The Alchemist and The Dragon

Chapter 5

 We continue to run late into the night, until our legs can't carry us anymore.

We stop to rest in a clearing. While Nadia and I catch our breath Alaster focuses on making a fire.

"...Thank you. I know I was rude back there, but I really do appreciate it." Nadia speaks up, sincerity lacing her voice. Alaster turns around and smiles.

"It's fine. Like I said we know what it's like. And if you should be thanking anyone it should be Ara. She's the one who brought up the idea." Alaster admits as he sends a smile my way. After a minute of silence his smile fades into a look of curiosity.

"By the way Nadia," Alaster starts, looking up to meet the witch's eyes.

"What happened? Why did the village suddenly turn on you?"

The witch's eyes narrow in anger an annoyance, like when a parent's had too scold their child for the up-teenth time.

"A dragon." She states simply. My eyes widen to the size of saucers and I shoot a look to Alaster.

"But it was a very different dragon to you, Alaster." She looks up, a small smile painted on her face.

Of course she knew, she was a witch after all. I should've expected it.

A small sigh of relief escapes my lips. And I nod at her to continue.

"He just, appeared one day, in human form. He looked relatively normal, aside from his eyes. His eyes that drew everyone in. All the normal people anyway."

My mind flashes to the eyes I saw before we ran into the woods. The eyes hiding I the back, watching it all unfold. The one who stirred the pot in the first place.

"There was some kind of enchantment on his eyes. Probably his dragon quirk." She explains.

What's a dragon quirk?

"He became close to the lord, and eventually became his adviser." She continues

"I'm guessing that's what his dragon quirk is." Alaster thinks aloud.

I still don't know what a dragon quirk is.

"Hey, what's a dragon quirk-"

"And then the two of them locked themselves inside for what seemed like weeks." Nadia cut me off.

"And then when they reappeared," Alaster began,

"It was suddenly ordered that all magic users be executed." Nadia finished, a spiteful look dawning on her face as she spat the last words with venom.

"But why would a dragon use his quirk to make humans kill magic users? Last time I was in the kingdom we were at good terms." Alaster questions to himself, hand to his resting on his chin.

"What's a dragon quirk!" I say, louder than I originally wanted. Nadia and Alaster look at me like I asked the stupidest question in existence.

"You don't know what a dragon quirk is? Aren't you an alchemist?" Nadia teases. I pout in response and look away, my face blushing in embarrassment, as I grab two pieces of my loose, messy amber hair and pull them across my face so I don't have to looks at them.

I hear Alaster chuckle.

"Now, now Nadia, we can't blame her for not knowing. She hasn't been anywhere outside of her little village her whole life, this far she's been relying on knowledge from books." Alaster defends me as crouches down in front of me and moves my hands away from my face looking at me.

"It's ok Ara, I'll explain it to you so you can stop being so cute and pouty." Alaster philandered. I somehow blush even more which I didn't believe possible.

"So basically, most dragons are born with a special ability; Dragon quirks. They can differ in categories and do different things. No two are the same except ones passed down through families." He clarifies.

"Oh! I get it! So what's your dragon quirk?" I ask full of excitement. I notice the small on Alaster's face drop a little.

"Remember how I said 'most' dragons have a dragon quirk? Well, I'm one of the few who don't. My brother, Asra does though. Speaking of, his place shouldn't be too far from here. We should get going once the sun rises, Ara." Alaster piped, changing the subject as quickly as possible.

I look at him with unsettle. I hope he's ok, it seems like a sensitive subject. I'll talk to him later.

I turn to look at Nadia.

"What about you, Nadia? What are you going to do?" I ask. I have a feeling she doesn't have anywhere to go.

"I don't know. I don't have anywhere to go. I can't go back home near the coast, I left before I was of age so I can't return. That village was my home, the villagers my family. I have nothing." She starts to sob.

I go over to her an bring her into an embrace.

"Well you're not alone anymore. You have us. You can travel with us as long as you want. We don't really know where it is we're going yet, but we're looking for a home. And I say the more the merrier." I comfort. Her sobbing stops and she looks at me with tear filled eyes.

"Th-thank you!" She expresses and she wraps her arms around me, and sobs into my shoulder.

After she's calmed down we eat some food and take turns sleeping and taking watch. The night was mostly peaceful. But I didn't get an easy sleep. Thoughts keep on swimming around in my head.

'Why would a dragon do that?'

'I still don't know why Alaster left.'

'Is it because he doesn't have a dragon quirk?'

'What did he mean when he said the things he did in the cell?'

The same thoughts piled up in my head until I finally passed out from exhaustion.