Chapter 4

Dragons are infrequent guests of ordinary towns; even in Bergenburg, which is full of space, dragons always attracts attention and seems large. Moreover the dragons in armor, guardians of the borders of Common world. Rukh could not hope that his arrival in Glen's paws would go unnoticed.

Rukh brokenly inhaled the cold air and looked down from the cliff. For a second he thought that Glen might miss and not catch him, and the griffin would be much less embarrassed to break than survive the rest of the day and the followings...

The approaching clank of armor and the clatter of clawed paws on the stone, the push - and the feathered one was in the sky. Below him, far below, was the slope of the mountain and a lot of air. Hot dragon paws held him by the sides in the manner of unlucky prey, and Rukh grabbed Glen's large scaly wrists, hugging himself with his arms. The wind whistled in his ears, huge leathery wings spread over his head, and the sun hid behind the membrane, revealing a pattern of blood vessels and tendons.

The flight was breathtaking. Although it was not possible to pilot, Rukh did not stop to enjoy every moment of it. It was difficult to breathe from the oncoming stream, air whistled in his ears, and the dragon planned lower and lower, intending to land on the flat edge of the city. Rukh flinched at the flapping of the wings and clung tighter, but there was no need for it - this was by no means the first flight for Glen, and he was not going to drop the young man.

The town was approaching. It appeared green with young foliage and appeared white with blooming apples and cherries, plums and other fruit trees. It was full of houses; it was dark with roads and glistened with tin roofs.

'Do you like it?' a booming voice came over griffin's head.

'There are no words'.

'Get ready. I'll count till three and will drop you. You must roll away from me, don't stop early - I need a space to land'.

'Got it'.

The ground, still peering out from under the young grass, became closer. On the edge of sight there were houses that had become very large from tiny ones, and people who had abandoned their business and stood looking. However, it was not important if they were watching or not. It was important not to get hurt.

'One,' Glen waved his wings, damping horizontal speed, his body was almost upright as if he was about to stand on the tip of his tail.

'Two,' the covered with scales and armor sentinel began lower decisively, aiming at the four-legged landing again.

'Three!' His hind legs touched the ground, and with his forelegs, he threw Rukh forward and upward, compensating for him the inertia of the fall. A feathery-woolen lump knocked and rolled on the ground, and something collapsed heavily nearby.

An inarticulate sound came from the griffin's beak. Staggering, he stood up and carefully brushed off his clothes, once again touching himself to make sure he is all right. After the sorcery in the cave, the feeling of lost balance only intensified. The dragon was busy about the same thing - he shook off the paws that left a deep mark in the ground.

'Thanks!' Rukh's eyes shone.

'Further on yourself,' Glen smiled and flashed his emerald-colored eyes. The young man wanted to answer, but could not find the words. The dragon clearly had in mind that griffin need to go on foot with him. Also, it sounded like Rukh had to fly on his own. On the other hand, maybe there will be a chance to find real wings...

'Let's go,' a pleasant voice pulled Rukh out of his dreams, 'there are people who want to see us, and those whom we should see.'

***

Rukh felt uncomfortable. He did not appreciate close attention to himself. Now he walked along familiar streets in the company of a representative of the rarest nation. The width of the chosen road was barely enough to go side by side - the dragon was the size of a neighbors' truck, but did not want to go out onto a wider street, where wagons often drive. Anyway, there was no place to hide from views. At first, Rukh tried to nod to his acquaintances, but it felt like 'yes, yes, this is me, and this is a dragon, and we are walking together, all the best to you.' Saying something more difficult than 'good morning' did not work well.

'Evor and Zack are coming to meet us. You have about five minutes left,' Glen suggested quietly.

'Urgh...' Rukh squeezed out of himself. He cannot hide from Zak behind a 'good morning...'

The narrow and desolated streets of the outskirts began to give way to more well-groomed ones.

'Are we going to walk past my house?' the feathered one was surprised, recognizing the road.

'Any objections?'

'No...'

'Then do a proud posture and gait, because now everything is fine.'

The griffin's tail twitched from worry and swung from side to side. How to behave with a friend you almost lost? What to say? For these thoughts, he did not notice how he reached the next turn of the road. He returned to reality only from a loud dragon shout.

'Evor, look at yourself, you old rug!' the dragon raised his folded wings above the body, 'when did you manage to turn gray?'

'Glad to see you in Bergenburg, Glen,' the wizard answered with a wide smile, hugging the winged one by the neck, 'welcome to Common.'

Rukh glanced at the feathered uncle with a grin, and then he turned his eyes to the light-eyed feline, who was also not ready for such a manifestation of friendship among the elders. Both nervously grinned and hugged tightly, if not to say they clung each other.

'Forgive me. I thought I could protect you,' Rukh creaked.

'Everything is good. We both were dumb; there was no need to go deep in the caves. I was afraid you would be killed there without me.'

'And I that you were burned.'

'I appeared at home with scorched hair, freaked my sis out. I rushed to Evor for help. He contacted you. Then you know. I saw your flight.'

'Glen and the draconids killed the bandits. Or sent home, not sure...'

'Good riddance. Maybe they will be burned for witchcraft once appear home, as was customary within the tailless culture.'

Something in Zack's voice alerted the feathered one.

'Is it that I think? Is the Inquisition awaits you at home?'

'After teleporting, Sarah's screech and the phrase 'Gates on the mountain, I need the help of Evor,' that I threw to mom on the run? Parents probably won't praise you either, you called me for this walk,' Zach laughed.

'Well, okay,' Rukh tightened his grip on Zak and hid the tears of relief coming up behind the third eyelid.

'Come on, trespassers,' came the dragon's gentle voice, 'your day has just begun.'

***

Rukh felt empty. This was partly true; most of the forces went to the defense and the flight. The friend's company, while encouraging the griffin, still lose in the struggle to the tested fear and memories of the meeting with the bandits. No events of a former life could be compared with this horror by novelty.

Evor and Glen praised young men for discovering the cave, but they strictly forbade them to return to the mountain until Glen or the city council says otherwise. The same applies to the rest of the inhabitants of Bergenburg. The dragons still had to work on the gates to stabilize them, but for now, it remains deadly. Rukh barely stood on his feet and fell out of reality, and according to sensations, he also fell from his own limbs and did not notice anything strange in the explanations. Zack was a little more attentive and asked a couple of questions, like when uncle Evor would move the gate to the old place in the town and whether it is possible to walk along the mountain slopes. Away from the new cave, for sure - there were still the usual paths and roads leading to other towns.

'Thank you for reminder, Zack, it would be necessary to set the boundaries,' the griffin asked the city council members, 'Pine, can I rely on you?'

'By this evening whole Bergenburg will be aware of your request. They will neither bother you nor climb into the caves' the pangolin answered.

'Thank you,' Glen nodded in appreciation, 'let us let go the heroes of the day, further things can be discussed without them... remember, for the rest of the city you just found the gate and were escorted out of the dangerous territory. No need to attract additional attention to yourself and tell the details, it is enough. The same request has been sent to your families.'

***

'How are you?' Zack's voice sounded worried.

'Like a wretched animal. May I hide in a corner? I do not want to answer anyone.'

'Yes, you may. Only through shooting down, quartering and hanging for the rest.'

'Then let's go surrender,' Rukh sighed, imagining that he was waiting for him at home. He will have to talk with mom and dad about the textbook and the details of salvation.

'It is a pity that today Beth working on herbs. She will not know the news firsthand,' Zack grunted.

'You can run and share it with her. Our secret is no longer a secret for Liz. She would add two plus two. The whole city saw how I flew down alone; your scorched ass was already here. How can we explain it? Lying to Lizabeth is useless.'

'An interesting way to say "leave me, commander", you forgot to hang on my neck and look into my soul. Do you think she doesn't want to make sure that you are all right?'

Rukh forced a smile.

'Thank you for being with me. Though so she will worry for both of us.'

***

There was a knock on the door. A scorched lion and a dented griffin with spots of dried mud on his clothes stood on the porch.

'Hi boys, she's at work today.'

'We know. Please tell her that we are fine but very tired. She doesn't need to look for us in the evening.'

'Okay. Did something happened?'

'No, we just ran out of steam and there's no strength to reach her in person.'

***

'How are you?' asked Rukh, leaving Lizabeth's section and digging himself out of the depths of fatigue, 'you shared your strength with me at the last moment.'

Their homes appeared ahead. Two-storied houses standing across the road to each other. In the middle of the road, their mothers stood and discussed something in raised voices. Either they discussed someone, judging by the sizzling glances and the ensuing silence that forced friends to squeeze their heads into their shoulders in advance, three sections before.

'It's fine. Although it would also be worth hiding in a corner and being in silence.'

'We should have to rent a room until the evening.'

'They would have found us, and their impatience and the fact that we would not go home, but would hide in a place for couples... Well, that would have added to the problems.'

'They would have realized the nature of that place in a week, when already released the steam...'

'... and they would have teased us to the end of our lives, huh...'

'Zackary Nathaniel!' A curvy lioness pierced the distance with her voice.

'Rukhgert Stern!' screamed the black griffiness.

Friends looked at each other.

'Well, that's it. Goodbye, it was great to hang with you.'

'See you in the next life.'

Under the fiery glances of their mothers, they did not even shake hands. They only nodded to each other and dispersed, each meeting his own storm.