Of Both Worlds

Chapter 11

Dylan looked up and grinned. "Wow, would you look at that, you just happened to wander into one of my traps."

 "Dylan, let me down, you popped my ankle out." Ace spat as he relished in the pain. 

 "It was meant for your pet forest dragon, but mistakes are made, even when traps are what makes me Adroit."

 "So you used your ability to trap me, why?"

 "So I could get that forest dragon out of here of course."

 "Leave her alone!" Ace snapped, suddenly feeling very protective over a Talon that could kill him with a swipe of her talons.

 "We won't lay a finger on her." Dylan said, his arms out wide good naturedly as he backed away. "It's she who will be the death of you." 

Ace was confused as Dylan turned and saddled up his horse and rode away leaving Spades alone. "Dylan! Dylan come back! You can't just leave me here!"

But the four boys were gone. 

"Why did they leave Spades...ah." Ace tried to position his body so that he was facing Spades. "It will look live I've gone off riding you to try and fight a Talon, but then got caught in one of Dylan's traps. Smart. Cruel, but smart." Spades whinnied. "And, I am talking to a horse. Wow."

 The snapping of sticks made Ace whirl his head around and Spades rear up in fright. Human, in my territory? A dragon, bright purple in color, started circling a good deal away. A pink forked tongue flicked out of his mouth. 

 "What are you supposed to be?" Ace asked. 

 Surely you can't be talking to me, humans don't talk to Talons, not anymore. It was a rather small dragon, about the size of a baguette. It had little quills that ran down its tail and two oversized fangs protruding from its mouth. 

 "Yes, yes I am talking to you, what are you? Some kind of forest dragon?" 

The dragon paused its circling to look at Ace with its yellow eyes in horror. Forest dragon? Those weak little bunnies could barely hurt a fly. 

"Not like you, I assume." Ace swallowed the feeling of rising dread. 

 No, the purple dragon said slowly, creeping closer to Ace. Not at all like me, you don't seem very smart, human.

 "Why's that?" Ace wished he could get down to take the weight off of his ankle. 

 First, you come into my territory at sword point of Talonhunters, then you walk into a trap, then you don't seem afraid of me. The purple dragon climbed up the tree where Ace dangled down from. Very stupid indeed. 

 "I'm very sorry, I'm new to this whole Talon business...who are you?" What Ace really wanted to ask was, 'what are you' but it seemed rude and blunt and he was in no position to be rude. 

 I am Eitri, and I have been on this Earth for much longer than you and will continue to be here much after you are gone. 

 "Great introduction, I'm Ace Goldwood, I'm fifteen, I popped my ankle out of place in this stupid trap that Dylan set up and I'm a Talonhunter, a Talon-Tongue, Adroit, a shifter and..."

 Shifter? Eitri jumped off of the tree and onto Ace's pant leg, digging his claws into his jeans. I haven't seen a shifter in over seven hundred years. You can't be the shifter everyone is talking about. Eitri sighed as he climbed down the upside down boy and closer to his face. Pity you had to walk into my territory.

 "Whoa, hey now Eitri, why is it a pity? What are you doing?" Ace starting freaking and shaking madly trying to get the bright purple dragon off. 

Eitri just held on and casually walked down to Ace's face. Goodbye, Ace Goldwood. 

Eitri opened his mouth and his fangs shone in the afternoon light for a second, a cloudy liquid dripping off of them. Ace heard someone scream as those deadly fangs pierced his neck. 

 "ACE! NO!" 

Fortunately for Ace, he couldn't feel the searing pain of his ankle anymore, unfortunately, he couldn't feel anything. His whole body went taught and rigid, trembling slightly before relaxing and simply letting go. Ace let out a sigh of relief despite his situation and closed his eyes in the blissful sleep that followed. 

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Just what do you think you're doing? 

Ace lay on his bed safe and snug in his own home miles and miles away from where he learned about Talons or where any of the knowledge could bother him. 

Ace I asked you a question. 

Ace continued to ignore the voice. It was cold outside of his bed, it must have been November, where it was cold half the time but heat was too expensive to have it on all the time. 

So there Ace lay, warm under his thick covers with his fat fluffy grey cat purring on his pillow next to him. 

Get up Ace.

 No. Ace thought back. Leave me alone. He crinkled up his face like he was having a nightmare. Outside his window dark thunderclouds boomed and rain smashed against the window. 

 You think this a game? You think your life is yours to gamble? Wrong, you gamble the rest of our lives with you. Get up Ace. 

Ace didn't want to recognize the voice. Ace didn't want to remember what it was like, what anything different from this was. 

It was cold outside the bed and warm under the blankets, he didn't want to leave. He wanted to stay in bed next to his cat forever. Ace's cat, Fluffy Butt, purred louder as if helping to drown out the noise coming from the creature whose name Ace forgot. 

This isn't just about you Ace. 

 Yes it is, go away. Ace squeezed his eyes shut. Thunder roared, rain pounded louder, Fluffy Butt purred like an engine. They all want me to stay in bed, so I'll stay in bed. 

 This isn't real Ace, you have to remember. 

Unwillingly, Ace's mind put a voice to a face, a sky blue wyvern with deep blue eyes. A wyvern destined not to fly again. A wyvern beaten, and broken, and held hostage in a camp run by killers. 

Paramonos.       

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