How a dragon trains you

Part 7

Am I famous yet?

Was that another one of those nightmares?! I sat there in my bed, feeling my heart flicker, feeling my breaths leave and reenter my lungs so hard and rapidly it mildly hurt. What was that!? What on earth happened?
The fright from the dream took a couple moments to cool off, letting me finally calm down after another while of sitting as upright as a candle.
The air around my head still feeling hot, I slowly lowered my back to the bed and lied down again, until I just went exhaustedly limp and let myself drop into the pillow. I could sense the sweat on my skin covering me from head to feet, still able to feel the tingly sensations of the shock. The adrenaline, this horrible sensation of free falling, even when it had held on for just less than a second in my dream… I spent some time staring at the wooden ceiling, my chest haven’t ceased to rise up and down yet.
My mind needed some time to go back into its usual state again, finally capable to connect with the real world, and my situation. The dragon... and Levicus… and the story I’ve told to him, Benton and those other folks from this hall. About the boy who is the first one to survive a dragon attack of the most dangerous kind...
Oh right! Word ought to have gotten around by now…
I pushed myself up and leaned to the side, peeping out the window. Am I famous yet? The orange of the dusk hadn’t emerged very far yet, barely reaching over the wall, the sunrise having just begun. I let out a disappointed sigh… I must have woken up early again. There barely was anything going on in the town yet. The markets were as dead as the desert. The shops yet to open, the inns and restaurants motionless. Only very few people were scattered outside, most of them being guards of which I was not sure if they just ended their nightshift or just began their daytime duty.
I’ve stayed still for a while, taking in the relaxing view from my window. The birds were already singing. From here I could see to the very middle of the market place and would have seen everything else behind it if that damn oak wouldn’t have been in the way. Seeing a place which was usually so crowdy that you could usually see nothing but the crowd itself or just fragments of what they’re surrounding, being so empty was… amazing. The unmanned stands, the clear, wide and worn out floor patches, which seemed smaller when one had only seen them filled with persons standing on them and nearly covering it. It felt like the calm before the storm. Around 8 a.m., when the chapel bell would sound, the markets and shops were open, and a huge flood of early birds browsed over the best offers and newest goods, taking them as long as they could. Levicus once told me that 80 percent of all trades were made in about mere 30 percent of the shop’s opening times. Those time spans were the first two hours in the morning right after opening and the busiest two hours in the afternoon, about the time I arrived yesterday. When I was young I liked to stay by my window and watch the market gradually fill up with more and more people, the town slowly waking up to its full life. Imagining what it would be like… to have a market stand down there, surrounded by different persons from different regions and places, each haggling different prices and making different offers. But renting one of those stands for a day was expensive, and therefore a risky investment. You better make sure your earnings make up to the costs you payed for being down there. Levicus and I didn’t even take that chance. As if we could afford a place down there for twelve hours anyways. The taxes varied from the seasons and positions. For a stand in the middle during the heat of the summer you payed around 40 gold an hour. That’d be 480 gold for a day, enough to rent a room in the best inn for almost a month! Only the wealthiest salesmen and merchants were down there… Levicus also told me that someday, we would be down there too. Someday…
Motivated by the sight to do something myself, I eventually pushed myself up a little more and sat by the edge of the bed, staring around my room. What now? My first thought was to leave the town and check again if the dragon might have followed me. But this… was most likely just a false hope. I still haven’t forgotten the disappointment I had felt on my travel as I was forced to accept that the dragon did not care to follow and see me this time. I shouldn’t be wasting my time like that… Levicus still needed my help. I ought to see him at once! He should be preparing the store for the daily business right now. I should go and help him. Maybe he has spread my story in the guild? Maybe they’ll recruit me now? I have to find out and ask him!
I pulled the blanket off my legs and took a few tired steps to my old wooden drawer. I swung the door open, finding it surprisingly empty. Apparently, I had forgotten for a second that my gear was in fact gone. Most of it at least. The light armor which the dragon had ripped apart and the things I’ve lost during the wild encounter left a lot of free and notable space in my usually full wardrobe but were luckily not the only things I had stored in there. Although the alternatives to back the losses up were… significant downgrades. I had taken my best gear onto that expedition!  
Not having anything better, I grabbed some casual brown linen trousers and the only boots which looked like they weren’t about to fall apart. Beside a leather cuirass with dark-green toned line-cloths covering most of the leather up, similar to my old one, I had no light armor left. 
One of the only weapons I now had was an old dagger, which was blunt and nearly useless. I’ve been keeping this thing from my childhood and it’s gotten worn out over the years. The only weapon that was in an acceptable condition was a specifically customized hatchet from the Tivan army, which I may or may not was allowed to keep after my expulsion. It had runes and signs carved into its sharp steel top, such as the Tivania cress. I couldn’t handle axes, I was raised and trained handling blades. All this thing had done was laying around and gathering dust. I had hardly forgotten I owned this thing at all, I had no use for it. Well, until today.
I picked the hatchet up from the bottom of the drawer. It was unused and, once cleaned a little, as fresh as the day I got it. The steel had just a few slight scrapes from being carelessly laid down. No scratches and no stains. Testing around, I properly acquired a solid grip onto the wooden handle, holding the hatchet in front of me. It was well weighted and balanced, but still… would I even able to fight with this thing if I would have to? Screw it, I thought to myself. It’s better than nothing. It would do for another hunt. Luckily the cuirass had a strap on the side in which you could put any weapons, so I stored it there, letting it hang from the height of my waist. I took the dagger with me too in case I would need something short-ranged and quick. Although this thing looked like it could barely cut butter.      

Finally prepared for another day of who-knows-what, I swung the door of my room open and confidently stepped into the corridor. There was as much happening as yesterday late evening when I tiredly strolled to my bed. Namely nothing. The other members of my large family were still in their rooms, either getting ready or still sleeping. All but one. I could hear her peacefully hum and sing from downstairs. My mother was already up on her feet before I was, as always. Most of the females in this family stayed home to take care of the children and elders. My mother was, as always, the first one to be down in the kitchen, starting the preparation of breakfast for everybody -or for the ones that had the time of the day to sit down at the large dinner table all together and eat for a while, which was still a large number. Only on weekends everybody was at the table and seeing them all sit there I sometimes think it’s a miracle how we all fit into this house. It felt like living in a crowded motel.

I hurried along the corridor and down the stairs. I didn’t waste any time to proceed into the kitchen. All I wanted was to just eat a quick snack so I wouldn’t head outside with an empty stomach and grab something for later. That’s what I always did in the morning when I was at home. That, and the daily mother-son small talk.

My mother was standing by one of the counters, cutting something on the board. She was so dreamy while she was working that if I hadn’t made so much noise of opening and closing the drawers which contained the bread, she probably wouldn’t even have noticed me.
“G’morning, Mervy” she said, not even turning around, just immediately knowing that it was me.
“Hi Mom” I automatically replied, already hastily cutting off some slices from the bread.
“How did the expedition go?”
That question made me freeze for a second, stopping my hand with the breadknife halfway down. No doubt, I couldn’t tell her about the things I did with the dragon. But I also couldn’t tell how I heroically managed to disengage from a dragon attack, how I told the other ones. She would hear about it sooner or later anyways.
“Oh- err… not so good. Didn’t catch anything.”
“How are Levicus and Amanda?”
She had always asked this. And I always gave the same answer.
“Fine. Or… well, as always. You know how things are for them.”
I quickly finished smearing the butter on the slice, put some of the sausage on it as well, and took it out of the room with me, wanting to avoid any progress of the conversation before it could get somewhere I wouldn’t want it to go.
“You forgot your bow upstairs!” she suddenly shouted after me as I left the kitchen and was headed for the front door. Sometimes I did forget my bow in my room, and she would have reminded me like she did now. But not today…
“Oh- err… I left it at Levi’s place yesterday.”
I couldn’t tell her that my bow was gone, disarmed by a dragon!
“Bye mom!” I hastily shouted, hurrying out of the door into the fresh morning air.

…          

I had a nice and comfortable meal, sitting on a bench in a relaxing shadow casted by the old oak’s thick cover of leaves. As I was finished, I still stayed for a couple minutes, watching the bright morning sun gradually ascend over the wall, more and more rays shining into my face. I eventually got myself to stand up, finally headed for Levi’s shop, located by the very other end of the town. Still not very far away though, Dummerston wasn’t necessarily huge and had most of its buildings constructed closely to one another, leaving some of the streets narrow.
The walk didn’t take me long to get there. In just a couple minutes of travelling I was already standing in front of his old house, the wooden giant looming above me. I climbed up the few stairsteps onto the porch and checked if Levicus was downstairs and working already, holding my head onto the large windows so close that my face nearly touched down onto the glass. At first, I thought he wasn’t there yet and I would have to knock on the backdoor… but then I saw something move behind an open doorway in the small storage room behind the counter. He was there! In that… room. That desolate area has always seemed kind of mysterious to me. What’s he doing in there? Why is he moving so hastily?
I entered his store through the front door, which was unlocked, not going unnoticed due to the bell. Levi only had the door unlocked when he was expecting me… My presence was no surprise to him apparently.
I rather slowly stepped towards the counter, curious but apprehensive about what crazy idea he was up to now again. I tried to catch a glimpse of what Levi was rummaging behind those dirty boxes and dusty shelves so excessively.
Eventually he was backing out of the maze of boxes, and his eyes went wider as he spotted me, a seemingly insane grin on his face.
“Ah, Mervyn! There you are!” he shouted, hurrying out of the storage room with his hands filled with as much they could carry. In one hand he was holding a cup-like container keeping those specifically made crossbow-bolts, and in his other hand he was carrying a heavy looking crossbow, holding onto it with his other hand too. I thought it was the one he always had with him in the hope to sell it off to someone, but this one… looked different. Did he overhaul it?
I was just about to ask, but as he hurried towards me he took the words out of my mouth.
“You might be wondering what this thing is, do you?” he said with a rather exhausted but still excitedly quick sounding voice. As he was closer I noticed that his eyes were reddish and surrounded by dark looking rings. As if he wouldn’t have slept in three days.
“So, I’ve made up my mind and… made a decision!”
He brought down the bolt-cup onto counter, almost knocking it over with his hasty and shaky fingers, and held the crossbow with both hands into my face, proudly presenting it to me. I did but stare in concern.
“If that dragon is still out there, we’d need to kill it! By that I really mean, we need to kill it!”
He said that like it wasn’t a bad thing at all. “Only we have the opportunity! Only we know where it’s hiding, and only we have experienced, or /you/ have experienced, that it’s not as invincible and deadly as everybody thought!”
I couldn’t respond to that…
“The glory will be ours! Ours!” he yelled, sounding as crazy as he looked, waving the home-made crossbow into the air.
I was too shocked to respond, having frozen on spot. Kill the dragon!? My lovely dragon? No way! But Levicus mistook my silence for awe.
“I’ve spent all night to construct another crossbow -for you! You finally get to take over this marksman role you always dreamed of while you still were in the army, Mervyn” he added, eccentrically chuckling. “We’ll track it down, and with those things we’ll shoot it hiding behind trees and in bushes before it can even see us! And then come home as legendary dragon slayers!”
The way Levicus had said that made me think he really was going insane… But then I remembered I was the one who was in love with a dragon. If someone in this shop was insane it was me. But before I could react, Levi was already in front of me and pressed the crossbow into my chest so hard I was forced to hold onto it with my arms. He let go and took a step back.
“Here you are… Haha! Just look at you holding it!”
I just stood there, my back slightly arched and a confused look on my face. The crossbow was heavy indeed…
I took a closer look at Levi’s newest craft. The wood was covered in scratches and scrapes. The metal, which was so dirty I couldn’t figure if it was iron or steel, was old and unformed. But all those screws and hinges looked like they were enough to hold this thing together during action. There were many strings and sinews strapped in, allowing a powerful shot. It also appeared to have a small shoulder stock, a hook-like trigger piece on the bottom near the handle and a small grabbing peg at its front.
I was irritated yet fascinated by this thing, as I had no idea how it was supposed to make me able to fire those bolts faster than the arrows that came from the bow.
Levicus just stared at me and the crossbow, seemingly in love with his creation.
As nice as this new kind of weapon looked… there was just no way I was going to seek after my lovely dragon, with the intention to harm it! And so, I couldn’t allow Levicus to do such a thing either. I still remembered the last time I let someone go after the dragon! Poor George… Levicus deserved better than that.
“Levi- look.”
I stepped forward, back to him, trying to give the crossbow back.
“I don’t want to- I mean, I don’t think /we/ should-”
“Oooooooh Mervyn” he suddenly interrupted me. “I know exactly what you’re going to say.”
“D- do you?”
My face went a little red. Did he know? Did he figure it all out?
“Yeah! I know, I know…”
He started to pace around the room. I observed what he was going to say attentively…
“I know… it’s risky, it’s dangerous, and we’re lucky if we just live through the mere attempt. But-”
He scampered back to me to lie his sweaty hand on my shoulder.
“We rather die a hero’s death today than die a coward tomorrow! And if it’s really done… it’ll be our big score. Our masterpiece. We’ll be richer than the counts, prouder than the warriors and more famous than the dragon slayer of Moonlight Inn!”
Hearing that sentence made me go pale and my eyes shot wide for a second.
Did that rumor really get around so quickly? Oh boy… I’m in trouble… it’s not gonna take long until people find out that the ‘unknown dragon slayer’ is me.
“But of course we won’t toss ourselves into battle unprepared.”
Levicus turned around, gesturing me to follow him, leaving me stand there as if nailed down, tensed up and crimson-faced.
It took him couple more steps until he noticed that I didn’t trail after him. He had almost gone through the entrance doorway as he suddenly stopped and turned around.
“Why are you being so hesitant? Come on! It’s nothing dangerous. It’s not like we’re gonna kill it right now.”
After I was still motionless, he quickly stepped back towards me, grabbed my arm and had to forcefully pull my nearly rigid body after him until my feet finally set off to move. He dragged me out of the store, letting go as soon as we were both on the porch. He turned around, rummaged a key ring out of a pocket and hastily went through each key, looking for the one right one to fit the front door of his shop.
Except my feet having moved, I was still frozen. Did I hear right? Did he say that we’d be as famous as the… unknown dragon slayer of Moonlight Inn? Or was that just my insane mind playing tricks on me? Am I starting to imagine things?
While Levi was busy my glance went down to the crossbow again, looking at it in slight disgust… no way I’m going to use that on the dragon! Even if we would’ve been hunting another dragon which actually had it coming, I still wouldn’t be fighting with that thing! Levicus was crazy!
“Levi- for real, look… there is no way that I’m-”
“What’s the matter, do you want me to take out that dragon alone?” he snarled at me, turning away from the keyhole to shoot me a glare.
“No no- it’s just…”
My eyes sunk down to the heavy weapon in my hands again.
“Oh! So that’s where the shoe pinches…” he mumbled almost to himself. By now he had found the right key and quickly stuck it in, being so impatient that he nearly missed the hole.
“That’s what we’re gonna do right now! You’ll know how to handle that thing by the end of the day!”
He pulled the key out and scampered off.
“Come” he commanded, having knocked me by the shoulder. I watched him rush down the stairs for a couple seconds before I got myself to move after him. If I play along for as long as I can… he may not suspect about that little relationship… 
I rather hesitantly followed him around his house, watching him quickly grab another crossbow – his crossbow – off a barrel while we were headed for his backyard. 

This place gives me the creeps, I silently thought to myself, slowing down a bit while entering through the small gravel path between the low fences. Piles of mostly ransacked wooden boxes were towered along the backwall of his house and partly against the great wall of the city, which loomed high above us and blocked everything that was behind it. It had notably reduced this place, as if it cut the lawn in halves with the rest being on the opposite side of the wall. Large shadows were casted by the enormous house, neighboring buildings which were quite enormous too and by the mossy cobble stone city wall. Only a couple rays of dawning sunlight reached into the backyard, shining onto the grass. At the spots where it wasn’t covered with various objects standing around, the grass was short, stepped down and almost had lost its green color. How Levi could work in this kind of environment was beyond me. There were tools and home crafted weapons of all kinds scattered across the tables and boxes as if the wind blew them away, sometimes stored in nearly broken barrels with at least the top just entirely missing. A cheaply made grindstone and a worn off crafting table were on each side to the backdoor, which’s dirty glass and scratched wood fit right into this place alright. It was obvious, Levi didn’t have the time to keep his workplace clean. He also didn’t have the attitude. We were lucky that the back of his house wasn’t visible to the public. It’d butcher the reputation of his store!
I spotted the three differently sized hay targets rowed at the wall, the city wall behind it having little fragments of stone missing of which I could only figure that they were shot out by missed arrows or those bolts. The targets had three rings painted on each, a blue, a red and a yellow one closing into a red bullseye in the very middle, notably undamaged. I realized why he led me there. He was going to have me test the crossbow... I stopped again, worriedly looking after him.
Levicus hurried towards one of the crafting tables and grabbed five or six of those bolts which were made for the crossbow. Except that they looked worn off and the iron tips were so blunt you could tell that it bounced off many a hard surface. No sharping could make those ready for combat anymore… those must’ve been practice bolts or something. Barely sharp enough to impact into the hay deep enough to get stuck in place.
He was scurrying towards me again.
“Stand right there!” he advised, pointing with his finger of his unoccupied hand onto a little wooden board patch on the floor. It was centralized and about 15 feet away from the hay targets, arranged to represent some sort of line behind which one would have to stand when taking shots.
I wasn’t sure if it was right to cooperate with Levi, even when it’s just practicing on a hay target. He would surely think that I’d have no problem with attacking the dragon, next to being a little scared of course.
“Levicus, listen” I said, standing far off the spot he’s pointed to “we really shouldn’t be doing that.”
“Come on, I didn’t craft the crossbow so you could hold it and whine” he chuckled “Just try it! Maybe you won’t turn out to be a total shit shot.”
I rolled my eyes, at first wanting to pass. But still… I have never fired a crossbow before… maybe I could give it a try, just to see what it feels like. I hesitantly stepped towards the spot behind the wooden planks, Levi standing right next to me with an excited grin on his face.
“Okay, now look. When you’re aiming, you hold it like this- No, put your left foot forward! Just like with the bow, except that you’re bringing down your aiming-eye right onto the wood- and have the stock onto your shoulder!”
I let Levi correct and amend my posture over and over, not having thought that it was so complicated.
“Yeah, just like that. Now we’re gonna load it. Alright, lower the crossbow… now remove your left hand and hold it up like that- and keep the trigger pressed until I’m telling you to let go!”
He pressed one of the practice bolts into my hand.
“Now, put it onto the front so the back connects with the strings and pull it all the way back, just like with a bow, except that you let the trigger come down and let the strings lock into place… yes… come on, further… further… now you can let go.”
I held the loaded crossbow in my hands. Seeing the strings being under this constant high tension… felt strange. It was like magic to me. It was like a bow, just… when I let go of the string it shot forward, but now it stayed where it was…
“Let me tell you something about loaded crossbows. You don’t wanna put a hole into your pal’s leg, so you keep it pointed away from anything you don’t wanna hit, at all times. Also, keep your hands from the trigger away, god dammit! When you’re not about to shoot something, lower it and grab it right there, near the stock -Yeah, just like that.”
I carefully did as Levi described. Having a loaded crossbow in my hands felt like I was handling an enormously dangerous weapon.
“Alright, time for your first shot! Get it back up and level it out, just like the position we began with earlier.”
I hesitantly raised my weapon, my palms becoming somewhat sweaty, as if being afraid to use it. I didn’t even know myself what I was being so fearful about. This thing’s practically just like the bow, just with static strings… Besides, those hay targets had a solid stone wall behind them. The only mildly dangerous thing that could happen is that the tip comes off and ricochet back to us. There shouldn’t be anything to worry about at all. That’s what I kept telling myself. Yet I felt so nervous.
“Alright! Now… to aim properly, bring down your cheek onto the little pit in the wood and close your left eye… you see this pointy thing at the crossbow’s front? Near the hook? Line it up with your eye, and with one of the targets, so that the peak disappears behind it…”
The nervousness built up in my guts as the climax of the moment drew nearer and nearer, struggling a little to keep the iron sights still with my trembly hands. But suddenly, a sly thought crossed my mind. Levicus surely wanted me to hunt after the dragon with that thing… but what if I were to turn out to be absolutely incapable of using it? Maybe he wouldn’t force me then, and I would have an excuse that wouldn’t be so… suspicious.
I only roughly lined up the iron sights with the target, which blurred into a yellowish mess each time my eye’s focus went onto the bead sights. I didn’t intend to take an accurate shot, but wanted to make it at least look like I tried to do so.
“…Keep it steady… hold still… When you take that shot, you have to go rigid, otherwise all this aiming was for nothing. Best you just press the stock into your shoulder…and here’s another little tip, hold your breath while you’re taking the shot. At least that’s what helps me.”
Despite not wanting to actually make a good hit, I spent some time trying to find the right posture, mostly out of hesitation. The silence around me was calm, yet so unsettling. Levicus’ backyard was quieter than any other places around town, perhaps the quietest. While I was holding still I could hear the wind blowing, quietly howling between the buildings and gently rustling leaves. I could hear some of the birds, singing their chipper morning songs. I could hear myself… breathing slightly anxiously. I could hear my inner turmoil, which wasn’t just about the crossbow. I still had the dragon on my mind, and what Levicus intended to do with it.
As I figured the right moment had come, I took one last and big inhale, filling my chest and making the crossbow ascend a little bit… then I almost closed my eyes out of apprehension and tensed my fingers up, pressing the trigger and unleashing the strings.
The bolt was gone in less than a glimpse of an eye! If I hadn’t felt the force of the strings rush forward, I would’ve thought it malfunctioned. Usually, when using bows, I was able to keep track of the arrow with my eyes… but this thing shot bolts so fast they were already at the other end the moment you pressed the trigger. This felt… amazing.

I noticed that Levi was enthusiastically cheering next to me, leaving me confused about why for a second. Then I saw why. I must’ve gotten lucky… I had managed to hit the bullseye.
“Wooh wee! I thought you couldn’t even piss straight!” he laughed, knocking me onto my shoulder. “Go, go load another one! If you keep this up, I’m going to make a real sharp shooter out of you!”
It took me a couple seconds until I could comprehend what I’ve just done. I actually hit the bullseye with my first shot… entirely unintended. Maybe that I wasn’t meaning to do it was just the factor that made this even possible? Yet, I wasn’t quite pleased about it. I might be starting to get ourselves, namely Levi, the dragon and me, into serious trouble if I’m keeping this up. Knowing that I’m a great shooter would just encourage Levicus to action his plans. Shooting the crossbow was fun, but… should I take that risk? Screw it, I thought to myself again. Those are just some hay targets. I would have to talk those crazy ideas out of Levi’s head anyways. I still could enjoy myself while I’m at it.
I hastily grabbed another bolt out of Levi’s hand which he had waved almost into my face. Just how I was told to before, I put it down onto the front, the back in stable contact with the strings, and pulled it back, being notably faster this time… further.. further… then I let the trigger lock into place. I lifted the crossbow again…

…

After the long and fatiguing training, I exhaustedly let myself drop onto my favorite bench beneath the old oak, the one I’ve already been to this morning. My fingers felt somewhat sore from loading and pulling the bolts out of the hay and my arms ached from having had to hold up and kept still that heavy crossbow for so long.
I strapped it off my back and put it aside me allowing me to properly lean back… what a morning, I thought to myself, sighing. I had spent hours shooting and practicing with Levicus, until we both got hungry. He went inside to eat with his family and offered me to come with him, but I passed, mostly to avoid any conversations about the dragon. With the tell tales about me getting around he surely wont just forget about it if it would have stayed unspoken about for long enough. I couldn’t go with him! Furthermore, convincing him that I wouldn’t be hunting after the dragon wasn’t the worst thing, I had to convince him to not try to kill it too! I couldn’t just let him go and insist he would learn his lesson soon enough. He surely would try to attack it, and have his head end up looking like a poor attempt of making a pancake. But that’s something I could sort out later, after my well-earned break… for now… I had some time for myself.
I lounged back, letting my legs spread and lazily sink myself down, my head almost touching down the backrest… having a perfect view upon the markets places in the distance.

I’ve spent some relaxing time, until I’ve gotten an idea. The markets looked full today. Perfect for selling off catches… maybe I could take the crossbow onto my first hunt? It would be fun for sure, and I could also get some good coin out of it, especially with the reputation which should be told around right now…
I lifted my head. Not a single cloud was covering the sky. The sun didn’t burn too hot. The wind was weak and predictable. Perfect weather, perfect markets… perfect conditions… What am I still doing here? Let the hunt begin! I thought to myself, pushing myself up motivated-

I froze in motion as I saw something in the sky I wished I had overlooked. My heart skipped a beat...
Wings. Large black wings! It didn’t take a moment for me to recognize this unique shape. It was the dragon, without a doubt. It had returned! Quickly shooting through the sky it flew over the forest with a remote distance to the town, most likely looking for me. The pair of wings, which was the only thing I could clearly make out, did nothing but circle around, not getting too close. I couldn’t believe what I was watching, worriedly glancing back at the filled town... Would they confuse it for a hawk if they were to see it? In my eyes, those wings were unmistakable-
Suddenly, the circling stopped. The wings were straightened, and my heart jumped again as I saw in which direction they were moving. They were headed for me! For the town! Is this dragon crazy?! The dragon getting too close would mean problems for all of us! 
I stood up, barely moving, trying to figure out what to do… The wings didn’t back away from the crowds on the ground. I almost panicked. I paced around, repeatedly looking up to the sky. What do I do!? I can’t let the dragon get here!
If only I could signal it that… No, that would cause to much attention if I’d wave around with my hands. If it’s really aiming for my position, then I should get out of here quickly!

Hesitantly stirring my glance away from the sky, I took off running. Just a few steps in I noticed that I forgot my crossbow on the bench, but that didn’t seem important to me right now. The shortest way to the gate would be… through the middle, the market place. I didn’t slow down by the sight of the many busy crowds.
I was constantly looking up and checking so often that I couldn’t avoid bumping into people, hearing a lot of agitated complains as I made my way through the gatherings of crowds surrounding the sell stands. My eyes went wide. The wings were getting closer!
Once freed from the mass surrounding me, I sprinted down the road, already seeing the gate. I could feel my heart race. I could feel a lot of concerned and confused looks come after me, especially from the guards. But I didn’t have the time to bother with seeming cool and normal. A dragon was about to arrive here!
The gate, which happened to be unoccupied at the moment, was getting nearer. I was almost there! But then suddenly, just as I was about to proceed through them-
“What’cha running?”
Levicus!!! Not now! This son of a-
“Wh- Can’t you see I’m in a rush! What is it?” I hastily asked, having unintentionally sounded agitated. My body was tensed up, nervously fidgeting around with one of the strap ends of the light armor. As I was facing Levi’s rather calm and unsuspecting eyes, I had to hold myself back from looking back up the sky. It might give Levi the hint… and he had the crossbow with him. He probably would be the first one to shoot at it!

“Woah, hold your horses, Merv. I know what you’re here for.”

Oh biscuits! Did he know!? Did the dragon already get spotted and the guard captain had already commanded all inhabitants to mobilize the city? I tried to respond something, but my mouth didn’t produce any illegible noises, as my mind couldn’t think clearly, my face turning even redder.

“The word of that the council-ambassador’s really precious horse has run off from the stables right into the woods spread like wildfire! You’re not the only one who is hurrying outside to claim the reward for retrieving it… I guess four eyes are better than two. So how about a little tracking fun?”

I was calmed by the fact that they didn’t know - yet -, which at the same time confused me how that many eyes could miss this obvious black thing. I was still anxious nonetheless. Sweat was running down my forehead, and for a glimpse I couldn’t prevent myself from checking. The wings were still closing in…

“Oh- err, I-”

“Ooooooh, now I know! You think crazy ol’ Levicus wouldn’t notice if you’d’ve made off with the reward all by yourself, do you?”

“N- no! It’s just… I- I- I was actually just looking for you!”

I had to take some breaths, panting from both the exhaustion and the adrenaline.

“I- I thought that we should go and look for it… and split up!” I quickly explained, not trying to sound nervous. “You look if it had gone to the west… and I check… by the lake!”
“The lake? You sure a horse would go there? By what I’ve heard, it ran off towards the-”

Before Levi had even finished I had already pushed the gates aside, sprinting down the path. Once passed the stables, which were surrounded by people looking for that damn horse, I stirred off the path and dashed through the forest. Stepping over branch and rock, I rushed through the bushes and trees so carelessly the small branches scratched my skin. I ran and ran, as if this dragon was chasing.
As I figured that I built up enough distance, the town’s wall out of my view, I looked back up… The wings! Where were they? I slowed down a bit, panting badly, bracing myself with my hands on my legs…