Inferno Legacy: Valor of the Dragon (Book One)

Chapter 44

            Cody stared intently towards the ground and up ahead. The sun was beginning to set behind them, and Mora and Lars were growing impatient. Cody had told them of the full plan long before, and aside from knowing almost nothing about where they were going, the prospect was interesting to everyone. Luckily, while the two humans were growing increasingly bored by the second, Pippi was getting more excited. She never explained why, but Cody figured that she must have been excited by the idea of visiting her kin’s closest allies, besides the dragons. Pippi didn’t seem to be very in tune with other elves, but now she looked positively fascinated.

            “Look!” Cody yelped allowed when a faint shape came into view.

            Before them loomed the mountain that Cody realized he could now recognize fairly well. Between his first flying travel with Inferno when they met the wolves, and the memory that Flamidar had given him, even its blurry, vague shape was obvious. Mora and Lars struggled to see it with their weak vision, but Pippi was beaming with excitement. As if on cue, a loud, powerful howl erupted from directly below them. It took several minutes of furious flying before the voice began to fall behind. Apparently Inferno was right, and the Wargals were fast; easily fast enough to keep up with a leisurely flying pace for Inferno.

            Once they were about a ten-minute flight away from the mountain and howls could be heard from every direction, Inferno finally decided to bring them down. He found the trail and elegantly dropped onto it with one last flap of his mighty wings. At first Cody could see nothing in the gloom, but one by one, wolves poured out of the trees to investigate. A growling gasp went around the entire group as they recognized Cody and Inferno from before.

            Cody instantly recognized the leader, Midnight Stalker, carefully approaching them from the edge of the crowd. He jumped from Inferno’s neck to stand in front of the wolf alpha. The tips of his ears were about level with the top of Cody’s head, making them almost perfectly equal. Then, the wolf lowered himself until his furry chest was scraping the ground in the wolf-like bow.

            “Twilight Rider,” Midnight stalker breathed, mostly to himself. Louder he announced, “You can’t imagine how much of a joy it is to see you again. And Inferno, you have certainly grown into a powerful warrior!”

            Cody allowed Inferno to bask in his pride for several moments before bowing in return to Midnight Stalker. The pitch-black canine’s eyes glowed with respect and admiration at the rider, and he bared his teeth in what Cody assumed to be a grin. His tail flicked to the side, showing his obvious excitement.

            “What are you doing in our territory after all this time? We thought you would have reached Mrana Akano Furista by now. And what happened to your other companions?” Midnight Stalker asked curiously.

            Cody sighed before explaining, “It’s a long story. Do you mind if we seek shelter in the mountain for tonight and I can tell you about it while my companions sleep.”

            “May I come as well?” Pippi asked, slipping from Inferno’s back to face the wolf.

            Midnight Stalker’s eyes lit up once more and he bowed a second time before saying, “Of course! It would be my honor to speak with an elf after the hundreds of moons that our kin have been separated.”

            Pippi bowed herself to the leader of the mighty wolves and Cody noticed a blush come to her cheeks.

            “Shall we be off then?” Cody asked when she was finished with her bow.