Journey of the Horn

Chapter 6

I went to bed that night not being able to sleep once more, I just layed there watching the snow fall. It seemed to never stop falling. It was a constant stream just falling from the dark sky, just looking out the window at the people and children playing in the snow among the fire lit street lights and store windows. It looked like the type of christmas you picture in Charles Dickens's "A Christmas Carol". And yes before you ask, we do celebrate Christmas. We have been since humans even knew about it. Himi and I do make trips to the human world on occasion, but we always had to transform into something we are not. Each satyr has three forms. Their natural form, their goat form, and their human form. The humans aren't exactly accepting of us, they got a bad impression from the Lifians. You would never think it would be so violent and bloody of a society, but every satyr family has at least one weapon if not more. Not to use against each other but rather things trying to kill them. Satyrs hardly ever fight each other, and when we do it doesn't go beyond a fist fight that usually stops after a moment or two before any blood shed. They only times we fight with weapons against each other is in training and we usually don't get more than minor scratches. But all the rest of my brothers were either to brash or irresponsible to take the throne. They either reacted on impulse or just didn't know how to react in general.

I laid there all night not knowing what was to come the next morning, the nobles located the ring deep in the mountains somewhere. Deeper than I have ever gone. I knew the mountains like the back of my hand, but not that far in. I decided that I might as well enjoy the time I had before Roshfire. I got out of bed and headed down to the soldiers barracks. Himi was asleep on the top bunk right inside the door. I slowly opened the door trying not to wake the rest of the soldiers. I reached in practically silently but the door creaked a little. I reached up and flicked Himi's ear. He shot up like Prairie Dog from its burrow as he looked around for the culprit. I couldn't help but laugh, I laughed so loud I am surprised I didn't wake the guards. Himi looked at me with a slight death glare "Why are you here, shouldn't you be asleep?" He asks just a bit annoyed with me. "I can't sleep, come on let's go have some fun."

He just rolls over with a groan putting his pillow over his head. "Come on, I'll pay." I say trying to get him to come. He looks over his shoulder at me as he removes the pillow "I'm listening." He can't help but snort at how well I know him "I will pay, anything you want it's on me." As I jump up onto his bunk. He sits up and puts his thumb and Forefinger to his chin "Shogrinai (Shog-grin-ae)?" Shogrinai is basically a fruit juice, it is made of Gaspian berries, Lincherian berries, Carolenian berries, and the one thing I am allergic to Strawberries. But Himi loves the stuff and since Strawberries don't grow in Endalasia it is super expensive. "A big bottle of it." He just gets the biggest smile on his face as he hops out of bed faster than I have ever seen anyone that has ever jumped out of a bunk bed, so I can't help but laugh as I follow. We start to head down the mountain to the summer palace which is the only place Shogrinai is sold. I bring my sword just in case in addition to Himi's. I may be the best swordsman of my brothers, but me and Himi are tied for the best in the kingdom. My father always says that "us two on the battlefield is an unstoppable force." That is one of the very few nice things my father says about Himi. Otherwise he pretty much sees him as a distraction. Which in a way I guess he is, but he is much more than that. He is dependable, he is a person you can talk to without judgement, a great listener when you have problems, he is my best friend, my brother.

We trekked through the snow as a two man army. Just me and him, no worries of sunrise to bring up. Himi was being his usual goofball self as he tried to balance on a log. But he fell diving head first into the snow like a fox and getting his entire torso stuck in the snow. He squirmed and squirmed trying to get himself unstuck as I just fell to the ground laughing like the good friend I am. He eventually got himself unstuck but he had the frozen snow around his neck and wrists like a Pillory which made me laugh even more. But I eventually freed him from his snowy prison. As he is just laughing at himself. He just shakes off the excess snow from his neck and back before getting up and socking me in the arm. We both just laugh as we continue on our way "Did you get a Vole?" I ask jokingly, he just gives me a look like he is laughing internally but is trying to give me a death glare. "Haha very funny." We continue on our way down the mountain when behind us we hear a loud and threatening roar of a dragon on the hunt. Himi grabs me almost knocking the wind out of me as we dive into a large hollow log and stayed as silent as possible. Remember how I said dragons in our world aren't the kindest of creatures. Well we didn't always used to have dragons in our world, but one day thousands and thousands of years ago they started appearing and devouring our kind. They see us as their prey, and they are our predator. At times it seems we are the strongest force to reckon with in Endalashia but we are far from it.

We felt and heard a large THUD from outside the log, to the point it shook the ground. I looked through a small hole to see a large black dragon with a purple underbelly and piercing yellow eyes. With strong enough jaws and a sharp enough beak to bite through bones, and the size of the town's square, and the horns of a Rhino and Eland, the nose of a wolf, and claws the size of small swords but sharper than any blade. We stayed as quiet as we could trying not to even breath, hoping the smell of the log outweighs our own sent. The dragon started to sniff the air looking around trying to locate the smallest morsel. It came closer and closer to us. I flattened myself against the wall of the log trying to keep my heart rate and breathing normal. But I couldn't help but think that I was gonna die before Roshfire even started.