THE DRAGON LORDS OF ELEBOR - MIHIGO EMMANUEL (red seas under red skies txt) 📗

girl and did the same. She seemed better off than Ntende; Mihigo took in his surroundings discovering a hidden path that headed back into the forest. 'Best to leave the stream,' he thought to himself, and then as he tried to move Ntende he noticed the girl begin to stir.

"Don't get up too fast." he said to her "What happened?" she asked, "I am not sure, all i remember is the meteorite, which isn't right cause we aren't supposed to be alive." she looked at him confused then Mihigo saw realization dawn on her face. Her eyes widened as she begun to notice her surroundings, a silly smile crept onto her face as she thought to herself, 'I made it, and I am home.' Mihigo interrupted her thoughts "What are you smiling about, we are stranded in the middle of a forest and my friend is dying."

She looked at Ntende with concern "He looks bad and i don't think he'll make it unless we find a healer." Mihigo got up and scanned the surroundings again "This is a wild forest which means a lot of wild plants, many of whom are adapted to survive the worst conditions making them good medicine, and i know what to look for." the girl looked at him then Ntende and bite her lower lip "That's not what i meant," "Do you know how to use those?" Mihigo interrupted not really hearing what she said as he pointed to her bow and arrows.

"I can heal him; one of the things I’ve learned in your realm is how to heal because i didn't have anyone to run to, plus i hate the methods used by healers in your realm, butcher is more fitting." Mihigo looked at her skeptically and sighed "How hard did you hit your head?" he asked. The girl ignored him and moved beside Ntende. Placing her hands delicately onto his chest and closing her eyes she begun to chant inaudibly, Mihigo was about to pull her away when a light whirl wind begun forming around her and Ntende. It eerily reminded him of the night the meteor hit, but before he would say a word to stop her Ntende's skin begun to regain color and his eye lids begun to flutter, he then suddenly took a sharp intake of breath and opened his eyes.

Air flooded into Ntende's lungs while he happily gulped down more, once he was satisfied he glanced about and met Mihigo's eyes which were staring at him like that of a chameleon ready to pop. "Don’t look at me like that, it’s not like am dead." he said. The analogy snapped Mihigo out of his trance and he rapidly blinked his eyes then sighed. He slowly approached Ntende held out his hand without breaking eye contact and lightly tapped his shoulder, then without warning pulled him into a bear hug so tight it was Ntende's turn to have bulging chameleon eyes. "Hey buddy i am ok.” Ntende said straining his voice "until i suffocate from this killer hug." Mihigo released him a toothy grin plastered on his face, relief radiating off of him.

"I thought you were dead." Mihigo said "I am ok." answered Ntende "I would however like to know how i am not dead, cause i could hear you just fine, i even said a silent prayer." they both turned to face the girl who was now sited on a tree root wearing her quiver watching them in fascination. "In my defense," she said picking up her bow at her side and getting to her feet "you’re the ones who grabbed me and I’ve done my part to heal you so have a nice day." she then headed up river followed by Mihigo and Ntende. Ntende leaned close to Mihigo and whispered "Maybe we are dead and she is an angel." Mihigo gave Ntende a questioning look then called out "Hey what's your name?" the girl finally stopped to face Mihigo and Ntende allowing both boys to notice her appearance for the first time.

She had dark curly brown hair falling to her shoulders, soft pink lips, cute button nose and astonishingly green eyes with light golden specks. Her skin flawless was tanned and standing at 5'1 with an athletic figure she definitely seemed like an angel. There was a slight marking on her left hip starting just below the hem of her skirt and disappearing above it. It looked like a creeping plant but what intrigued Mihigo was how it blended into her skin like it was part of her. The pointy elf like ears are what made Mihigo snap out of his haze, that and the girl asking him if he was going to stare at her all day. Blinking he asked again what her name was, "Alexandria is my name, before you ask obvious annoying questions i recommend finding someone else because you aren't supposed to be here and like i said I’ve done my part healing you." Ntende asked again how she healed him only to watch her roll her eyes, turn on her heel and continue up river. Mihigo smiled at Ntende and called out to Alexandria "In case you’re wondering we aren't following you," Ntende smiled back and said "yeah, we just happen to be moving in the same direction."

Alexandria smiled over her shoulder at them displaying the dimple on her right cheek, giving her such innocence that Ntende sighed out loudly earning himself a slap on the back of the head, and a mischievous grin from Mihigo. They followed the stream until the trees begun to grow more apart then moved off the path towards pillar shaped rocks that would normally be found at a rough coast where the cliff has been eroded for millennia. It was at this point that Mihigo and Ntende decided to expand their thresh hold of normal... a little bit. The rocks appeared to stretch out like a boundary line and beyond it was a field with scattered trees stretching out for miles

It was Alexandria who broke the thick blanket of silent that had fallen between them, "Once we get to the town you guys are on your own got it." before Ntende could protest that he needed her to hold his hand as he crossed the streets of heaven, she was already making toward the horizon. "As much as I’d love to help, you guys are on your own, i have my own plans and I will not waste time telling stories." Mihigo grabbed her hand "Any ideas as to where we can be told these stories." she gazed into his eyes and pulled her hand away "I know a place but you have to do as i say understand, this isn't your realm any more, the rules are different." she then turned on her heel and continued moving leaving Mihigo and Ntende to re-think their heaven theory.

They made their way to the base of the hill towards a gigantic wall with an equally gigantic gate. There was a civilian gate way cut into the side of the gate and opposite it was a sack of potatoes on a chair, but as they got closer the sack appeared to have a large well-polished egg sited on top of it with some sandals sticking out from underneath it. Once they were at the gate Ntende tried to liberate the egg from the grilling heat of the day and into the cooler depths of his stomach, or so he thought. Just as he reached out to grab the egg a hungry look in his eyes, a hand suddenly reached out and closed tightly around his.

"Ahhh!" Ntende let out an ear piercing screech, the smooth egg surface suddenly melted away only to be replaced by two human like eyes on its surface and out of the sack was where the hand appeared to be from but there was no hole where the hand could have passed. "We seek entry to the citadel." Alexandria spoke, not a trace of worry in her voice. The human like eyes stayed focused on Ntende's face as a voice echoed out of the egg "Who are you people, never seen you around before and how strangely you’re dressed." his voice was kind and curious then he turned and faced Alexandria "Well you’re a sassy lacey, what are you doing with strangers such as these, you from the forest, yeah i suppose." all the while he kept a firm grip around Ntende's wrist "As for you ravenous lad try the blue moon turban Daisy turns any carcass into gratifying varieties of grub, should keep you from gorging on people's heads eh, well you better be on your way." with that he let go of Ntende and waved at the civilian gate way which clanged as if bolts were being pulled back then silently swung open. As they walked through the egg said, “Best to change disguise wouldn't want more like that lad coming along.” There was a crack and when Ntende and Mihigo turned to look all that was left was a fierce looking stone griffin.

Once through the gate they were facing another giant wall with three watch towers and an arch in the wall just after the middle tower. They made their way across a bridge towards the second wall, Mihigo and Ntende glanced down and quickly came to regret it. While the bridge was wide and strong the drop was at over 100m and the sides of the death trap as Ntende named it were punctuated with jagged rocks that looked custom made to skin the poor souls that ever went over alive, while in its unseen depths a raging river could be heard. As they neared the arch the bustle of a market place could be heard getting louder and once through Alexandria announced "Welcome to Tempa Serra market."

CHAPTER THREE

It was like they had entered a new world, the sides of the wall were flanked with statues of two huge lions and Ntende kept his distance he wouldn't put it past them to come alive. The ground was rocky and sparkly like the rocks created when lava cools. It was also covered in intricate drawings and markings like creeping plants. The market looked organized, stalls and carts were placed on the sides leaving a narrow path for Pedestrians to walk. Mihigo and Ntende gazed around market; it was surrounded by four similar buildings two stories high. The pedestrian path cut through from the arch which they entered to the arch at the end of the quadrangular. There were other smaller paths leading to other parts of the market around the square. People were bustling around looking for things to buy from the various vendors in the square. “Stay close and don't get carried away" said Alexandria when a man in an overly long court appeared, and he opened the north side of his court showing a heavy extension of jewelry "Something you like sir" said the stranger "OH! Shiny" Ntende spoke as he reached out greedily. Alexandria turned round and slapped Ntende hard in the face "I said don't get carried away, and you putting a lust spell on commodities is illegal." the man looked at her with