Chapter Nineteen: What? A Town?

We begin the chapter focusing on Nightingale, Faia, Horatio and Uzziel. They were traveling along a worn and dusty path, that may have been considered overgrown, and there was an awkward silence in the air. Horatio decided to break it, for good or not.

"Nightingale, How is your magic so strong? It seems to come so naturally to you and you never seem to spend it all." He thought it was a perfectly legitimate question since it was the truth.

"I've been practicing magic since I could walk."

Faiamitsukai gawked at her bondmate. *You're serious?*

"Yes. It took me years to get a "mastery" of fire and astral magic, I still haven't truly mastered it. Which is all the more fun." Nightingale grinned, "After it takes years to master an instrument and and instrument is just like magic."

Horatio laughed, "You have a very good point."

"No kidding," she gave a sigh as she looked onward. It was a long way to go before they reached anything. No... wait. A town! WAS THAT A TOWN?!

Horatio came to the same realization when he caught Nightingale and Faia staring dumbfounded. He squeaked a happy squeak of joy. "Civilization!"

*We shouldn't be to hasty,* mused the voice of reason who went by the name of Uzziel.

*Why not?* Faia eyed him as she gracefully landed on a nearby stone.

*It might be deserted, or even worse, filled with evil hordes.*

"Well, why don't we send a Holy Flare over it to check." Nightingale cracked her fingers. The Holy Flare was basically a light spell on a sugar high, and anyone who had the smallest amount of magic could cast it. It was very useful in irking the undead or "pure evil." Nightingale doubted the last part since she had never met a being that was pure anything.

"That would work... but what would we do if we were to anger anyone in the town?"

"We'd run like hell, or fly as the case might be. Speaking of flying, Uzzi, you can do that now that you're an adult, right?"

*If I really wanted too.*

"Good."

He did not like the sound of that 'good.'

With a light incantation Nightingale sent the flare over the village, and they waited. Absolutely nothing happened that was important. The inhabitants were apparently used to this thing happening.

"Time to call the guys," Horatio said with satisfaction.

Nightingale sent up her colored flare. They would be coming shortly.

***

"How in Clarus' name did we get to the edge of the magical creature kingdom." Adrastos was the first to voice that, and he was not the last. The had managed to reach the out skirts of kingdom they were not supposed to be in. In fact they were supposed to be in the elves' kingdom. Either they took a huge wrong turn or someone had teleported them their without their knowledge.

Nyx speculated that it was a combination of the both. Begrudgingly Nightingale agreed with the blonde. It was the only illogical thing, and in this world, right now, there was no such thing as logic.

The voice of reason spoke once again, *We should all get supplies. This way we can have a few decent essentials instead of hunting for food.*

So they all went off on their own ways. In fact Nightingale was separated from Faia and left in the company of Horatio.

This was awkward for both of them. Neither of them had decided if they had liked each other or not. After all they were probably going to spend a lot more time together if they did not finish this stupid quest very soon. Somehow, Horatio did not think that was a very bad thing. He enjoyed being in the company of Nightingale, her bondmate, and of course Aziz, Akio, and Nyx and their bondmates. He was not to sure about Adrastos and his bondmate or the two crazy ones. The others who had joined their party were nice to be around (well, maybe not Rai Dai, he was a tad bit dangerous when given the chance.) There wasn't much of a problem.

Then again five of them had found out that they were royalty and thrown out of their homes to fulfill some off beat quest. That was a real damper on things, and that is what Nightingale focused on.

She took Horatio by the hand, "How about we buy some spare clothing and drawstring sacs? Our stuff is starting to get worn out."

Horatio blushed, "I highly doubt I have enough money to buy anything useful."

His companion snorted and jingled a purse somewhere. "You can pay me back when you get your castle."

"Where did you get that money?"

"My mother's and my tip jar." She gave him a small shrug and tugged on him. "Come. On."

He was dragged to the nearest clothing store.

***

Faiamitsukai eyed the tattoo parlor. There were plenty of flashy things that said "LOOK AT ME! I'M BETTER THAN YOU" and other things that said "... fear me for I am depressed!" Faia did not want any of that. She just wanted something simple that would show how powerful she way. Well... not too simple.

She slithered in and the bells on the door gave a loud clang. An attendant ran out and looked around, "Erm... Hello?"

*Down.* Faia projected as she slipped of the change purse Nightingale had given her. *How much for a tattoo similar to that one,* she bobbed her head towards a display of swirl tattoos.

The attendant twitched. It was not every day that a dragon came into a tattoo parlor. "Fraaaaank" he called back.

"What do you want Mercy?" was the annoyed reply.

"We've got a dragon out here that wants a tattoo."

"What..." the thin, pretty boy tattoo designer popped his head out of the the curtains. He looked over to Faia, and back to his assistant. "Well, I'm always up for a challenge. So, what do you want...?"

*Miss Faiamitsukai. I want a tattoo similar to that.* She once again nodded to the display case.

"Come on back."

***

Nightingale blinked a few extra times when she saw Faia slither out of a tattoo parlor. Why would Faia be in there, and when did she get that gold chain for her magical object, and one for decoration?

Swiftly Nightingale came up to Faia and asked her what she was doing in a place like that.

She answered by showing Nightingale the tattoo.

Nightingale freaked out, among other things.

*What's the big deal, 'Gale, it's just a tattoo.*

"Just! JUST! Didn't I tell you that that sort of thing was bad?"

*Yes, but it isn't. It is rather pointless to argue anyway.*

She had a valid point. "Well...."

*It looks like you bought quite a bit? What's that gray papery thing you have? It most certainly isn't like any of the books in your pocket dimension.* She scored twelve points for changing the subject.

"It's a newspaper. It has some stuff about the Bishen Realm and available single dragons. I bought it for you."

*Oh Nightingale! You shouldn't have.*

"You're right. I shouldn't have."

*Don't... be like that.* Faia nudged Nightingale in the hand before taking off. They needed to get to the meeting place by high noon, at least that is what Nightingale had planned. It did not mean that anyone would really listen to her.

For once they all had. The meeting place was crowded with bags, and other sorts of shopping paraphernalia. For once everyone was cheery, and not a single person (not even Adrastos) had a gloomy attitude. Nightingale wished that this could last, but she knew perfectly well that they would soon resume their stupid little quest and she would need to play leader once again.

"Guys. Let's stay here tonight. I'm sure we can find an inn to sleep at." 

They found an inn quickly and settled in for the night. It was nice to sleep in a bed, for once, even if they had to sacrifice a little bit on their part. Nightingale eyed Faia from across their room. "Why a tattoo?"

Faia shrugged as best she could. *I thought it looked nice. Uh... Faia. I wanted to talk to you about something.*

"What?"

*I think I'm interested in this one dragon. His name's Striking Echo and he's adorable.*

"Oh, really now? Let me see this dragon." Faia fluttered over with the newspaper in her mouth. In a fluid motion she spread the paper on the bed in front of her bondmate and pointed to the picture with her nose.

Nightingale leaned in closer to read the description. Suddenly she went into a fit of giggles.

*What's so funny?*

"He's your complete and utter opposite!"

*So? You're in love with the bag of sand man.*

There was a long pause, in which Horatio was heard sneezing, and Nightingale turned a nice shade of scarlet. "That's a low blow."

*It's true and you know it. You can't hide something that obvious from your bondmate!* Faia puffed up her chest with pride.

"Fine." Nightingale grabbed the newspaper and waved it in front of her bondmate. "I'll fill this thing out for you, and everything will be peachy. I do hope, for you sake, he responds."

*Thank you, 'Gale.*

"What's a bondmate for?"

***

Meanwhile in one of the Outside Kingdoms a fair woman with blue hair trailing down to the floor, was waiting for someone to come to her rescue. Not a knight, or a handsome prince, but anyone who could undo the powerful spell cast on her cell. She knew the day was close at hand, but she did not know, if it was close enough.

Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven.
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four

Akio's Side Story
Aziz's Side story

The Haken
The Bunny Dragon
The Glenn Dragon
The Bishen Dragon
The Necco and Melcey
Aziz's Glenn Dragon

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