Dragon of Legend: A New Era (BK2) (Published)

chapter 18

In the busy streets merchants yelled to make known their products while people walked past, most uninterested, some stopping at certain stalls to buy goods. A young man, who could be no older than seventeen summers, walked amongst the crowd. There was nothing special about him, nothing to attract attention. His clothes were slightly tattered, but so was the current fashion. His wispy brown hair did not stand out in any way. Neither did his tall, skinny body. Yet there was something in his gray eyes, something that reflected that this particular boy was perhaps more than one would think. 

As he walked he bumped into a woman wearing rich attire. She cursed him, using fowl words. The boy apologized humbly before continuing on his way. As soon as he reached the entrance into an ally he slipped into it. He walked a couple of paces down it. Only when he was sure that he was a good distance away from the crowd of people in the market, did he stop. 

He shot a glance behind him. Satisfied that there was no one there he pulled his hand forth from a pocket in his trousers and opened his palm to stare at the contents. He squinted at the objects that he held before a smile spread over his face. In his hand he held a few dracos and a silk handkerchief, yet his eyes were fixed on the one gold coin that lay smack in the middle of it all. 

"Jack pot," he grinned. 

"Still up to your bad habits?" a voice asked from behind. 

The boy whirled around his eyes wide as they landed on a shadowy figure covered by a cloak from head to toe. 

"I'm sure the poor woman whose pockets you picked won't be too pleased when she figures it out," the cloaked figure told him sternly. 

The boy sprang into action. He whirled around and ran. His legs spurring him on down the alleyway. On the way he slipped the contents in his hand back into his pocket. He heard footsteps some way behind him, yet they weren't hurried. Seeing the exit of the ally the boy increased his pace, reaching for the end. Yet it was as though moments before he reached it a brown wall suddenly appeared in his way of escape. Going too fast the boy wasn't able to stop and he ran smack into it. He had just enough time to wonder that it wasn't as hard as he had expected, before he fell backwards and went sprawling on the ground. His head spun and his vision was blurred for a moment. When it cleared he found himself staring into the face of a brown dragon who was giving him a death glare. Slowly the boy swallowed the last bit of saliva in his mouth before it went dry. 

"Why do you always run?" the same voice from before asked behind him. 

The boy slowly turned his head to face the clocked figure who was calmly approaching him at a walk. The boy's heart raced as ideas flashed through his head of what to do next. He didn't usually find himself getting caught in these situations. He watched as the clocked figure reached for the hood of the clock and threw it back to reveal a head of messy blond hair and a pair of green eyes. 

"Hello Anibal," he spoke. 

"D....Dominique!" the boy on the ground, named Anibal, stuttered, his eyes showing both a brief flash of alarm and yet then suddenly relief, "Boy am I glad it's you!" 

Dominique raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. He watched as Anibal scrambled to his feet, shooting Breeze, who was still glaring at him, a look before taking a cautious step away from the dragon, seeming to prefer to face Dominique over his dragon. 

"So, what brings you to my part of the city?" Anibal asked Dominique, his eyes darting past him nervously, as though trying to find a way of escape. 

"By his part does he mean the part where he robs anyone and everyone?" Breeze asked Dominique dryly in his mind. 

"He may be a common thief but we need his help," Dominique thought in reply. 

"A thief? That's a light way to put it," Breeze snorted, still glaring at Anibal. "The guy would sell his own mother for a draco! Don't you remember what he did last time?"