Dragon Quest: Part Two

by Dragonsfang

Pernith opened his wings and launched himself off of his windowsill, soaring into the star-studded sky. The warm still air made the silver Tatsu work harder, for he had to flap his wings instead of soaring with the winds as he was accustomed to doing.

"This is the last time I fly at night," he muttered, pumping his wings harder to climb into the night sky. Finally catching a slight breeze, the Tatsu soared higher into the air; his eyes sparkled with sadness as he caught sight of the house in which he had spent his entire life.

"I'll bring you the last dragon, Nirelka. I promise you this," he whispered as he turned and swooped out low over the forest.

Below in the trees, the creatures of the night were startled into hiding at the sight and sound of the large silver Tatsu as he flapped over the forest. One creature, however, watched him pass over; then it turned and began racing after him, feet hitting the ground silently and not disturbing so much as a leaf.

Pernith didn't notice the creature that raced below him as he soared over the trees toward his goal of the Plane of Ultimate Good. He was too busy trying to think of what he was going to say to the Dragon when he found it, and how he was going to get it to come back with him. It never occurred to him that the Dragon might not want to go or even see him.

The Tatsu felt something wrap around one of his hind legs; startled, he looked back and saw a rope tied around it. Hovering for a moment, he saw a fire Lupe holding the rope between its fangs.

"Now what is it-" Pernith started, but couldn't finish as the Lupe gave a sudden yank on the rope, threatening to send the large Tatsu falling talon over tail. With a deft yank of his back leg, he pulled the fire Lupe off its feet; he flapped his wings to get away from the Lupe.

"No…you…don't!" Pernith craned his head over his shoulder and saw the Lupe still clinging to the rope, though he was now being carried in the air after him!

"Give up, dragon. I have you caught," the Lupe growled through clenched teeth.

"I am no-" Then the silver Tatsu stopped; did he really look like a dragon? From the dragons he had seen on the book covers he had seen, Pernith didn't think he looked at all like a dragon. Shoyrus and Scorchios were more draconic, for they at least could spit fire when they were mad and they had wingfingers between the wing webbing.

It was just then that the thought hit Pernith: Did Nirelka tell him about the Last Dragon because she knew that he would try to find it and would probably be destroyed on his trek? She was planning to get a Shoyru or a Scorchio all along, the large Tatsu thought to himself. Nirelka never liked me; she just wanted to get rid of me without putting me into the pound.

"I am no dragon, Lupe. So it would be appreciated if you let go of the rope and of my leg!" Pernith snarled, snapping out of his thoughts.

"I know a dragon when I see one!" the fire Lupe retorted.

"You have never see a dragon before, and you know it! The Last One lives in the Plane of Ultimate Good and that is where I am going. Now please let go!" the Tatsu said. He twisted his body around at a seemly impossible angle and grabbed the rope in his teeth. With a deft snap, he broke the rope in two; he suddenly yelped and tumbled wings over tail toward the ground as the sudden weight lift threw him off balance.

He smashed through the treetops and crashed through the branches. He thumped heavily into the ground, rolling several feet before stopping at the base of a tree. The Lupe had twisted around and landed on his feet; now he stalked up to the battered Tatsu, lips pulled back from gleaming fangs.

"Pathetic creature; I've seen Shoyrus who put up more of a fight," he said with a snort of disdain.

Pernith didn't answer; he was only concentrating upon getting up. He pushed himself up on all fours, then carefully spread his wings: the webbing was torn in some places, but he could still fly.

"Too stupid to even answer," the fire Lupe rumbled.

"I have no time to deal with you, Lupe. I have more important things to worry about than Slayers," Pernith answered. He launched his silver body into the air and made the crucial downward sweep of his wings that shoved him higher into the night sky.

"No you don't! I have plans for you!" the Lupe said. "I could sell you for at least 200 Neopoints!" He grabbed the remainder of the rope trailing from Pernith's leg; the Tatsu, made strong by his anger and irritation, gave a great shake of his leg and dumped the Lupe on the ground as the rope undid itself from his paw.

The silver Tatsu soared over the trees again and toward the ever-distant goal of the Plane of Ultimate Good.

Razorwing growled to himself in utter irritation at how heavily guarded the Plane of Ultimate Good was. Giant golden griffins were perched upon low granite slabs at each side of the great Golden Gateway; with his sharp ears, he could hear the low rumbling of the horde of land-serpents below his paws.

"Land-serpents are easy to outsmart, but griffins are another story," he muttered. He turned and crept back into the forest on all fours, wings folded tightly to his spine.

A sleek and slender head emerged from the brush; a shadowed Gelert lifted its lips in a smirk at Razorwing. It pulled its entire body out of brush to face the giant demon.

"You have come for the Golden Creature, also?" it asked, slowly wrapping its long tail around its forepaws; Razorwing regarded the NeoPet carefully.

"Yes. His Demonic Majesty sent me to dispose of it," he answered.

"Then we are of the same objective. I, too, have come to eradicate the Golden Creature, as it is she that cursed me with this shadowed color," the Gelert said, using its long ears to motion to its black color. "To remove this curse, I must destroy the beast that gave it to me."

"Then let us work together to completely remove the Golden Creature from our world, Gelert. We both shall profit from it," Razorwing said.

"Then let us," it agreed. "I am Isis."

"You may call me Razorwing," the demon answered.

To be continued...