Page 9 of Ava's Legacy of the Dragons
She walked as fast as she could without running and covered a great distance in a short time. Anyone who thought walking wasn't a sport would be convinced otherwise just by hearing her accelerated heartbeat.Motivation was apparently everything. Meanwhile, the child-like voice remained silent, as if it knew this was a matter of life and death.
The city gates drew closer and the soldiers receded into the distance. Eventually, the dragon ascended into the sky, its shadow growing smaller and smaller. It beat its wings powerfully and rushed away. Only the sharp wind and the smell of fire remained, underscoring the fact that Ava had just witnessed something extraordinary.
For a moment, she watched the creature fly away until a terrible thought struck her. Had the soldiers noticed it had flown off? Were they already on her heels? Without stopping, she peered over her shoulder. But she couldn’t see the border now—she was too far away. She couldn’t see her safe home either. Could she make a detour and?—
"Please don't go back, Ava. Bring me to safety,"the high-pitched voice repeated. It had finally settled in her heart, as if someone she had known for years was speaking to her.
Wait, how did this thing know her name?
"I know everything about you, Ava. Now hurry."
"Alright, alright. I'm not going back." Heavens, now she was even talking to the thing herself.
Vigilantly, she glanced at the sky. She didn't want to stand unprotected in the open again if a dragon flew over her. But in the sky, there were only a few white clouds here and there.
Were those just normal clouds, or were they the puffs left behind by an angry dragon?
A dragon. She had really seen a dragon. What was going on here? Where had she landed?
She must have been dreaming! None of this couldhave happened in reality! But when could she have fallen asleep? Plus, the warmth in her heart, the voice in her head, and the smoldering smell of fire spoke an entirely different language. A language that ceaselessly repeated: The adventure you've secretly longed for all your life has just begun.
Chapter 4
She reached the broad city gate without being caught by the soldiers or seeing any other dragons. She would have said it had just been her imagination if her knees didn't still feel like jelly.
She had hidden her discovery in her leather bag. She didn't know where to take it to keep it safe, but a city was probably a good start.
The guards at the gates eyed her suspiciously but let her pass. It was good that she no longer held the object in her hands, otherwise the sentries might have questioned her about it and detained her as well.
Who could she give it to so that whatever was inside it and speaking to her would be safe?
Whatever was inside it and speaking to her...
Scale-like structures on the surface...
An intense glow...
A thought came to her—at first it was quiet, but it grew louder with each breath. Could this strange stone possibly have been a dragon egg?
No, that couldn't be. How could this dragon egg have come into her world? She could say with certainty thatthere was no magic or dragons in the small town where she lived with Helen.
Aunt Helen... Hopefully she wasn't really worried because Ava had stayed out longer than usual. But Ava had to secure her discovery first, because the overwhelming feeling in her heart left her no other choice.
She entered the city and was immediately greeted by lively hustle and bustle. There were three-story, half-timbered houses lined up wall-to-wall, with one shop after another on the ground floors. She saw a tailor urging his shop assistant to brush off the mannequin's trousers and doublet, a satisfied customer leaving the neighboring shop with a basket full of various jars peeking out, and then, in the shop window next door, someone balancing on a chair to hang up a flower garland.
On the opposite side, a huckster called out in a powerful voice, "Combs and brushes, made from high-quality hair," and the oval sign of the neighboring business announced that a mirror maker offered his wares there.
Ava passed one shop after another, looking curiously and careful not to twist an ankle in her mid-heeled boots on the uneven cobblestones. The street, as well as the architecture, reminded her of old towns from her world, except that people wore old-fashioned clothing and apparently had no interest in technology. There were no phones or tablets anywhere, no televisions or radios, and not even the street lamps seemed to run on electricity.
Eventually, the goods sellers gave way to food shops. There was cheese, meat, vegetables and fruit, baked goods, and the finest cakes. But the displays were mostlyempty, perhaps because it was evening and the first owners were closing their shops.
"Turn off quickly!"
Alarmed, Ava paused and looked around. As she turned, her heart sank. Two soldiers were riding through the city gates, one talking to the guards, another eyeing all passersby critically. As he slowly turned his attention in her direction, she recognized him even in profile.
It was the captain who had sworn to remember her face.
Before he noticed her, she turned into the next side alley and ran along the narrow street. The houses stood so close together that it was darker there. There were also no shops, only residential houses, so no customers were crowding around. And nobody was outside since the inhabitants were all at work or indoors, meaning there was no crowd into which she could disappear.
