Dragon Rider (#Wattys2016)

Vax

Recap:

I looked at something on the wall. Thea followed my gaze and saw the wanted posters I was looking at. I wonder what that's about, Thea murmured to Storm.

Something's off, I said in reply.

End Recap

A nervous tingling feeling filled me and I wondered if it was the fact that there were so many dragons in one spot but I decided against that thought as earlier in the day it had not happened. The tingling feeling was what told me something was off.

I stared at one of the wanted posters. The person's face unnerved me; well it wasn't really their face but more like a feature of their face. The person was male with dark coloured hair falling to a stop below their ears in random strings. I could make out cheekbones in the picture, however, they only just stuck out. The man's mouth was set in a stern line and their eyebrows pointed downwards. However, their eyes were simple black spots on his face but the way the sketch had been drawn made it look like the eyes were watching you and you could see terror, pain, hate and fear in them.

A tap on the shoulder made me turn to look at Thea who suddenly looked cold. I entered her mind to find her issue, I feel something's off as well. Thea said mentally as her teeth started chattering, I lifted my head and surveyed the group of dragons. Across from me, I could see Zenith with his head cocked in a listening position.

I wondered what he could hear and closed my eyes. I focused on my mind growing and expanding, pushing against the walls and other boundaries and expanding my awareness of other minds. My eyes snapped open as I felt a human and a horse's mind. My eyes narrowed and I looked down on Thea who had her eyes closed. I titled my head in question, I saw him in a vision.

I flapped my wings and gained the attention of half the dragons, the other half-started paying attention to me when they realised the riders were listening instead of speaking. Prepare yourself, someone comes, I told them. Listen carefully and you can hear the heavy steps of a horse with a man on his back.

Her eyes snapped open and she looked up at me. A man on horseback with an eyepatch comes, she told me.

How did you know that? I questioned.

Vision, was Thea's answer, I nodded and watched the alleyway where the man was coming from. I shifted my weight nervously, the tense atmosphere put me on an edge. I almost sighed with relief as the man on horseback, the moment the pair were fully out of the alleyway. A dragon and rider blocked the exit by standing in front of it.

The rider hardly seemed worried as he, I could now tell, gazed around at the dragons and their riders. The nearby riders had pulled out their weapons and were pointing them at the potential enemy while the dragons had simply made themselves larger and more threatening.

The horse seemed to take this as a threat and tossed his head before rearing and pawing the air. The rider stroked the horse's neck softly and the horse relaxed and landed his rear. "What do we have here?" The rider said their voice cutting through the thick tension.

My eyes flickered over to the poster and I compared the two faces', in that moment, I could tell that they were one and the same. I pushed Thea in front of me and towards where the man and horse where. Knowing I wouldn't be able to get through the crowd, of my fellow brothers and sisters and their partners-of-mind-and-soul, I watched through my rider's eyes as she stepped out and faced the horse rider.

The man didn't seem concerned as he gazed at Thea. Instead, he simply smiled, "Quite the reception." The man commented, "I honestly expected a few more of you when I found out the reason what had Elpride all stirred up."