The Nine Dragons The Feathered Dragon Part Three

 The People 

Loc picked up a corpse and looked up, for a moment then walked on. Then she joined a group of people, who also carried the dead. She followed them to the edge, where they dropped the corpse off and let them fall below the clouds.

“By Pendragon! You’re still here?”

Loc looked next to her to see the man from earlier. She let out a nervous chuckle.

“Yes. Yes I am. By the way, is the child alright?” 

“Yes, thank you Miss!”

“Loc

The child, with chalk green hair and brown eyes, bowed in front of her.

“Thank you Miss Loc!”

“It was nothing.”

“Urm…Miss Loc, why are your eyes funny?”

“Oh! Please don’t. She’s mad, and I don’t want you catching her madness!”

“Madness! That’s conta-”

“I said ‘catching’!”

“Oh. How can I catch madness?”

“Look at her!”

“Oh.”

“By the way, why are your eyes strange anyway?”

“I’m from a different world. So why do you do that for your dead?”

“Simple. We believe that when we let go of the dead we have to let their memories. So that we all don’t weep everyday so that the land below will not be plagued by rain.”

Loc nodded and smiled.

“So now that you know, can you get lost? I don’t want to get roped into whatever it is that you’re all about. And I don’t want you, boy, in that too!”

Suddenly, Loc remembered Team Sorrow abf her rebellion back when she was Sorrow. Then she remembered Ringer, Morgan and Kai and her parents. She felt like she had been stabbed in the heart and her eyes moved away.

“Yeah…best.” She said as she started to move away.

“Thank you…urm…”

“Sei Ten Ken.”

“Thank you, Sei Ten Ken. Tell me, where do I go to fight the dragon?”

His face dropped as he let out a huff. He then groaned as he scratched the back of his head.

“Stay the night in my house. I’ll give you a map tomorrow.”

“Thank you.”

They both entered his house. It was small with a kitchen at the far end underneath the window. A small black leather settee and chair at one end and andingle table with a wooden chair. He walked up to a large closet under a set of stairs to the right. He pulled out two foldable chairs and placed them at the table 

“Take a seat”

They did.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“So, where do I go next?”

“Well you need to get to Sky City. That is where the flocks come from.”

“Right.”

“I’ll get you a map to get there.”

“Can I come?”

“No!” Both said at the same time 

“Why not? It sounds fun!”

“It’s dangerous.”

“And you will get yourself killed. So don’t follow the mad woman’s lead.”

“Sei’s right. I’m only doing so that you all will not die by their hand. Also I’m immortal, so I can afford it.”

“You're what?”

“You’re madder than I thought if you think that!”

Loc rolled her eyes.

“Use your eyes, man! Look at the wounds that I sustained during the battle! They’re all healed up!”

He looked at her. His eyes widened as he took the arm of the one that was bitten to take a closer look.

“Wow!”

“I know.”

“You’re weird!”

“Well, mad woman, I want less to do with you!”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be leaving as soon as I can.”

“Good.”

They soon ate and she slept on the floor. The following day she soon set off before anyone could follow her. Then as she came down the road with nothing but the clouds beneath her, she heard Sei yell. She turned around to see him bent over, hands on his thighs, panting. 

“Here!” He gasped, showing her a piece of paper.

She took it.

“You forgot your map!”

“Oh!”She sang surprised.

“Now I never want you to see your face again!”

“Well, if you do, I want it to be once that dragon is gone. By the way, is it he or a her?”

“Her.”

“And all.of her armies are gone!”

“Reatyer not. I don’t want your madness!”

“Good. I don’t want your cowardice!”

She then turned around and looked at the map. She had spotted that she was walking in the right direction. Then she walked on and on. Then she came to the edge of the road. She saw the stones floating in the air that formed three staircases. She looked down at the map. The map told her that Sky City was on the left. So she climbed the stairs on the left. Soon she came to a land mass the size of an island.

She set foot in the land. She saw that there were many houses in the land, with bodies of water going in a line in front of each house. Yet there were homes in small land masses in the air with a small pond in front of the short pathway. With stone staircases in front of the land.

What a beautiful city! She thought as she walked on. 

She then had a look at her supplies. Only to find out that she was running out.

I’m going to have to get more food.

She walked in and soon saw a café to the right. She walked up to it. She walked in and spotted a chef in the kitchen. She walked up to him.

“Urm.. is there anything that I can do to earn me a meal?” She asked, feeling slightly awkward.

“Can you cook?”

“Not that well, but I am willing to learn.”

“Can you clean?”

“Yes.”

He threw her a cloth and gave her a bucket filled with water.

“Clean the café, if you do well, you will have a good meal and money. If you do poorly then you get nothing.”

“That’s fair.” She commented as she immediately went into the cleaning. She went from table to table, making sure that it was clean enough to eat off. She then did the same in the kitchen too. Then returned to the chef.

He raised his brunette eyebrows. He looked around with his pupiless green eyes. Carefully studying her work.

“Got, what is your name?”

“Loc.”

“Well, I am Fufu and if you’re looking for work, you’re hired! Now come with me and I will teach you how to cook a good meal.”

“Alright! Sir!”

She walked to see the food. She felt her stomach churned out of hunger.

“I can tell that you appreciate food!” He said before teaching her how to cook.

After they both sat down to eat.

“Tell me, where does the d again live?”

“The Sky Castle.”

“How do I get into Sky Castle?”

“Get rich enough to pay your way to the Quil Commanders. They will tell you how to get into the castle.”

“And would working here give me enough to do that?”

“After a couple of months or so.”

So I will be there for quite some time.

“Then I will work for you for that length of time.”

“Alright. Then once you’re done, you should get back to work.”

“Alright.”

She took a bite out of her food. It tasted like cooked tomatoes and pasta with a spice that gave it a good kick to it, which made it taste better. So she ate it slowly so that she could savour every bite so that she could enjoy every moment.

Fufu smiled.

“I knew that you appreciated food.”

Once she was finished, she returned to the cleaning. She did this day in and day out. She was taught to cook meal after meal until it came out of her ear. She then went onto collecting coin after coin. She used it to rent a small hut nearby. Yet it was simple and had a toilet to the right and a fireplace to the left.

You know, this is quite nice. I could definitely stay here.