Talos and Cyrus

Chapter 8 - Newingham

The three had been travelling for two sunrises, only stopping to sleep. On the second day, while Cyrus was studying his wrinkled map and tracing out paths with his finger, Talos' sides began to rumble. He looked up at the yellow dragon and made a face. Flossie jumped at the noise and tried desperately to hide behind Cyrus.

"I haven't seen you eat at all." Cyrus commented, furrowing his brow at the dragon. Talos merely shook his mighty head.

"I'll be alright," he replied. "A dragon can go for weeks without food."

"So can a man. You need to hunt." Cyrus said, rolling up his map and stowing it away in his leather satchel. Again, Talos shook his head.

"I am ashamed to admit that I am not very good at hunting. I can't chase down a bucain, even if I tried my hardest." The dragon was staring at the ground, shifting his bulk back and forth.

Cyrus dug out his map again and followed the jagged line that was the river they were following, occasionally looking up to study their surroundings.

"We should be nearing Newingham by noon. It's the main trade village in all of Crasmere, they're bound to have a carcass or two there for you. There is also a large wood behind the village. You can hide there while I buy some food for the both of us."

Talos was quiet for a few moments, his head still lowered.

"You shouldn't waste your currency on me, Cyrus. I'm a dragon, I should be able to catch my own food."

Cyrus simply shrugged.

"And I'm a man. I should be able to hunt and get my own food as well as anyone else but instead, other people need to catch and cook it for me."

At this, Talos glanced at Cyrus and the two seemed to exchange a few silent words before starting off again, this time at a quicker pace. Soon enough, they saw the distant outlines of tall buildings and even taller trees. Newingham was in sight.

Even from afar, Cyrus could see carts rolling to and fro and keza's chasing children around.

"Be sure to make a wide loop around the village before going into the woods. There may be lumberjacks in there as well, be cautious." Cyrus said, motioning to the massive wooded area with the impossibly tall trees. On his map, it was marked as 'The Sheta Forest.'

Behind him, Talos nodded.

"Follow the scratches on the trees," the dragon muttered. "And you'll find me."

With that, Talos lumbered passed Cyrus and began his long trek out of sight of the village. The dragon stole a glance over his shoulder before sprinting away, his footsteps creating faint tremors as they pounded against the ground. Cyrus watched his companion go as he trotted up to the village entrance, a huge wooden arch with owats, reptilian, owl-like animals, carved into it. This was the first village he had ever visited that wasn't Aeredale. With a deep breath, he walked through the arch, leading Flossie behind him.

It was mayhem. Elkorse's trotted all around, some with carts strapped to their hindquarters and others with fat men atop their backs. Keza's, canine like animals with the head of a badger, ran this way and that while small children darted after them. People were shouting all the while, women with dresses of faded colors and men with coats of fur and boots of leather. Tall buildings loomed over Cyrus' head, each one different from the other. Vendors waited at the doors of their shops; at every turn was a new market stall. Fine shoes, embroidered gowns, sharpened daggers, pounds upon pounds of oats, Cyrus could hardly keep track of it all. It was wonderful.

Newingham was a beautiful village, with tall church spires seemingly scraping the clouds. There were children seated around a young woman on an old porch, all with ragged clothes and dirty faces, as she told fascinating tales of the great adventures of knights. The children gasped when the story came to the point where the knight was to face a giant, ferocious dragon. She described the battle beautifully, telling of how the knight pierced the dragon's heart with the tip of his famous sword. Cyrus frowned and turned from the woman.