Expanded Horizons: Beyond the Blue

Taking Flight: Chapter Five

Ulan waltzed down the street, coins jingling in his sack once again after a successful night of playing. He had decided not to drink anything that night, as he was noticing a bit of a belly starting to grow on him. He had been traveling for some years now, and he wanted to stay fit and healthy as long as he was out and about. He was already thirty years old, but he had many more years to go, and even he had to admit to some vanity about looking young to strike a fancy or two.

He had gone back to visit his parents a few times, regaling them with his adventurous tales and telling them how he had saved ladies in distress, met governors and governesses, played at balls and rich people events, and even fought off thugs and bandits. They thought his life was incredible and exciting, even if it was a little dangerous.

His run-ins were never too serious. They were usually just street thugs thinking they could rob him when he left the taverns or bars with his money, or road bandits who thought they could stick him up. He usually convinced them to run, either by spraying oily flames at them or destroying the weapon they pointed at him, but he had been forced to violence a few times. As distasteful as it was, he was willing to provide if they so demanded.

The few times he was happy to go to violence, he was going to bat for someone less fortunate than himself. He had to step in a few times when creeps tried to grab women, or other men sometimes. He had prevented robberies and muggings, and carried people to hospitals. He rarely remembered to give his name, but a lot of places knew him by now.

Ulan looked up at the cloudless night sky, shimmering stars and streaks of colorful galaxies abound in his eyes. The cool night air reminded him that the weather was beginning to turn, and soon, the stillness of the outdoors would bring one of his favorite climates out for gazing at the stars.

Ulan took random turns at random intersections tonight as he traversed the streets of Warren. He had come to see the mountains. A beautiful range with incredible resorts and skiing slopes attracted many rich types to the city. Everyone gave him odd looks when he rented two sets of skis so he could try his claws at it, especially when he started screaming as he slid down, realizing he never learned to stop. He was saved by a very fluffy snowbank.

The first dragon to go skiing at their resorts, and he left them with an image of a panicking, oversized lizard who forgot he could just fly to avoid crashing. He laughed, thinking about it, as it didn't bother him knowing that. He had way too much going for him to be bothered by something so little.

Ulan was just about to take the next turn when he heard a commotion from a nearby house. Curious, he shifted his gaze to the front windows, through which he spotted a very spazztic figure, looking around frantically, and he could hear shouting. Ulan watched with some concern as the shouting grew louder and he seemed to grab at something.

He flew back, and as Ulan began to turn toward the house, he saw someone burst out the front door. He could tell it was a girl, somewhere in her teens, maybe, stumbling out of the house and onto the ground outside. She got up, clearly disoriented, and ran to the gate at the end of her front yard, fumbling for the lock.

Ulan was going to walk over, but when he saw a very angry man rush out the front door toward the girl, he immediately exploded into a sprint. The man grabbed the girl and threw her back from the gate and stood over her, saying something in a menacing tone. As he began to raise his hand, Ulan closed in, and with one powerful swipe, he slammed his open hand into the man's side, sending him flying into the grassy ground beside them.

Ulan immediately took a position over the girl and growled at the man. He lay helpless on the ground, coughing and wheezing, hunched over in pain. The man looked up and saw Ulan's angry maw opening up with a hint of flame at the beginning of his throat, and he fell back in fear. Ulan took several hulking steps toward him, pushing his face against the man's, still growling.

"I will wring you out like a wet rag."

The man's face blanched to a stark white, and he fainted unceremoniously back to the dirt where he belonged. Ulan saw him lose consciousness and took several steps back, breathing deep and slow to calm himself. He had practiced the technique several times for when he actually did fight, and after a few moments, he could feel himself slowing down and focused on regaining his usual demeanor.

He turned and saw the young lady, a Kosmich elf, leaning on one arm and staring at him with abject terror. He didn't like scaring small people, so he felt his smile falter a little, but did his best to bring it back up as he slowly lowered himself and approached the young woman. She reeled back slightly as he approached, so he stopped dead in his tracks.

"Hey there," he said a little slower than his usual greetings. "I'm Ulan, the bard. I, I saw you were in trouble, so, I thought I would stop him from hurting you." Ulan noticed a bruise on the girl's face just below her eyes, hidden by her hair, along with a nasty-looking cut on her cheek. "He shouldn't be hurting you."

The girl sniffled. "Uh- uh huh," she said. She took in a deep breath. "I... I just..."

"You don't have to say anything," Ulan said. "But I think this guy is bad. Is he your dad?"

"Not exactly."

"Well, he looks, like, thirty-something."

The girl blinked. "O-okay?"

"I'm thirty, and I try to be nice. You wanna come with me?"

Ulan gave her the most genuine smile he could as she scanned him over, trying to determine if she could trust him. He couldn't resist the urge to wiggle his brow when she looked at his face, drawing a small bout of giggles from a previously terrified expression. She sniffed, wiped her face with her arm, and stood.

"I- I guess it's better than staying here," she said.

"Cool!" Ulan said, standing all the way up. "Come on, I'll get us a place to stay for a bit while we figure this all out." He looked at the house. "Is there anything you wanna bring?"

"No," the girl said. "I don't have much of anything."

"Well, we'll have to change that, too," Ulan said. He crouched down so the girl could climb up onto his back and urged her on. She cautiously climbed up onto his back and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Trust me, your life is about to change for the better. You like adventure?"

"I've never been on one."

"That changes right now!" Ulan said as he walked through the gate again. "Every day is an adventure when you find new things!"

"You're... not what I would have expected."

"I'm not what anyone expected, really," Ulan said with a shrug. He craned his neck to look at the girl. "I love your hair, by the way. It looks like the sky. And your eyes!" He widened his eyes and forced his neck to let him get just a tad closer to her.

"Yeah, I get that a lot."

"Oh, shoot!" Ulan said. "I forgot to ask. What's your name?"

"Idara," the girl replied. "Idara Hühnerbein."

Ulan smiled. "Idara, we're gonna have a blast, I promise you!" He started prancing forward, earning a few more laughs from the girl. "From now on, you and me! We're gonna be the best ever!"

"At what?" Idara asked between laughs.

"Anything we want!"

From that point onward, the newly formed dynamic duo went on, tackling every challenge they could find, meeting countless new people, and rushing forth for adventure, eager to find all that awaited them as they charged into that wild blue yonder.