Heading to Hatchmere · Dragon Village

10d (edited) • Main Story

Heading to Hatchmere

Morning crept over the mountains in pale gold ribbons, and I woke to the soft crackle of cooling embers and the faint rustle of wings. Sunny sat just outside the tent, alert and proud, as if he’d been standing guard all night. I crawled out, made sure the fire was properly dead, and packed my gear with the practiced motions of someone counting the last of his supplies. The ration bag was nearly empty. “Looks like it’s town or nothing, buddy,” I told him, earning a hopeful chirp and a small puff of smoke. We had barely made it a short distance down the mountain when music drifted through the trees—soft at first, then clearer. Curious and hungry, I followed the sound until we peeked through the brush to find a cloaked traveler alone in a forest clearing, her pack set aside as she danced freely in the chill air. She spun, clapped, and sang to the rhythm of her own memory: “Fire cracks in the black of night, dancing, cackling, burning bright…” Sunny’s eyes widened, mesmerized—and then, at the worst possible moment, he sneezed. A tiny fireball popped from his mouth with a surprised squeak. The dancer froze mid-twirl; I froze mid-step. For a heartbeat we all stared at one another...TO BE CONTINUED!

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