It's been three days since I've sent out the request to my 'friend', and no word has come back yet, but that doesn't surprise me. He is always late even when it's the more important things, like finding one of my servants that got kidnapped. Every morning is the same routine, Karou , Akiva, or Essana ask me if a message has been sent back yet, and always I have to tell them no. Finally though today I got an answer from my 'friend', and he said he would show up in five days. As I walked to the kitchen for breakfast, Akiva walked up to me. "Has anything come back yet ?" I sit up from lying my head on the table, and smile at him. "Yes, he said that it would take him five days to get here, so tell Karou to get comfortable for a little while." He smiles, nods his head, and heads back to the bedroom I had given them to share, but Essana has always been coming back from being outside every morning, it's strange to me.
Five minutes later...
I was sitting in my garden reading when Karou came up behind me and started playing our old game that we used to play when we were kids. "Karou I'm not a child anymore, nor are you. You should act more adult like now that you're seventeen." She laughs at me, and keeps trying to play with me in her true form. I giggle a little, then join her in my wolf form. We run around the water sprout, and trample in the meadow chasing each other around giant willow trees. Then Karou takes flight, and we continue to race each other, me on the ground, Karou in the air. When we were young, we wanted to know what was faster, air or earthbound creatures, but no matter how hard we tried we could never beat each other at these races, it was and always will be a tie between us. Karou points at a willow at the end of the meadow, and I nod my head. She taps the ground three times, and then we moved as fast as our limbs would carry us, and as usual, we both get to the tree at the same time. We lay down next to each other, and relish in each other's company.
Four days later...
"I thought he wasn't supposed to show up until tomorrow. Why is he here now ?" Akiva sits down in the living room with me, Karou, and Essana waiting for my 'friend' to walk into the room. "Well, at least you don't have to wait one more day for me to get here, I could have stayed away on purpose for a whole month."Eugene Ascander Jackson walks into the room with a smile on his face, and wings sprouting from his back. He has brown hair, and purple eyes. He is very tall, and well built. My 'friend' is a dragon who is always my go to person when I need to find something. He is the son of nobleman Ascander, and is the eldest child in a family of five. Every time I need to find something I can't find, he is the one I call even though I don't like working with him. Akiva stands up in shock not knowing what Jackson looked like, and who this dragon is standing in front of him. "Chill out big guy, the name is Jackson, and I'm the 'friend' princess Arya asked for. So what do you need me to find this time princess ?" I motion for everyone to sit down, and I start to explain the situation to Jackson. "Well, I need you to help us find a city." "What city ? and what's the catch ? I know there is one, there's always a catch." I smile knowing he is way to used to me. "I want you to travel with us, I will be accompanying my sister on this journey, so I'll need my right hand man to be with me. And the name of this city is the City of Bones. So, will you help me ?" Jackson smiles broadly, and I already know the answer.
A few minutes later, everyone is in the royal library looking for anything on the City of Bones. "Hey, I think I found something." Everyone runs to where Karou is, and she shows us the book she found. "The book is about a lost civilization that was ruled by angels, but there was a great war that divided this great empire into two groups, the Angels of Earth and the Angels of Sky. I remember mother telling us this story, I never thought it could be real, but it seems we were just being told a life lesson." "Karou, I always forget what that lesson was that mother wanted us to always remember, could you please tell me." Karou nods her head, and giggles at her sister. "The lesson was to always look at everyone you meet as your equal, and to always remember that we are all living creatures deserving our rights." Arya nods her head now remembering why her mother taught them this lesson; so that they would never forget how our lands breathe life all around us, and how we must respect all of it. "Jackson, do you know anything about this lost civilization that most people leave out when telling the legend ?" He nods his head, and explains some finer details about the city. "Well princess, this lost civilization was once what ruled all of the Nevernever, and they were the highest power ever known to rule these lands. When this civilization was up and running, the dragons were just starting to climb the power meter. Everyone worshipped these people as gods because of how powerful they were, and were also feared among all supernatural species across the lands. No one ever challenged they reign of power, nor did anyone even think of overthrowing them. Until the Dragon God Draco the first became ruler over the dragon's empire, and challenged the Angels over who got to rule over the Nevernever." Akiva nodded his head in agreement, and everyone listened attentively. "So that means these guys have been here for a long time, especially since it's been a whole millennia since king Draco the first's reign. Which means we're dealing with an ancient civilization that isn't extinct, just great." "Arya, hold on now, just because this is an old civilization doesn't mean that they are stuck in the past times, it just means we're dealing with a huge force greater than our own." "Jackson, do you know why our ancestor, Draco the first, wanted to overthrow the angels power ?" "Yes, the angels were the top dogs, but that doesn't mean they were loved. If anything they were only feared and hated among all their subjects. The angels only cared about themselves, so when Draco the first approached them about how they were treating the supernaturals of the Nevernever they completely ignored him because they couldn't care less about the wellbeing of other supernaturals, all they were after was power over everyone, and everything." Karou sits down next to Akiva, and snuggles into his chest for comfort. "I could never imagine what the Nevernever would look like right now if Draco hadn't stepped up, and opposed the angels." Jackson nodded in understanding. "Yes, I do believe that if Draco hadn't stood up against the angels that the Nevernever would definitely be a completely different place right now. Thanks to his bravery and determination, we were able to stop the angels from destroying all supernatural things in all worlds." We sit in silence to pay our respect to King Draco the first.
An hour later...
"Princess, do you have everything together ? we should be leaving in about two minutes." Arya stands back to check for all the necessities. "Looks like I've got everything." Karou walks over to see a huge pile of things that are definitely not needed for this trip. "Arya sister, you don't need that much stuff, we'll be walking on the road, and not stopping in villages but camping out wherever we can find shelter. Here let me help get rid of some stuff." Karou grabs everything that is in her words a luxury, and puts them on the couch, then grabs a small backpack, and stuffs necessary things into it. Five pairs of clothes, two water bottles, and one pack of matches. "Karou, this isn't enough for me, I need my hair dryer, and my towel to dry off after taking a bath." Karou looks at her sister, and shakes her head in disapproval. "Arya, you don't need all that stuff, and anyways, who would carry all that stuff for you. I know I wouldn't, and don't you dare pick Akiva or Essana." Arya makes an innocent face, and starts to pout. "I was planning on Jackson to carry it." Jackson hears this, and starts busting out laughing at Arya. "You really think I would carry all that crap for you ! Man you're so dense !" he continues laughing as he walks out the house. "Come on Arya, it's time to go. We have to leave before sundown." Arya grabs her pitiful bag, and walks out with her sister in toe.
