Ascent: Day 2

Word Count: 12,005

Summary of Events:

Ilyé's father tried and failed multiple times to rebuild his magic room with magic, then the Lemyazhmok made an appearance and rebuilt it for his father, despite their hatred of each other. Ilyé was subjected to more torture, but one of his father's spells failed and soon started a forest fire that Ilyé managed to escape before it was put out by the Lemyazhmok. Ilyé managed to stay away from home, but he couldn't sleep in the forest very well, especially when a dragon flew overhead; despite his fear of it, he followed it to see why it'd come . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

"The water was steaming heavily. He could see a dark-coloured tail sticking out of the lake water into the trees on the far bank.

Coming out of the steam toward the near bank was a great head that had a mouthful of jagged, pointy teeth, and great nostrils, large eyes that seemed to glow green slightly, and a significant amount of horny buildup toward the top, but no actual pointed horns jutting from it.

The huge lips were moving in coordination with the thunderous rumblings. He couldn't understand them, but he had a feeling the dragon was speaking in its own tongue anyways, and he didn't know the dragon-tongue.

Soon he noticed that, not far from the great dragon head, was a small figure, incredibly dwarfed by the dragon. One of his own kind, garbed in a cloak, and when the dragon rumbling went silent he saw gestures, indicating that the figure was speaking, but was too far away for him to make out what was being said.

As silently as he could, he advanced along the shoreline, keeping in the trees, straining his ears to understand what they were saying, hoping that the figure would be speaking his own tongue, and not the tongue of the dragons — not that he was sure how they would be able to understand each other that way — but he hoped it was so, just so that he could understand.

His journey was slow going as he both watched for obstacles and for whether or not the two conversing at the lakeshore had noticed him.

He managed to get quite close to them without being noticed, but found to his dismay that the figure was speaking in the dragon's tongue as well. He watched them talk for a long time, the steam continually rising from the lake, which he guessed was because the dragon was very warm.

Their tones of voice suggested that they were in agreement. There was no discrepancy, no cause for alarm. They were merely having a nice visit. He thought it odd that they would visit, and to do so in the night too, but then again, he could imagine many panicking at the sight of a dragon if it came to call in the daylight.

Finally the figure dipped low in a bow before the dragon, who then raised up its head, and then its great upper body, which seemed to make the steam fade some, and then spread its great wings.

The great creature surged upward and the dark wings flapped almost like thunder, only one beat carrying the dragon into the air, and then another beat a few moments later, settling into a slow rhythm that faded rather quickly.

Watching and listening to the dragon depart had distracted his focus from the figure on the shore, but now that the dragon had faded from sight he looked to the shore and noticed to his horror that the figure had turned to face him, and was looking directly into his eyes. It was the Lemyazhmok.