this was."

"I just needed someone to lead the way, but if you're offering I'll accept," Devon said, shrugging his shoulders.

Raissa snorted, smoke emitting from her nostrils, crouching down for him to get on, "I'll just remember to keep my ideas to myself I guess."

Raissa motioned with her head for him to get on. Devon took a breath to calm himself, but his excitement almost took over his reaction time. He clambered up on her shoulders off her front leg and made himself comfortable with a leg on each side, avoiding the spikes along the top of her back. Raissa stood up and began walking, "I'll go slow, but hang on."