The Dragon's Last Hope

Chapter 5

A/N

This chapter is now being edited, it is my advice you don't read it yet because I will change things, but if you want to that's perfectly fine with me. I've updated all the way to the underlined area.

The rest of the night I was unable to sleep. My interest was now piqued, and every moment's thoughts were consumed by his fateful words. 'Surely he couldn't have meant puns,' I would think to myself, and then I'd argue back, 'I'm certain he said puns. What else could he have said?' Then I'd go on debating what was so dreadful about puns, and when I couldn't think of anything I'd again question my hearing, and it just went on and on in a loop until I became too tired to even think, like a dog chasing it's own tail.

Finally, when I can see through the fabric of the tent that it's just a smidgen lighter than before, I fall asleep. And then, of course, I am awoken by the clamor of Cassandra's muffled, but nonetheless indignant, cries. I try to shut out the noise by taking my pillow and putting it over my ears, but then when I lay my head down I feel a rather sizable pebble that makes lying my head down rather uncomfortable.

With a sigh, I get up out of bed and change into my only other pair of clothes, which consists of a very worn pair of capris and an obnoxious, brightly colored tie-dyed shirt. With a yawn and one last longing look at my bedroll, I step outside the tent with the continuing clamor of Cassandra's cries. Mirgandor is already sitting by the remnants of our campfire, silently eating breakfast, so I join him.

Our breakfast is quiet and uninterrupted, if you don't count Cassandra's shouting, which is really getting on my nerves. Just as I'm finishing my last morsel of food, which doesn't take long, Mirgandor stands up and retrieves a pan with a long handle and shallow dip, like what we fried bacon in, then hands it to me. "I'm going to interrogate Cassandra. Don't hesitate to hit her if she does anything," he orders me impassively. I hesitantly take it and follow him over to Cassandra. Across the clearing, I see Mina watch us closely while she slowly munches on some grass.

Mirgandor stops a foot away from Cassandra, right in front of her, and she immediately stops everything to give him an icy stare. Deep in the back of her throat I can hear a low growl. Continuing impassively, Mirgandor states, "I'm going to take off your gag. If you try anything, my companion will not hesitate to hit you. Do you understand?"

After a pause, Cassandra dips her head once, not taking her eyes of Mirgandor. He takes off her gag, and immediately Cassandra opens her mouth wide. Before I realize what she's doing, I already take a half step forward and raise the pan. When I realize she's just yawning, I relax my muscles that I didn't know I had tensed. Cassandra's pink tongue is a stark contrast to her pearly white teeth, which matches her gleaming white fur. 'She'd be virtually undetectable in a snowstorm,' I think to myself. I hope it doesn't snow in this place.

I move to her left side and stand slightly behind her so that if she tries anything with Mirgandor, I can take care of her. I understand why Mirgandor might be wary of these punnyig creatures, considering they can sing you into doing anything, but he seems almost... scared? I haven't known him long at all, but I'm decent at reading people and he doesn't seem like the type to get scared easily. Just the mere thought unsettles my stomach, and some deep, primal instinct is telling me these punnyigs are trouble. Something is going to happen, something unexpected.

Before I can think more about my unexplained feeling, Mirgandor starts. "Okay, I'll start you off easy: are there more punnyigs in this forest than what we saw? How many?"

Cassandra continues her unwavering, icy stare, but she immediately answers him. "Yes, there are more. A lot more, and when they find out I've been taken they're going to track you down and kill you!" Cassandra is practically spitting out venom with each word, and I raise my pan and look at Mirgandor, unsure.