Chapter 36

            Cody and Inferno made their way back to the field without any interruptions, but when they arrived, things looked a little different. All Cody could think about was the amount of people surrounding the farmland. They walked into the field easily, but the space behind them was almost immediately filled with people.

The people that now surrounded the two were very diverse. Men, women, and children alike ran around the edges, which were as closely guarded as possible by the warriors. However, it was still very easy to see the vast variety of colors in the crowd. Some people seemed to be noblemen; others appeared to be poor townspeople. But no matter who they were, they crowded around the farmland.

            “What’s this?” Cody found himself asking when he was closer to Indivar.

            The leader seemed worried as he replied, “I am very sorry about them. The people are just so…unused to seeing a dragon and rider before, as I’m sure you understand. They probably don’t even care who you are and whether you are friendly or not, they just gathered upon seeing such a beast.”

            Cody didn’t know whether he should feel insulted or complimented by the number of guests, so he decided to let it go and forget they were there, if he could. With as much grace as he could manage, he swung his leg over and slid down Inferno’s arm for a very brief time before he hit the ground. The dragon, apparently unaffected by the audience, lay down on the ground and closed his eyes.

            “As promised, I will show you where you will be staying as long as you would like to stay, if you will just follow me,” Indivar said.

            The leader climbed onto a tall white horse and Cody rolled his eyes as he pulled himself back into Inferno’s saddle. Indivar and three of his heavily-armored warriors galloped off on their horses, and Inferno followed them without the slightest difficulty, keeping the pace even when the horses seemed to slow.

            They passed through the crowd, which somehow seemed to part for them. But for as far as Cody could see with all of the buildings in the way, it was just an endless wave of fabrics and hair and skin blocking their way. It looked as though every single person in the city came to see the dragon and rider. Fortunately, they soon reached an area that was strictly blocked off by a large group of guards that no one seemed able to pass except Indivar, Cody, and Inferno. But even the warriors that had come with them were stopped, making the others move on alone.

            Then Cody looked forward, and he was instantly amazed. Before him was a monstrous building. While its height was pretty minimal with only about three stories at the highest point, it was very long and wide and intricately detailed. They got closer, and Cody realized that it was some sort of castle, to an odd extent. He had a feeling that Indivar and the most royal of people stayed there, but that was the full extent of his knowledge, and Inferno seemed to be getting the exact same information.

            “They put an awful lot of trust into that psychic of theirs,” Inferno said. “One would think they would have a little more caution than bringing us into this palace!”

            Cody forced himself to agree, though he still believed that Myra was trustworthy enough and skilled enough to be accurate about what she had predicted. He looked down at the door that Inferno would have struggled to get through if he had tried. Instead, Cody got the feeling that he was supposed to follow Indivar inside alone, so he swung himself out of the saddle and landed firmly on his feet behind Indivar’s horse. He got off his horse, and a man rushed forward to take it away, probably to stables of some sort.

            “What about my dragon?” Cody asked. “I think it would be best if we slept in the same place.”

            Indivar looked around for a moment before he replied, “I sort of figured that, so I arranged for the top floor to be cleared especially for you. Your dragon can fly in and out freely and it is easy to get in and out by foot in case there is anything you need.”

            As he spoke, he pointed to the top of the building that seemed to be the roof more than anything, now that Cody got a good look. There were towers along the edges and one large one through the middle, while the ceiling appeared to be thin cloth held up by small stone pillars. He stared at it a moment longer before deciding that it was ideal for a dragon.

            “You are free to come and go as you wish, and sometimes there may be someone at your door to offer you various items. Please enjoy your stay, and remain as long as you’d like!” Indivar said before heading into the building and disappearing behind the door.

            Cody climbed back onto Inferno’s shoulders and the dragon instantly leaped into the air. With a few flaps of his leathery wings, they were level with the roof and they flew right inside without the slightest difficulty. Not a moment later, there was a knocking sound.

            Cody looked at the largest of the towers in the middle of the roof, and saw a small door with a little window in it. In the window, was the stoic face of a strange man. Who knew how long he had been standing there waiting for the dragon and rider to show up? Cody was very eager to find out, so he slid out of the saddle and walked over to the door, opening it to reveal the rest of the man and his powerful build.

            “Hello,” Cody said, though he was awed by the man’s massive muscles.

            “I heard that there was a rider in the city,” the stranger said in a perfectly even tone. “The news was just crazy enough that I decided to see it for myself and I came to meet you here.”

            Cody paused for a moment before asking, “And who exactly are you?”

            “I am Isaac. The people of Morgran consider me the greatest blacksmith they’ve ever seen,” the monstrous, expressionless man said as he stepped onto the roof without invitation. “As the greatest I am very busy, but I’m sure I could find the time to honor the request of a dragon rider.”

            “You mean you want me to ask for something, like armor or a weapon?” Cody asked, glancing at Inferno out of the corner of his eye.

            Isaac glared at them both before replying, “If you intend to stay true to your word and defend our city, it would be my honor. Anything you wish as long as it’s practical. You are also welcome to my shop, to buy whatever you wish among the things you can find. I am on the other side of Myra’s house, if you can find your way back. Now, what is it you would like me to make you?”

            Cody grinned and raced over to Inferno and reached his hand into one of the saddlebags. He fumbled around for a short time before he found what he was looking for. He pulled his hand back out, with his pointer finger and thumb firmly grasping the two black scales that Inferno lost long before. The rider took a brief second to look at Inferno’s new scales, which had grown to be probably twice the size.

            The rider then walked back over to Isaac with an excited feeling deep in his stomach. He handed the scales to him and began thinking about what exactly he wanted. He took a step back and imagined different pieces of armor, but it was difficult. Cody had never really observed armor closely, and didn’t know anything about different kinds of armor, and what would be most effective for him.

            “Could you make armor of some sort like gloves, boots, or a helmet? If you could make something that would be most effective for me, and somehow attach these scales to whatever it is, that would be the perfect gift, I think,” Cody said as he continued to imagine himself in armor.

            Isaac looked at the scales carefully, then looked at Cody and asked, “So you want something lightweight and flexible, but powerful and durable?”

            Cody nodded and stepped backward a few feet until he was closer to Inferno. He hoped that his request was reasonable, but he had no clue what he was expecting and what he should have been expecting.

            The man nodded before saying, “I might have something for you. I will return, hopefully by noon tomorrow, and I will give you my gift.”

            Isaac made a small gesture similar to a bow before walking back through the door with the scales held firmly in his hand. Cody and Inferno were left alone for the first time that day, and they both enjoyed it. The dragon walked a few steps until he was at the edge of the building with his long tail hanging over the end, then laid down facing the edge and closed his eyes peacefully. His rider walked over and jumped over his neck so that he was positioned in front of his stomach, before sitting down.

            Cody thought about the various types of armor Isaac could have decided to make him, and the results his mind came up with were staggering. He then thought of himself, heavily clad in armor from head to toe with his fearsome weapons strapped to his hip and back. It made him chuckle, and Inferno chuckled too, after seeing his thoughts.

            “Is there such thing as armor for dragons?” Cody asked curiously.

            “I was actually about to ask you the same question because I honestly don’t know. It would be very advantageous, but it would be incredibly tedious work to make it. A humanoid being would have to make it, and only the dragon’s rider would know enough about the contours of his body to construct it without constant observation. And, in the time it would take to make it, the dragon will have grown much too big for it. It’s fine though, I like my protective scales.”

            Cody laughed lightly again before saying, “Perhaps we will know when we see Heyrick and Argos. If there is such a thing as dragon armor, I bet they will know all about it.”

            “No doubt,” Inferno said with a snort.

            They were then silent for a long time. Inferno eventually opened his eyes to watch the sunset with Cody, making fire dance around his usually ice-blue eyes. His long black tail swished back and forth rhythmically along the lighter stone of the building, making a faint scraping sound akin to dragging dozens fingernails over a long, smooth stone as it slid across the rough surface. All around them the edges of various buildings gleamed gold in the fading light until they were slowly enveloped in shadow. The streets of the city carefully became rivers of stone, flowing and carefully weaving between structures as they were bathed in silver light. The moon materialized above the horizon, not far from where the sun had vanished only moments before.

            “It’s beautiful,” Cody thought, becoming too tired to even speak.

            Inferno made a sleepy growling sound as he replied, “We both know that it would be much better to be out in the forest.”

            “But it’s still nice to see a new type of terrain,” Cody said with a yawn.

            Inferno closed his eyes and let out a deep breath of hot air before replying, “We will come across many new types of terrain on our way to Heyrick and Argos I am sure.”

            With that, Inferno fell asleep, leaving Cody exposed to the cool air for once. It was a nice change, and the rider quickly found himself following his dragon into slumber. He felt his grip on the waking world all but obliterated as he curled up next to Inferno’s warm, smooth stomach.

~

            For whatever reason, Cody awoke in the dead of night while Inferno kept sleeping soundly. The moon was high in the sky, casting confusing and intricate shadows all throughout the city. The rider wiped the sleep from his eyes and looked around. What had awoken him? He peered through the shadows, trying to focus on one shape hidden in the tall shadow of a neighboring building, but when he blinked it vanished, just like that.

            There was nothing wrong with the scene. The sight of the city was the exact same as when he and Inferno had fallen asleep, only slightly darker. But still, he couldn’t help but feel that something was off. Something wasn’t right in the picture he was seeing. Again he tried to focus on a shadowy shape, but it disappeared too quickly for him to see. He quietly grabbed his sword from beside him and stood to look around, careful not to wake Inferno. The last thing he wanted was to wake the dragon if there was nothing wrong.

            Cody, quietly as humanly possible, stepped over Inferno’s tail to get a better look of the roof. He had difficulty seeing with the large tarp-like ceiling that draped above him, blocking out the light. Cautiously he made his way around to the other side of the roof, which was lighter, to see if there was something off. When he reached the edge, the sensation that something was off seemed to fade away. Sighing with relief, he walked back over to the side where Inferno still lay, his tail twitching slightly when a bitter wind slid by.

            Then, something aside from the cold breeze sent shivers down his spine and made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. The sensation returned, and in full force. Something was terribly wrong, and Cody had to figure out what it was. He approached the edge about twenty feet from Inferno, and terror began to fill him.

            There, dangling over the edge of the roof was a long, strong rope that certainly wasn’t there when he had first woken up. Someone had snuck onto the roof, and if they had had peaceful intentions, he knew they wouldn’t have used a rope to climb over the side instead of the center staircase. Then, confirming his suspicions, he heard a sound so faint only a few feet behind him. It was the sound of a sword being drawn from its sheath.

            Acting of instinct, he dropped to his knees and looked up just in time to see a flash of silver as the blade passed through empty air. It was the exact spot his neck had just been moments before. Cody then heard an even fainter noise as the sword was redirected downwards, straight towards his spine. He rolled a few feet out of the way before jumping onto his feet and facing his attacker with his own sword drawn.

            Unfortunately, it was so dark that he had to focus very carefully to see the slightest thing, and if he did that, he would lose his ears. They were the only things that had kept him alive this far. Cody was helpless, only dodging the next two attacks by a hair’s breadth and unable to make his own strike. Even if he could attack without losing his focus, he would have to make an approximate guess of where his opponent was, which wouldn’t be very good. He would probably end up slashing at empty air.

            Another strike was aimed directly at his heart, and he only just managed to raise his sword in time to stop it. Before he knew what was happening, a heavy boot made contact with his stomach and spent him sprawling backwards. His foe slashed at him, making a long, but luckily shallow cut along most of his chest. Cody pushed his feet upwards in an attempt to finally get his attacker, but all he found was air, and silence. Complete silence.

            Why isn’t Inferno Awake!? Cody thought frantically.

            “That’s one quiet fight!” came the startled reply, followed by a deep roar of fury. “I was really deep in sleep. You should have called.”

            Cody sighed with relief at hearing his dragon’s voice in his head. His relief was short-lived however, when he heard the sword come whizzing towards him, grazing his arm. Why are they still fighting? Surely they heard Inferno roar and they can’t be stupid enough to fight a dragon, Cody thought to himself. After another huge roar, his opponent struck again, and Cody had his answer. Whoever he was fighting wasn’t afraid of Inferno.

            Soon, Cody found out why. He could feel Inferno’s thoughts, and realized that the dragon was struggling to fight off three more attackers, all just as skilled as the first. Just before Cody’s opponent could make a deadly slash at his neck, Inferno swung his tail around and whacked them with it, sending whoever they were over the edge. The rider had gotten a little slice on his collarbone from the most recent attack though, and he was in a lot of pain. He could feel little drops of blood trickling down his stomach and arm from the other wounds, and he was afraid.

            A thundering howl of outrage reminded Cody that Inferno was in trouble, and despite his worries he jumped into the fight to try to help the dragon. He slashed at what he thought was one of the attackers, and grinned when he found that he was right and drew blood. Together, they managed to drive their opponents back, and with only a few more tiny scratches, Cody found that they were victorious. With a monstrous swipe of his tail, Inferno sent them all crashing to the floor. Two of them bolted for the rope and slid down it with ease, but the third sat motionless and unconscious before them.

            Before Cody could even step forward, a group of men clad in heavy armor burst through the door that led to the staircase. There must have been a dozen of them, two of which held torches, which were quite welcome to Cody after fighting so long in near pitch-black darkness. One of them looked at the unconscious attacker, then at Cody.

            “What happened? We heard roars and came as quickly as we could,” the man said.

            Cody thought for a moment before replying in an authoritative tone, “I was a little concerned at first as well. Maybe we can find out what this was about from this attacker.”

            The man nodded and raced towards the unconscious person, who was covered from head to toe in black. The only place where there wasn’t black, was where there were two little eyeholes in the mask that the attacker wore. The armored man propped them against a beam and took the hood off, revealing short, choppy red hair and the pale and fragile face of a woman. Everyone was taken by surprise, but Cody and Inferno were only mildly interested. Being female hadn’t proven to be any sort of problem when it came to fighting, at least not from what they had observed.

            Though the woman was amazingly muscular, she appeared somewhat weak and frail. On the ground next to where she had been knocked over were two small daggers, which were probably the only weapons she had. Cody gently ran his finger over one of the smaller cuts he had from the fight, realizing it was from one of those very blades. Before long, the woman opened her eyes, and concern and fear were as prominent in them as their unusually bright green hue. As her eyes found Cody and Inferno however, they hardened into anger and pure hatred, making the poor, frail woman disappear in their fiery depths.

            “Why did you attack us?” Cody demanded angrily, matching her fury.

            Her eyes burned with seething hatred as she spat, “We could not allow death to spawn in our world to consume us all!”

            Then Cody felt bad. While this woman had tried to kill him-and almost succeeded-she did it because she thought it was right and she was genuinely concerned. He looked at her sympathetically, but that only made her face harden and the corners of her mouth twitch in a snarl.

            “Leave me alone with her,” Cody told the guards.

            They all looked at each other in bewilderment, but after one look at Cody’s stern expression, they thought better of resisting. The rider was terrified to be alone with someone so dangerous when her friends were probably still nearby, but he wanted to help her to trust him, without showing weakness to the men. Inferno probed through his thoughts and quickly agreed: the last thing they wanted was to show the city they were generous, because it might make them appear less powerful and terrifying. With that being the only reason they had lived to that point, they were determined to keep it that way.

            Cody took a few steps closer to the woman, and the anger slowly morphed into fear until she was shaking and whimpering, with him only three feet away. He could see that her clothes were dirty, her shoes were scuffed up, and her hair had been cut badly. Based on that information, he guessed that she was part of a relatively poor family.

            “Hold on,” he told her.

            He walked towards Inferno, but when the woman realized that he wasn’t going to hurt her, the fear in her face left to be replaced by slight distrust and anger. Cody asked Inferno to lie down, and he stood on his own tip-toes to see into one of the saddlebags. He pulled something out and brought it over to the woman. He placed it beside her and backed up, before encouraging her to pick it up.

            “What are you…” She began as she picked up the golden coin, and her eyes widened when she realized what he had done. Then they narrowed and she said, “This is some sort of trick!”

            Cody shook his head before replying, “I am not the monster you think I am. A lot of people say that black and darkness is always evil, but I assure you we don’t want to hurt anyone. Go, buy yourself whatever you need, and please forget about all of the death you claim to be preventing.”

            “Nice speech,” Inferno said with a chuckle, making Cody smile.

            The rider turned, expecting the woman to leave, but when he turned back around a few moments later, she was just staring at him with wide, green eyes. She looked mournfully at him for some reason and a deep wave of sorrow enveloped her. She soon looked down at the ground, deep in thought.

            “What’s wrong?” Cody asked; the concern heavy in his voice.

            When she looked back up at him, a tear was rolling down her cheek and her eyes were pleading with him. “If it isn’t you, who is it?”

            “What are you talking about?” Cody asked, glancing at Inferno to see if he had any clue, but the dragon shook his head.

            “The skeletars,” the woman said, shaking her head as another tear rolled down her pale face.

            A chill ran down his spine at the mention of the word, and he asked, “What do you mean? What skeletars?”

            “My family frequently ventures outside the city walls to hunt for the only food we can get. For the past month or so, most of the people that go out recall smelling a foul stench, the stench of decay and rot. Among them, a select few have seen animals roaming around, but they were nothing but bones. There were wolves, horses, birds, and even a bear cub according to my closest relatives,” She shook as she said it.

            “I smelled the same thing before,” Cody said fearfully. He had no clue if it was possible to kill a skeletar with average weapons, but he had nothing else.

            “I’m not overly surprised with this discovery. Skeletars do exist in legends, and legends have been proven true to us so far,” Inferno replied.

            Then it occurred to Cody. “Do you think this could be the work of our enemy, whoever they are?”

            “I have no doubt,” Inferno replied. “Perhaps he is using them to try to find us. We are probably safe inside the city for now, but we should leave tomorrow, or two days from now at the latest. We have to save your friends, and find the mountain pass as soon as possible if we want to stand a chance.”

            “Agreed,” Cody said. “We should leave tomorrow, probably at midday, but we need to get word to Mora, Larson, and Pippi without letting the whole city know we are allied. It still could cause trouble.”

            Inferno snorted in confusion before saying, “You could most assuredly hire this woman to get a message to them, considering her amazing stealth and need for wealth. But why midday? Wouldn’t be better to leave in the morning?”

            Cody looked at the ground in embarrassment before replying, “I am excited to see what that blacksmith will make for me. Plus, it couldn’t hurt to have some more armor in case we do run into skeletars. We might not be able to hurt them, but armor could give me enough time to escape from an attack relatively undamaged.”

Inferno growled, but quickly agreed. It would be more dangerous to leave in the middle of the day, but if it meant great protection from the potential dangers ahead, it was worth it. Cody tore his attention away from the dragon and walked back to the woman, with another gold coin in hand. He tossed it to her and asked if she would be willing and able to run a message to his companions.

“I suppose I could,” the woman said, studying the coin carefully as if to make sure it was really real. “As long as you can promise me that you will do what you can to bring a stop to the skeletars.”

“It will take time,” Cody said with a sigh, “but I think we can do it.”

The woman stood for the first time since she had fought with Cody and Inferno, and she stepped forward to place a hand on Cody’s shoulder, which he accepted. “I may still be skeptical of your honesty and whether you speak the truth now, but you do seem nice and I am sorry about our attack and the havoc it has caused for both of us. I hope that someday, after you ventures, we may see each other again.”

Before Cody could reply, the woman leapt over the side of the building and disappeared. Terrified for her life, he ran to the edge just in time to see her slide down the last few feet of rope that she had somehow managed to grab a hold of as she fell. The rider sighed with relief and looked back at the dragon with a worried smile on his face.

“Come on, let’s go to bed and see what tomorrow has in store for us,” Cody said to Inferno.

“I can’t wait.”