Chapter One - Look to the Skies

“Have we managed to locate Vix?” a deep voice echoed from the shadows.

“She slipped away from us… We are searching everywhere…” a soldier responded with vibrated fear in his voice.

“Not good enough, soldier!” the soldier winced from the sudden roar.

“U-understandable…” the soldier spoke in a low breath.

“No chances after this…” The deep voice had gone quiet and the soldier could only salute before bringing himself out of the dark room… The new government laws within villages and towns had a warrant for a young woman named Vix. It had been long years of searching and close call encounters of the soldiers to find the young woman. Rumors had it that this woman had a partner in crime that could magically lift her into thin air and no person could ever trace her whereabouts. Despite this long mission, the countries in this world had been falling into their own troubles…

A dark cloud had roamed over the country lately. A town called Sprout Fields was in danger of losing their crops in gardening all sorts of natural foods just from the lack of sun shine and drowning from the rain. Families and Farm owners had no choice but to look to the new rising government for help. As time passed, half the town was in debt already for depending on such democracy. Those who preferred the old ways of living looked to prayers and hoped for this situation to leave the lands. There was no pride left in the people of Sprout Fields.

On the outskirts of the town, a small family who developed their own farmland were known as the Ripen family. Within the family, there were two older sisters and one younger brother who had already reached maturity age. The young man’s name was Derrick. As much as he put effort into helping out his father with the farm and crops, there was nothing he could do in this time of need for his family. Even though there was no rain on this day, the clouds still covered the sky.

“I will be back in a day or two, alright Ma?” spoke Derrick as he grabbed a backpack pouch from the hooks by the front entrance.

“There is really no point in going out so far Derrick. I’m sure this weather will pass sooner or later” spoke his mother. Derricks mother’s name was Pieka; such an innocent mindful woman with hints of optimism.

“Not much I can do here anyway, Ma. Besides it will be a benefit to know if anywhere else is having this trouble”, Derrick pulled the hood of his coat over his head before opening the door.

“Well hurry over to Mountain Stones. It is nearby and another storm is coming, so be okay Derrick” his mother crossed her arms with a serious look in her expression though you can spot the worry in her eyes.

Derrick could only smile before giving his mother a quick peck on the cheek and walked out the door, “I’ll make my way there now”.

Pieka could only smile at her son as he ran to a barn for a creature called Beardog. The four hair legged creatures were not only horse size and lazy, but they could run just as fast. Derrick named their family Beardog companion “Ferr”, in an abstract meaning of his appearance. While hopping onto his saddle amongst the creatures back, he looked towards the direction of Mountain Stones. How hard could the trip be?

Later that evening, Derrick was too late in arriving at the town nearby. The winds and the rain became so harsh he couldn’t see in front of himself without liquid dropping in his eyes. He used his forearm to be his shield as Ferr began to pad his way across a stoned bridge. Derrick felt cold and exhausted for having to use his arm in such physical usage. The moment he saw the end of the bridge with a relieved expression, the stone blocks of the bridge beneath Ferr had collapsed the two of them into the raging river below.

Derrick hung onto Ferr’s saddle as the river started to carry them both in the strong current. Ferr had been using his own beastly strength to make his way out of the river. In a sudden drop, the two were both consumed into a long mile of miniature waterfalls. The current was so difficult to maneuver that Derrick sunk underneath the surface, still hanging for his life onto the saddle. A sharp pain knocked the side of his head; his vision had gone black from the impact of an underwater rock.

What seemed to be natural at the moment, Derrick had a dream. He found himself to be standing at the edge of his family’s farmland. Looking around to see a healthy grown crop and land, he couldn’t help but smile at the site of his own home. He even reached down to pick up the stem of carrots until the moment the tip of the stem touched his finger, it had wilted to nothing. Derrick stepped back in disbelief until water began to rise from the ground underneath him.

The water formed puddles then began to drown his homeland and his entire body. As he tried to rush himself to higher ground, he tilted his head upward to see a bright shining sun. That was not all he saw. A quick shadow had flown over his form just before the still growing water consumed his entire body. Through a defense mechanism, he held his breath and tried to sway his arms and legs to swim upward but did not budge at all. His eyes could only stare at the sun light…

Until a hand reached out from the surface towards him…

“HELLO? Wake up…” a young woman’s voice spoke; she had been the person who pulled Derrick out from the riverside while he was unconscious.

Suddenly, Derrick’s eyes opened wide and he lifted himself up to cough for air but puked out water as well. “Wha-? Hey watch it!” the young lady yelled, as she crawled away from the recovering boy. Finally after catching some air Derrick fell back onto the shore ground to catch some energy. He had made it out of the river? He felt like he could have died in those waters. His eyes blinked in realization that he felt warmth on his back and quickly sat up to see clear skies.

“Hello!” the young woman’s face appeared so sudden before Derrick’s. He snapped out of his shock to weather to a point he had fallen onto his back with wide eyes.

“H-hey.. I-I don’t have any money on me…” he stuttered out as he tried to crawl himself to a stance.

The young lady gave Derrick a strange look, “I don’t want your money…”

“Then what do you want?” he continued to panic while stepping back preparing to run… then quickly dashed into the trees behind him.

“Hey you- wait…” the girl stretched out her arm but only growled frustrated before whistling to the sky above.

Meanwhile Derrick was running so fast through the trees, he tripped over some roots. Landing face first into the dirt he panicked even more from the fear that any hesitation will have him captured for sure. Quickly picking himself back up, his leg had begun to limp while running. Besides his loud breathing, he heard loud flapping behind him in the distance. This girl could be a demon for all he knew. Not wanting to find out Derrick only pushed himself further until he arrived in an open meadow nearby.

To his surprise, unknown men had appeared in unison armed with nets and spears. Derrick desperately waved his arms in the air hoping they may be able to help. His voice yelled his situation of robbery but the men seemed to ignore his presence as their eyes were focused above him. In panic, the group of men started to load the spears into a strange tube that seemed to be a cannon? Was the demon girl above him?

“It’s the creature! Attack!” some of the men yelled repeatedly.

Derrick stopped in his tracks to turn himself around and gaze towards the sky. The sun was blocked from his vision yet it wasn’t the girl from before. His hues had shrunk in a fear he hadn’t felt before. After stumbling on his feet, Derrick stared in shock at what appeared to be a dragon. Flapping its huge wings in the air with such force that you could feel the gusts off it. For a small moment, the dragon had locked eyes with Derrick until its attention turned to the men nearby.

“It’s in my aim, I can get it down” a man yelled before launching three spears connected to a net.

“Move it!” a female voice screamed.

The dragon’s wings had quickly glided its body beneath the spears swiftly just within few feet above ground. Derrick wanted to watch the outcome of this creature until he quickly turned his attention to the whereabouts of the female voice. It was that girl again! She ran over to the young boy on the ground in shock quickly grabbing hold of his forearm.

“C’mon,” she demanded while dragging him up to his feet.

“I-I, how can I trust you?” he asked before looking behind himself to see the dragon lighting the spear cannon on fire while the men yelled for order to capture the creature. He felt a tug.

“Unless you want to die, come with me!” she yelled while pulling his arm.

The moment was so sudden and fast paced that Derrick could not make up his mind so easily. However, dying was no option as his body began to move on its own running behind the girl back into the woods. Corner of his eyes the young boy had looked back as they both ran away. All he could remember seeing in a blur is the dragon swatting his tail towards the men while they attacked.

“That can’t be a dragon back there can it?” he asked while running.

“You bet it was.” she responded while maneuvering in-between trees as they ran away.

“W-won't it come after us once it’s finished with those men?”

“Well yeah, He won’t stick around there for long you know”.

The girl had a smirk on her lips as she ran with the boy. Did she enjoy this? The thrill of chasing or avoiding being lunch; this girl was not only to not be trust worthy but an adrenaline junky to boot by the looks of it. She quickly stopped as they reached the end of the woods and arrived upon a cliff. Derrick tried to catch his breath until noticing some of the men not too far behind them yelling in the distance. He started to feel relieved in thinking they had come to their rescue. As he was about to yell their location the girl had covered his mouth in panic.

“Are you crazy?” she whispered in a harsh voice.

Muffling his voice, Derrick moved the girl’s hands off his mouth. “No I’m not. They could be trying to help us”.

The girl panicked from the volume of his voice and dragged him along to the edge of the cliff. “They are not trying to help us at all” she whispered again.

“How would you even-“

“Because THEY are trying to kill ‘ME’, not Argo!” she yelled before whistling to the sky.

Derrick’s eyes widened from her confession. “You?” he began to panic himself, “Why would they do that- wait, WHO is Argo?”

“You ask way too many questions…” the girl became frustrated with the boy.

The group of men appeared yelling in unison again, “It’s the witch, Vix! Get her!”

“Vix…” the boy muttered the name before looking to the girl beside him.

“Can’t explain, c’mon.” she spoke before grabbing the boy’s wrist and dragging him along with her off the cliff.

“Oh what the hell-” Derrick screamed his lungs out as the two had both fallen off the cliff.

In a quick movement, which seemed like time had slowed down as Derrick began to see his life flash before his eyes, the girl wrapped her arms around his neck. She called out the name ‘Argo’ again. The ground was growing closer in mere seconds until a flash of white covered Derricks vision and felt the weight of himself hit onto something hard but soft? Groaning in pain of impact he opened his eyes to notice he and the girl were in the arms of the dragon.

“Oh my- we are going to die!” he screamed.

“Calm down you idiot” she yelled in anger.

“How can I? This creature is about to devour us”.

“Argo would never hurt me. He saved us…” the girl had it with this screaming idiot before her.

“THIS is Argo?” he yelled again in disbelief as his eyes gazed upward to see the dragon’s hues staring down at him.

“Yes. He is my companion,” the girl’s mood had quickly changed to a proud expression, “And I am Vix. We’re both wanted by the way,” she explained with a smile.

Derrick could not believe this situation at all. He had drowned and thought his life to be ending but now to believe he came to meeting of two wanted criminals. They were not normal criminals at all either. Wanting to panic some more but his brain failing to comply the events; Derrick had fainted in the arms of the creature and left Vix trying to wake him up as the dragon had flown them further into the mountains.