[COMPLETE] R E V E R S E #NaNoWriMo2k17

Chapter 3

Voices filtered through his dreams, some whispering, some shouting, and he was suddenly awoken by a loud bang of his door being thrown open.

"Up," a voice barked. There was a tug and his bedsheets flew off his back, the cold air rushing in. He groaned.

"Mother, it's four in the morning."

"Five. Get up and pack your bags."

He sat up, suddenly wide awake. "Where are we going?"

"Correction: Where are you going. Your father and I have to lead a squadron off the South end. There's been reportings of increased Maren attacks and we're worried they're up to something. The Wind warriors had also requested backup to help fight the Longnecks." She dumped a sack on the bed and started carelessly throwing things in - his clothes, a pillow, a stack of paper. "You'll be staying at another house for a few weeks, a month tops."

"Can't I come?" Anything to get out of the house, please.

"Too dangerous. You don't have enough experience. You'll just get yourself killed." She upended an entire tray of pens and threw the sack at him. "We're due to leave in five minutes, change into something more dignified than your pajamas. Ask around the village for the Agyris house. It's on a hill. Don't forget your sheath."

With that, she was gone.

"'It's on a hill'. Super specific," he muttered, sliding out of bed.

He left the room a few minutes later, pulling a black coat on and slinging the sack over his shoulder. He stumbled through the hallway, clumsily clipping the sword around his waist. His parents had already left without so much of a goodbye.

He shut the door and locked it behind him before trudging up the hill into the village. His breath came out in puffs and the streets were eerily quiet, although there were a few dragons around. Although most of them has never heard of the last name Agyris, one of the older veterans pointed vaguely and said that they lived in a secluded house a little off the main side. He thanked him and quickly set off.

By the time he arrived at the front door the sun was starting to rise. He dumped the sack on the floor before knocking, drumming his fingers impatiently on the wall. After what seemed like an eternity, the door swung open creakily, and a small Skydancer looked out.

"Ah! You must be Ajax. Your mother told us the situation. My name is Dido." Her soft green eyes twinkled in the rapidly increasing sunlight. She gave him a ridiculously sweet smile. "Come on in, we don't bite, haha."

"...thanks, I guess?" He was slightly perplexed at this introduction, and secretly wondered why did parents were friends with this slightly dopey lady. He picked up his bag, crossed over the threshold and almost had a heart attack.

The entire room was decorated completely with plants. Ivy exploded across the walls and hung from the ceiling in clumps. There were potted plants everywhere, a tulip here, a small sapling on the floor. An actual tree grew up from a patch of frosty soil in the center of the room, branches spreading everywhere like claws, and seemed to impale through the roof - how he didn't notice it before, he had no clue. Everything was illuminated in a pale pink light, which he couldn't find the source of.

Dido noticed his expression. "Pretty, right?"

He wouldn't exactly describe it that way. In fact it, he found it a little creepy. But he just nodded and muttered, "Uh-duh."

Ajax walked around a little, and was just poking the tulip when a door flew open at the back. The next thing he knew someone was vigorously pumping his arms up and down in what could be considered a handshake and screaming in his face.