Throughout the small town of Outland, playing children could be heard laughing, adults were chattering, and teens were doing chores. The teenage helliunds always hung around their parents hoặc the elders; always trying to help. Daily life in Outland was always like this, with adults and teens working hard to make the most out of their desert-like area. The townspeople ate mostly locally grown cacti and cacti fruits, though they would also trade with neighboring towns. It was a system that had worked for hundreds of years, and kept working even after Andromedus had introduced the western Những câu chuyện về rồng to Ireai. The Những câu chuyện về rồng helped with the daily work, and also made travel faster and nearly effortless. They were good with children and quite benevolent, rarely ever growing angry unless they had a nest to protect. They could carry things with their một giây pair of arms, meaning they could help with moving quite large loads of resources. There was only one dragon that refused to be tamed, the townspeople called her Rosabelle. She was an older dragon with a bad temper, growling and snapping at anybody and everybody who got too close.
The townspeople all agreed that Andromedus would be able to tame her, and he reluctantly agreed. That’s how he got into this situation, standing in front of a snarling dragon who looked just about ready to bite his head off.
“Rine, would bạn back up? I’m pretty sure she’s growling at you,” Andromedus says, looking back at the young teen. Rine was a tiny sixteen-year-old boy, who just happened to be the grandson of Rosie, one of the most known names on Ireai. He tried to blend in with the crowd, but when that didn’t work he opted for being not in the crowd at all.
“How do bạn know it’s me and not you? You’re a lot closer,” Rine replies, backing up only slightly.
“Back up further, you’re still too close to her.” Rine decides now that he won’t get an answer, so he just listens and backs up about three feet. Rosabelle stops growling, while Andromedus hasn’t moved at all. Before Rine could even ask, Andromedus smugly answered, “just a hunch.”
“I’m sure bạn won’t be able to get any closer than that, ‘Drom,” Rine says, crossing his arms, “she doesn’t like anyone.”
Andromedus takes a few large steps closer to Rosabelle, who watches him closely. He looks at Rine and winks before going to stand right beside Rosabelle. “She remembers me, Bonehead. She was one of the first three Những câu chuyện về rồng I brought to Ireai, remember?”
“..She was?” Rine asks, dumbfounded.
“The first three consisted of Rosabelle, Spark, and Lemon. She was the only one who refused to listen to anyone, and after awhile she ran away. She only came back because she knew this is a an toàn, két an toàn area,” Andromedus answers, “she had to, after all. She might be one of the older Những câu chuyện về rồng but she’s definitely not too old to chịu, gấu eggs.”
“Oh, that makes sense, actually,” Rine says, still keeping his distance, “but why won’t she growl at you? If she doesn’t listen to anyone and—”
“She’s my dragon, Bonehead.”
“...Oh.”
“That doesn’t mean she listens to me,” Andromedus comments, letting Rosabelle sniff his hand before he pets her, “she tolerates me.”
“She’d fit in with the women and girls around here then,” Rine snickers, “just to tell the truth.”
“Rinestone.”
“...I’m not sorry.”
“Rinestone, don’t make me tell Rosie.”
“You sound like my dad,” Rine says, rolling his eyes. Andromedus sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose in annoyance. “Shouldn’t we go back to Outland now? It’s starting to get dark.”
“Let’s go, shrimp.”
“I’m not a small crustacean, ‘Drom.”
“No, perhaps not, but you’re small. It still works.”
---
When the two of them had gotten back to the town, the adults seemed to be in a panic. The teens were mumbling among themselves, seemingly confused. A small group of adults were in the middle of the town, talking quietly amongst themselves.
“What do bạn think happened?” Rine worriedly asks, looking directly at the group of adults; most teens and children were left out of the conversations. One of the men in the group motioned for Rine and Andromedus to tham gia them, and after a shared glance the duo did so. The man explained the situation; Rosie’s ‘cold’ had suddenly grown worse, and she was growing weaker bởi the minute. The old helliund woman wanted to see Andromedus for reasons she didn’t disclose, but she’d đã đưa ý kiến nothing about Rine. Andromedus was just as, if not thêm confused, as the townspeople; though he entered Rosie’s small house, letting the door shut behind him. It was unusually dark, none of the candles in the house were lit and no lantern was on. Andromedus had to rely on memory so he didn’t break hoặc trip on anything. “Rosie?”
“Over here, Andy,” Rosie replied, her voice small and weak. She was one of the very few who could call Andromedus the nickname of ‘Andy’ without getting an earful; he trusted her enough to let her use it. “Have bạn Mất tích your eyesight already, boy?”
“You’re one to talk, Rosie,” Andromedus replies, approaching the elderly woman.
“Andromedus, come closer,” Rosie says, motioning for him to come closer. The use of his full name was unusual for Rosie, unless she had something important to say. He leans in closer, waiting for her to speak. “When I first met you, I knew that one ngày bạn were going to be someone amazing. bạn had just barely become a man, yet bạn were so smart and courageous. I had hoped and prayed everyday that I would be able to see your accomplishments before I passed, but I know now that it just won’t happen. Andy, I want bạn to make me proud.”
“Rosie—”
“Keep doing great things. You’re going to change the world someday, your name will be taught to children around the world. I want it to be for the right reason, don’t become a martyr. Change the world and live to see it,” Rosie says, looking at Andromedus. She reaches up to his face, moving his hair to uncover his right eye; too weak to use properly. “It’s what bạn were born to do.”
“Rosie, I don’t—”
“Go back to Overwing, they need bạn there; thêm than bạn know. You’ve done all bạn can here, go be great elsewhere. I’m glad that you’ve become the son I never had, Andy,” Rosie says, smiling at him.
Andromedus sighs, looking Rosie in the eye; “You remind me of my mom, bạn know that right?”
The townspeople all agreed that Andromedus would be able to tame her, and he reluctantly agreed. That’s how he got into this situation, standing in front of a snarling dragon who looked just about ready to bite his head off.
“Rine, would bạn back up? I’m pretty sure she’s growling at you,” Andromedus says, looking back at the young teen. Rine was a tiny sixteen-year-old boy, who just happened to be the grandson of Rosie, one of the most known names on Ireai. He tried to blend in with the crowd, but when that didn’t work he opted for being not in the crowd at all.
“How do bạn know it’s me and not you? You’re a lot closer,” Rine replies, backing up only slightly.
“Back up further, you’re still too close to her.” Rine decides now that he won’t get an answer, so he just listens and backs up about three feet. Rosabelle stops growling, while Andromedus hasn’t moved at all. Before Rine could even ask, Andromedus smugly answered, “just a hunch.”
“I’m sure bạn won’t be able to get any closer than that, ‘Drom,” Rine says, crossing his arms, “she doesn’t like anyone.”
Andromedus takes a few large steps closer to Rosabelle, who watches him closely. He looks at Rine and winks before going to stand right beside Rosabelle. “She remembers me, Bonehead. She was one of the first three Những câu chuyện về rồng I brought to Ireai, remember?”
“..She was?” Rine asks, dumbfounded.
“The first three consisted of Rosabelle, Spark, and Lemon. She was the only one who refused to listen to anyone, and after awhile she ran away. She only came back because she knew this is a an toàn, két an toàn area,” Andromedus answers, “she had to, after all. She might be one of the older Những câu chuyện về rồng but she’s definitely not too old to chịu, gấu eggs.”
“Oh, that makes sense, actually,” Rine says, still keeping his distance, “but why won’t she growl at you? If she doesn’t listen to anyone and—”
“She’s my dragon, Bonehead.”
“...Oh.”
“That doesn’t mean she listens to me,” Andromedus comments, letting Rosabelle sniff his hand before he pets her, “she tolerates me.”
“She’d fit in with the women and girls around here then,” Rine snickers, “just to tell the truth.”
“Rinestone.”
“...I’m not sorry.”
“Rinestone, don’t make me tell Rosie.”
“You sound like my dad,” Rine says, rolling his eyes. Andromedus sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose in annoyance. “Shouldn’t we go back to Outland now? It’s starting to get dark.”
“Let’s go, shrimp.”
“I’m not a small crustacean, ‘Drom.”
“No, perhaps not, but you’re small. It still works.”
---
When the two of them had gotten back to the town, the adults seemed to be in a panic. The teens were mumbling among themselves, seemingly confused. A small group of adults were in the middle of the town, talking quietly amongst themselves.
“What do bạn think happened?” Rine worriedly asks, looking directly at the group of adults; most teens and children were left out of the conversations. One of the men in the group motioned for Rine and Andromedus to tham gia them, and after a shared glance the duo did so. The man explained the situation; Rosie’s ‘cold’ had suddenly grown worse, and she was growing weaker bởi the minute. The old helliund woman wanted to see Andromedus for reasons she didn’t disclose, but she’d đã đưa ý kiến nothing about Rine. Andromedus was just as, if not thêm confused, as the townspeople; though he entered Rosie’s small house, letting the door shut behind him. It was unusually dark, none of the candles in the house were lit and no lantern was on. Andromedus had to rely on memory so he didn’t break hoặc trip on anything. “Rosie?”
“Over here, Andy,” Rosie replied, her voice small and weak. She was one of the very few who could call Andromedus the nickname of ‘Andy’ without getting an earful; he trusted her enough to let her use it. “Have bạn Mất tích your eyesight already, boy?”
“You’re one to talk, Rosie,” Andromedus replies, approaching the elderly woman.
“Andromedus, come closer,” Rosie says, motioning for him to come closer. The use of his full name was unusual for Rosie, unless she had something important to say. He leans in closer, waiting for her to speak. “When I first met you, I knew that one ngày bạn were going to be someone amazing. bạn had just barely become a man, yet bạn were so smart and courageous. I had hoped and prayed everyday that I would be able to see your accomplishments before I passed, but I know now that it just won’t happen. Andy, I want bạn to make me proud.”
“Rosie—”
“Keep doing great things. You’re going to change the world someday, your name will be taught to children around the world. I want it to be for the right reason, don’t become a martyr. Change the world and live to see it,” Rosie says, looking at Andromedus. She reaches up to his face, moving his hair to uncover his right eye; too weak to use properly. “It’s what bạn were born to do.”
“Rosie, I don’t—”
“Go back to Overwing, they need bạn there; thêm than bạn know. You’ve done all bạn can here, go be great elsewhere. I’m glad that you’ve become the son I never had, Andy,” Rosie says, smiling at him.
Andromedus sighs, looking Rosie in the eye; “You remind me of my mom, bạn know that right?”
