<Nick!>
Nick abandoned his book on herbs and hurried out to see what had Cadence so excited. He stood at the cave mouth and squinted at the overcast sky. Two dragons were winging their way into the clearing; Cadence, and a slightly bigger dragon and a dirtyblonde-haired woman perched on their back. What would the villagers think when they looked up to see not one, but two dragons in the sky?
<Nick, come meet Sombra and Marissa,> Cadence said, when she spotted Nick.
Nick walked out to greet the newcomers. Marissa slid off Sombra's back and landed lightly on the grass. A thin woman of medium height, she wore a black leather jacket over a pain white T-shirt and light blue ripped jeans with black converse shoes. She had the sort of open, good-natured face that was easy to overlook in a crowd, if one missed the keen watchfulness of her blue eyes, and the light way she moved on her feet.
"Glad to finally meet you face to face," Marissa said, a smile crinkling the corners of her eyes.
"Likewise." They shook hands and Nick couldn't help but smile back. "Maybe now I can get the real story of how you met Sombra."
"You could've asked Cadenza," Marissa said. "She was there."
Nick rolled his eyes. "She asked me to ask you."
<No one else should have to tell that ridiculous story,> Cadence said. She moved behind Nick as Sombra approached.
Nick finally got a good look at him, the dragon Sombra. His build was broader and heavier than Cadence's, built for power more than speed. The jet black of his scales with silver armor, with His eyes had a flame coming from the sides, green gradually shifting to purple at the tips. The claws on his feet were shorter and thicker than Cadence's. Where Cadence looked like she, could slice them to shreds. Whereas Sombra could pull an opponent apart with brute strength.
She studied him with eyes as red as a stop sign. <Nick,> he said finally. His low, husky voice was friendly but reserved.
He straightened. "Sombra."
<He's the one I told you about,> Cadence said to him.
"Oh," Nick said after a moment's thought. He looked up at Cadence. Sombra looked at Cadence in surprise. From the way their heads angled towards each other, Nick guessed that they were communicating. It stung to be excluded.
<You can speak in front of him, Sombra.>
After a brief glance in Nick's direction, he heard his voice in his head. <You told him about me?>
<Yeah.> Cadence said simply.
This time, when he looked back at him, his gaze was much warmer. <I'm pleased to finally meet you,> Sombra said with a regal nod of his head. <I was curious to see who had taken over writing Cadenza's letters.> There was a teasing tilt to the angle of his head. <Your writing is much better than her.>
<Very funny,> Cadence said.
"Thank you," Nick said with a smile. He'd wanted to meet him ever since he'd read his letters and often bitingly sarcastic observations.
<Let's get inside,> Cadence said. <The cold isn't good for Nick.>
Nick rolled his eyes and flicked Cadence in the snout when Cadence tried to herd him back into the cave.
YOU ARE READING
Home is a Treasure Beyond Price
Fantasy"In what had to be the stupidest decision he'd ever made in a lifetime of making stupid decisions, he resolved to follow the dragon into her lair. The cave mouth yawned, dark and forbidding before him. He stared at it, willing himself to take the fi...
