FlounderAway: Shadow’s Call

Through the fluffy clouds, Virkoal and the pirates have arrived to the remote isolated island. But it was smaller than what they had expected. With exchanged looks upon one another, Virkoal tucked her wings closer to her body and dived down faster. Cutting through the windy air surrounding as she noticed the sandy grounds below of her. From which she closed in onto it was when she paused midway; spread her wings outward and flapped rapidly as to slow her descent. Safely landing onto the sandy grounds as she looked about. Virkoal saw the forest trees; all swaying to the side as if waving to her. Welcoming her to their island. She smiled faintly in response then raised her head to the skies and stretched her claw outward waving to her fellow companions. Shinron was the first to notice her and nodded immediately in response before diving down closer to her. As the pirates followed Shinron down from the high air and repeating the same process as Virkoal. They all landed upon the sands. Safely. Nor and Xenao stepped forth towards Virkoal, asking her. ‘Where are the dragons? I thought we be having some kind of welcoming party after all.’

‘A reunion, Xenao?’ Spoke Leonar, tilted his head to one side as Xenao nodded with a smile. Raising his claw up towards him as he exclaimed, ‘Yeah!’ ‘They must be hiding somewhere…’ Shinron remarked, getting close to Virkoal who frowned. She was worried. But kept her eyes upon the waving forest trees. As she remained in silence, the dragons behind her started speaking. Discussing about the whereabout of the dragons and fighting over a map that they had bought in one of the icy islands far away from here. Ignoring all the fighting and arguing about, Virkoal walked forth to the forest. A voice called out to her. Entrancing her and forcing her to walk forth to the forest. She walked on her own. Doing as what the voice had told her. Closing in onto the forest trees, she stopped one step and gazed inside.

The forest was dense and detailed up close. Flowers were in random places. Scattered all throughout the grassy plains. As her eyes scanned the are for another time, her mouth split opened and she whispered into the forest. ‘Who is there? Anyone?’ ‘Who are you talking to, Virkoal?” Xenao asked, standing next to her suddenly. Virkoal turned her head over to him and gasped in shocked. Taking a step back and distancing herself from him. Her eyes went wide and she drew a sharp breath growling at Xenao who chuckled adding, ‘Are you speaking towards an imaginary forest dragon?’ ‘There is such a thing?’ Nor asked, Xenao shook his head. ‘Nah. All folk dragon legend. No big deal!’ He laughed again and walked forth towards the rest of the group as Tzico and Leonar gazed their eyes towards Virkoal who turned her head over. Facing the forest. 

Silence fell over everyone’s face. Neither of them spoke about anything. Their eyes were to the dragoness. Xenao tried to break the silence and stepped forth from the other pirates saying to Virkoal. “There is no one here. This place is a dump. We should-’ ‘Someone… Something is calling to me.’ She interrupted. ‘Who?’ ‘I do not know.’ ‘Well… leave a message then.’ Xenao growled, ‘and come over here for goodness sake!’ Virkoal turned around and walked forth towards the group. But three steps in, she suddenly turned facing the forest and dived right in. Disappearing before the other pirate dragons as Xenao facepalmed and ran after her.

‘Virkoal is good at disappearing. She should take the magician career.’ Tzico muttered underneath his breath as Shinro glared at him suddenly.

Bursting through the forest as she casted her claws out in front of her, she threw every leaf twig and branch that was in her way and her eyes narrowed. Her thoughts swirled around her mind, pondering about the voice that she had heard earlier. Behind her was Xenao, growling and irritated at the dragoness for going against the pirate rules. As his face grew hot red and his ears steaming, he continued following the dragoness until they were out from the forest. And standing there before of them was an entrance to the cavern. Black and swirly it was before their very eyes as Virkoal and Xenao stopped stared at the entrance. Suddenly they looked to one another then back again. As Virkoal stepped forth closer to it, Xenao grabbed onto her claw and pulled her back to his side.

‘We cannot just waltz into the entrance and welcome everyone, Virkoal!’ Xenao growled at her while she snapped her arm away from his grip. Freeing it for a moment while she glared angrily at the dragon who added. ‘What if it is an ambushed. What if someone else was waiting for us. What if-’ ‘Shut up Xenao.’ Virkoal responded silencing him while they continued exchanging glances at one another. ‘It is not what you think it is. This must be them. The royal dragons that I had been looking for all this time. My questions would be answered and this series will be over. Just like that.’ ‘Listen to yourself for once, Virkoal.’ Xenao argued, ‘what you are doing is-’ ‘good!’ She answered for him. ‘No. It is not!’ Xenao barked back. ‘Can you for once, listen to us. Instead of listening to that brain of yours.’

‘Sounds like we are almost trending into a cliche at one point…’ Shinron informed stepping out from the forest behind them as he smiled faintly. Virkoal and Xenao turned their attention to him; saying nothing in response before grumbling and crossing their arms. Earning a chuckle from the dragon himself, Shinron looked and gaze to the entrance of the cavern before walking closer towards it. Virkoal and Xenao followed him. Closing in onto the entrance, the three dragons looked inside. Pitch dark awaits for them. Ringing was heard in replace to the silence in their ears. As Shinron smiled and bravely stepped forth into the entrance, Xenao shook his head arguing to them ‘I do not think we should be in here.’ ‘nonsense! This is where our destination must be!’ Prided Shinron and Xenao glanced at him confused. Virkaol hummed to herself and stepped in after the two dragons. She stared up front, ignoring the rough walls of her surroundings. Diamonds of clear sparkle twinkled in their eyes. But the dragons avoided their gazes and ventured inward deeper into the cavern. Until it was pitch dark inside.

Thus proceeding forward without hesitation. As their breaths held underneath their throats, they spied with their eyes something glowing before of them. As they drew themselves out from the tunnels behind, they stand instead upon the calk walk. The walls here were smooth instead of rough. But they were red instead of brown. Virkoal looked beneath them towards the abyss below. Spotting a pitch red darkness below them. Screams and yells were heard underneath. Suddenly, the quick flash of adventuring was casted from her body. Replacing it with fear, she stepped away and fell afraid knocking onto Xenao who growled at him.

‘What is wrong with you?’ ‘I heard screams below us.’ Virkoal started, a tense of fear surfaced upon her throat. Xenao raised an eye in response to her and sighed shaking his head before casting his eyes away and towards the center of the large room they were in. Virkoal also stared too as she noticed another dragon standing before them. They walked forth.As they closed in, the voice echoed in their ears. Virkoal noticed how familiar it was to her even if she had not met the source of that voice. The voice was soft and gentle in their ears. Silent and smoothing that it would make a hatchling fall asleep easily. All three knew that it was a dragoness. Virkoal’s mind popped up a thought and she screamed immediately.

‘Kesir?’

A nod escaped from the dragoness standing before them. Thus stepped forward from the center and bowed her head. The pirate dragons done the same. Virkoal stared at her and noticed how beautiful she was. Silver scales shone. Her wings big and wide. Horns sharpen. Virkaol walked away from Shinron and Xenao speaking towards Kesir, ‘it is you! It had been so long since!’ ‘And you are?’ She asked her, curiously. Virkoal grinned in response and answered her, ‘Your daughter, Virkoal!’

‘Right… I knew that.’ Kesir remarked, to which Shinron growled playfully at her. ‘You did not.’ The dragoness chuckled afterwards and turned away from them. Looking out front, she explained herself.

‘Ever since the attack that had happened upon our castle in dragon city. Every royalty dragon had escaped and fled to a remote island far away from it. Towards the north.’

‘See told you.’ Virkoal answered with a excited pitch in her voice as Xenaon growled and crossed his arms, shaking his head. ‘But you could have not gotten here without my sense of direction.’ He argued. But Virkaol did not hear him.

‘Where we be safe from harm until we are able to vanquished the one who killed our king.’ Kesir explained, ‘Zawar and Gavlax are together in another island. Close to where we are at. And Ajiro is…’ ‘back at the watergates still greeting anyone that she can find.’ Virkoal answered, smiling brightly at her mother who blinked but nodded in silence. They continued walking through the other half of the catwalk. Reaching the end where a door opened automatically before them, they all entered in as the door closes again.

‘But. What we came here for is answers.’ Virkoal started after a small pause in silence. ‘And what is that?’ Kesir asked, encouraging her as Virkoal frowned and lowered her eyes to the ground before spilling her question to her, ‘who killed the king and why? Was it a desire for vengeance? Was it the invaders? Who was there when the chaos had started?’ She gazed back onto Kesir who remained silent listening to her questions at the time. A sigh escaped from the dragoness’ mouth and her eyes closed in response before answering back, ‘we are not sure whom…’ she says, remaining optimistic ‘however, we believed that the fox is the culprit.’

‘The fox?’ Virkoal asked, bewildered. Her head shook in disbelief. She could not believed the words that Kesir was saying. ‘The fox? Are you sure about that? There was no-’ ‘there was a fox awaiting by the shorelines, guiding Kesir and Neriax from the chaos.’ Xenao remarked, remembering. ‘A portal was behind him. Neriax and Kesir entered in… But the fox did not. How did you escape?’ He asked her. ‘Was it all planned out from the very beginning?’ Xenao questioned Kesir, ‘were you the one who killed him? Then decided to kill Neriax too by allowing the fox to lead him into the spiritual realm?’

Silence. There was no answer for that series of questions as Kesir unamusingly glared at Xenao who flinched.