Chapter 12: Liam 

Yeeeehaw

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We rode mostly in silence for the first few hours. We're all exhausted, Itching for sleep and rest. But we can't. The sooner we stop the longer Sage has to go without the antidote and the closer to death she gets. So we fly on, no matter how tired we are. But now, as the sun sets, we spot a village hidden in the trees. 

"Do you guys see that?" Amber asks, her rough, vulgar voice echoing in our minds.

"Yeah, it's a town. Should we stop?" Kate replies, stoic as ever. 

"I think it's worth a shot. Unless you guys wanna be spending the night on the cold, hard ground in the middle of the woods." I say with a shrug. Amber angles her wings and begins the gentle drop towards the cluster of lit torches. 

I glance back at my two comrades. I first look at Reid. She wiggles around in excitement, not being able to keep still. She takes in all the sights, her crimson eyes never leaving the ground as we fly above. I then look at Kate. I study how her short dark hair flutters around her face in the wind, how her inquisitive, soft brown eyes take in everything around her. Her stoic gaze drifts to mine. My face flushes as she catches my stare and I return to looking forward to the steadily approaching town. 

We touch down on the outskirts of the village. Amber stumbles a bit, but we make it down in one piece. I jump down and start jogging away. 

"Wait!" Kate calls out as she climbs down the maroon dragon. I pause. "What?" I call back. She makes it to the ground and straightens her camo jacket. 

"We can't just go waltzing in! We don't know if they're hostile or not." Kate explains, catching up with me, Reid on her tail. 

"Come on, Kate. It's New Eladea. No ones gonna be 'hostile'." I say with air quotes. 

"You'd be surprised." She mutters under her breath. "Fine. But if you get murdered I'm gonna kill you." She says with a dangerous glare. I hold my hands up in surrender before making my way back towards the town. 

We walk right into the street with no problem. What was Kate so worried about? Our country is great! Everyone is so nice in Drynas, so why would the towns be any different? We walk through the wide streets, the working class making their way back home from their jobs. 

We eventually come across an Inn, the wooden sign swinging above the door. Amber has to duck under a few roofs but she's able to follow us. An old man sits outside the building in an old rocking chair, a cigarette held in his teeth. Ugh. I hate cigarettes. My dad used to smoke all the time before he found alcohol, and even then he still did it when his beer ran out and Sage hadn't come back from the store with more. The smell of that distinctive smoke brings back bad memories. 

"Um, hello sir." I start nervously, trying to act as confident as possible. He turns nothing but his eyes. "Eh?" He acknowledges. 

"Well, mister, we were wondering if you're the owner of this fine establish-" I start but he cuts me off. 

"Girly, are you from the eastern islands?" He asks in a gruff voice that resembles a growl. Kate blinks a few times before coming to her senses. 

"Yes Sir, I am." She answers. 

"Ha!" He says with a puff of smoke. I hold my breath to not breathe it in too much. "I knew it! You lot got a distinctive look to ya. Your eyelids fold over at the end and ya got a squished in nose." He says, demonstrating the fact on his features. I vaguely recall back in my old world there being a race with those features. It started with an A…oh well. It doesn't matter. 

"Uhm...thank...you?" She says, confused, glancing at us for backup. 

"Sir," I interject. "Are you the owner of the Inn-" He interrupts me yet again. 

"What's with that coat of yours, boy?" He puffs smoke directly in my face, making me sputter and cough. 

"It has patches and pins on it, sir. Now as I was saying-" 

"Ya know the Prince has a coat just like yers." It takes a count of five for his eyes to go wide in realization. "Sonny, you are the prince aren't ya!" I nod with a tight smile. 

"Oi! All you lot!" He yells into the crowd on the street. Amber looks around nervously, her spines bristling with nerves. "It's the Prince!" Everyone's heads immediately turn in my direction. It only takes a few seconds before we're being swarmed by people. 

They push at us, guiding us up the street. I almost lost Reid and Kate in the crowd, so I reach out and grab their hands. Kate squeezes mine ever so slightly as I try to keep calm amidst the sea of people, all pushing to get a look at me. 

We end up at what I can only assume is the town square. They push me up the lid of a large fountain. I stand a few feet up, wringing my hands as more people run from their houses, eager to see what the ruckus is about. I feel as if I'm standing before a crowd at a concert, every person pushing and shoving forward to try and get noticed or to get the "honor" of touching my boot or ankle. I try to spot Kate and Reid in the sea, but it's almost impossible. I find Amber at the back, trying not to get jostled too much by the people, but since they only go to her shoulder it's not too difficult for her. She gives me an apologetic look. 

"What do you need?" Someone calls out. "Why have you come?"

"Yeah! What does his majesty wish to gain from our humble village?!" Another calls out. 

"Why is the Star of Our Empire here?" A third screams. 

"The Patchwork Prince is here!" "Prince Liam graces us with his presence!" "His Royal Highness must be pleased!" They all scream over each other, making it increasingly hard to understand them. 

"I- um," I try but my voice cracks and squeaks. I shift my weight from foot to foot, sweat blooming on my brow as I try to calm my quickening breath. 

"Silence!" They scream at each other. "The Prince Wishes to speak!" I look out among their faces, their crazed eyes, their unwavering gazes, their twitchy fingers as if ready to get my anything just ask with nothing more than a word from me. I decided to start from the beginning. 

"Drynas castle has fallen. It has been taken over by our enemy Cald Feri." I say with minimal squeaks. Murmurs spread through the crowd. 

"How can this be?" "We're invincible though!" "This is a trick." "His Majesty never lies." 

"The citizens have been driven to the forest where they now reside." I continue, trying to find my depleting confidence. "I and my comrades have been tasked with gaining the favor of our allies, gaining a precious antidote, and returning in enough time to take back our home." More whispers spread. 

"But right now, we are tired, dirty and hungry." I say. The entire audience twitches as if ready to bolt and give us their entire house if we need it. "So, I humbly ask for a place to stay for the night as well as a place to wash up and, if you would be so kind, some food for us to refuel on." I pick at the skin on the back of my hand, trying not to faint and fall backwards into the fountain. 

"CColdward!" Someone yells. "Yes ,Coldward!" "Coldward  indeed! The rest agree. I'm about to ask whom that is before an old man hobbles through the parting crowd. He uses a wooden cane, dragging one foot behind him. His face is hard but his eyes are kind, kinda like Kate. 

"I am Coldward." He announces. "I am the elder of this town. I will take you and your companions to my home for the night. Come." He turns and begins to walk off. I carefully climb down from my perch. 

As I walk through the parted crowd I flinch as people reach their hands out, grabbing at my jacket, groping at my legs and rubbing my boots. Eventually I make it through where the rest of the gang stands. As soon as I get bear them they form a wall behind me, closest to the crazed audience. 

We walk in silence after Coldward, trying to ward off the uproar of townspeople. I wrap my arms around myself, trying to keep my breathing even. I could barely talk in front of the people I've lived with for years, yet here I was, being chased by two hundred fangirls. The back of my eyes burn with tears I won't let through as I try to focus on my feet, doing my best to block out the sound of the people yelling at me and trying to gain my attention. Anxiety pounds in my chest, demanding I let it win, demanding I curl up into a ball and sit there until everyone goes away. But I can't. I just have to keep moving. One foot after the other. 

We arrive at the elder's house after a few minutes, the old cabin situated at the outskirts of the town. As if by magic as soon as we cross off the cobbled street the hundreds of fans disperse, disappearing like the sun from the horizon. I take care not to trip over the knee-high grass in the dark of the evening as we make our way to the door. 

"The dragon sleeps in the barn. I'll bring it food once it's ready." The old man says simply. Amber goes to protest before realizing she's far too big to fit in the small shack, so she silently floats towards the large-ish barn behind the house. 

I step through the threshold into the dark and creaky house with a sigh as I realize I'm safe from the paparazzi. The door closes with a squeak after Reid steps through. The old man hobbies around, lighting candles to brighten up the house until he finally lights the fire in the large fireplace at the back of the one room. In the farthest right corner sits a small handmade wooden table with four matching chairs. Left of that is a cozy couch made of animal pelts that's almost sitting on the ground, a rug fitted underneath it. To our immediate left is a bookshelf and a rocking chair, the only furniture without a small layer of dust on it. Then to the right of the door is an old bed, blankets and feather pillows piled on top. 

"Dinner will be ready soon." He says, leaning over a pot in the fireplace. "Until then." He drags his bad leg over to the rocking chair. "Look" He then walks his cane against the wall next to the bookshelf. 

Framed, is three maps. The first is of the town we're in, the next of New Eladea, then an older one of the world. He points to the world map. 

"See here?" His cane moves over the fragile glass to the northern most land masses. He taps against a larger piece of land that is cut off at the top of the frame. "That's where the flower is." He says simply. 

"Wait, how do you know what kind of-" 

"I know many things." He answers with a tap to his temple. I'm getting really tired of people cutting me off in this town. "Like how your sister is dying. And how you don't think you're ready to lead. And how your friend here is sometimes a male, sometimes a female. And how the dragon is-" 

"Ok, we get it." Reid mumbles from her corner. Finally! Someone in this town gets a piece of their own medicine. 

Coldward points to an old worn book on the bookshelf. Kate steps forward and hands it to him. He flips for a few minutes before stopping and turning it to us. He taps the picture in the corner. It's a flower, four petals all tear drop shaped. It's white with the ends of its petals tipped with blue. 

"This is it." He says. "Only grows in patches on hills. Don't ask why." He turns the book back around and closes it with a slam. "Now, dinner." He hauls himself up and goes to the pot. 

Me, Kate, and Reid go to sit at the table, pulling the rocking chair over for the old man to sit in. After a minute I dig into the warm soup. It feel it fall down my throat, coating it in its tangy, savory flavor. I melt into my seat, all the worries and stresses of the day falling away like the leaves on the barren trees. 

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Word count: 2,226

Sooooo what'd you think? A bit more chill, but they're off! A new gang, a new mission, the same adventure >:) (that's good, I might use it) thoughts on the town? Characters? Love to hear it! 

Cya wonderful people next week!