Chapter 7: The City In The Clouds (Part 1)
1185 Words
The dragons continued to fly upwards into the sky. Axel directed them towards the correct coordinates to Bluegate.
“It will take a few more minutes for us to reach the Medea,” Axel said. He looked at Belle, who was petting her dragon, and it made small noises in response. She fed it some food. “You were right. Animals do love you.”
“I know,” Belle said with a smile, and continued to pet the dragon. “What’s the Medea?”
“It’s an area of the sky that acts as a door to Bluegate,” Axel explained. He held the two cubes in his hand. “These are the keys.”
“Oh, I get it.” She continued to play with her dragon.
“How did you know so much about dragons?”
“My grandfather used to tell me stories about them,” Belle told him. “As a kid I didn’t even believe him; until I saw one in real life.”
“I’ve only seen them in battles,” Axel said. “Didn’t know these creatures were so… magnificent.”
They continued flying up into the sky.
“Did you grow up in Bluegate?” Belle said randomly.
“Why do you ask?”
“Well, if you grew up there, then navigating through the city might be easier.”
“I did grow up in Bluegate. I was born there. But I doubt it’s the same now as it once was, and I’m not just talking about the people. Ender always had a vision for the place, or at least parts of it. I’ll surely be able to help a bit, but I’d imagine it’s a completely different place now than how I remember it to be.”
“Did you know Ender well before the war?”
“Yes. My parents in particular. He was a friend.”
“He was a friend?” Belle was visibly shocked.
“Yes. A good friend. He was always ambitious; he often talked about how he’ll be much more than just an advisor to the king. Never imagined he meant to become the king himself. His ambition outgrew his humanity.” Axel sighed. “And the power corrupted him. He’s not the same person I knew at all.”
They approached the Medea. Axel flew closer to Belle and handed her one of the cubes.
“Just repeat what I say,” Axel told her. “If you misspeak a word, even a syllable, you’ll die.”
They entered Medea. Suddenly the sky changed from blue with the bright afternoon sunlight into a dark purple, with clouds flickering and blinking in and out of existence. The air became heavy.
Axel raised his key. The sleeves of his robes fluttered in the wind. He looked at Belle, and she did the same. “I, Axel Brooks…”
“I, Belle Roma…”
“Affirm allegiance to the great and all-powerful king, The Bringer of Peace and Prosperity, The Divine Destroyer of Foes, Ender Greyson, and swear to be a model citizen of the Heavenly City in the Clouds, Bluegate.”
Once they both were done speaking the oath of allegiance, the sky turned normal. The blue colour came back, and the sun shone bright again. The air became lighter.
“I feel nauseous,” Axel said.
“Me too. I can’t imagine having an ego as big as his.”
They flew out of Medea and proceeded towards Bluegate.
“We’re in Bluegate territory now,” Axel warned. “From this point onward, everyone will be trying to kill us. Keep your guard up.”
Sure enough, two guards flew towards Axel and Belle from above, riding red dragons. Their armour was nothing like the ones the guards wore in Rayfort; theirs were completely golden, with red designs marked on them, and the symbol of Bluegate – an angel – marked on the chest piece in white. Their helmets covered their entire face and were also made of gold. They carried long spears with green stones embedded at the tips, which crackled with energy. The red dragons had metal plating on their backs.
“The spears are new,” Axel told Belle.
“We’re sorry,” one of the guards said. “But your little trip to Bluegate ends here.”
“Well, that escalated quickly,” Belle said, drawing her sword.
“Fire!” The guards together commanded their dragons, who blew enormous flames from their mouths towards Axel and Belle. The two split in two different directions to dodge.
Belle made her dragon circle around one of the guards, commanding it to breathe fire. The circular movement confused the red dragon, while the flames blinded the guard. Belle shot flames from her own hand towards the guard, knocking him down from the dragon in panic. He plummeted towards the ground with a scream that quickly faded away.
Axel jumped from his dragon and flew towards the guard. He landed on his red dragon. The guard swung his spear towards Axel’s head, which he dodged by ducking. The guard then swung it in the opposite direction towards his stomach. Axel backed away to dodge, then used telekinesis to pull the spear towards him, bringing the guard with it. He grabbed the spear, then used thunder magic to electrocute the metal shaft, electrocuting the guard with it. Axel then pulled the spear from the guard, then used it to shoot a blast of green energy at him. It left a hole in his chest, and his body fell off of the dragon.
Axel’s blue dragon continued to fly alongside the red dragon. He flew towards his dragon and landed on its back.
The red dragons began chasing the two. Belle took out a smoke bomb and let go of it. It fell towards the red dragon and exploded, disorienting the creature.
Axel charged electricity in his hands, but Belle yelled from the distance, “Don’t kill it!” Axel almost ignored her, but then decided not to kill it. The red dragon opened its jaws, about to breathe fire. He fired a small white beam towards the dragon. It instantly paralysed and began freefalling towards the ground, its wings spread completely in the air.
“What did you do?” Belle asked frantically.
“Don’t worry, the paralysis lasts for ten seconds. He won’t die but won’t chase after us either.”
Belle sighed in relief. “Thanks.” They both turned their dragons towards Bluegate.
“Why did you care?” Axel asked after a moment.
“What?” Belle asked, confused.
“Whether the red dragons lived or not. Why not just kill them?”
“They’re aggressive animals, sure, but they’re not evil. You wouldn’t kill a bull if it charged at you, would you?”
“Of course I would.”
“Dear God, you’re heartless.”
Axel smiled. “Not everyone has the same love for animals as you.”
“Well, they should. And so should you. Did you ever have a pet?”
“Yes, when I was very young. The king gifted it to my parents; it was the last of its kind.”
“Did it ever harm you?”
“No. It was a harmless creature, about the size of my palm.”
Belle sighed. “In any case, my point still stands. Don’t try and kill a dragon ever again. Even if it’s attacking you.”
“What if you were in a war and the enemy came at you with dragons?”
“I would burn that bridge when I would get to it.”
“By the time you’ll get to it, you’ll be dead.”
“OK, maybe, in the heat of battle, if killing a dragon meant saving a dozen people, maybe, I would kill a dragon.” Her dragon turned its head and stared at her.
“Just as I thought.”
“You know what? I think I’m done with this conversation.” She again fed her dragon and the two continued flying.
- Writer
