A fair warning before you read on. this chapter gets a little touchy feely and kinda emotional if your not interested in that or are prone to crying when reading you may want to brace yourself. If not well I hope you enjoy it. I’m also not really an emotional moments writer so it may not be all that good anyway. ch 3 “my power is to protect, use it well.” Fugo wakes these words ringing in his head but with no voice to accompany them. The first thing to greet his eyes, an unfamiliar surrounding. “were am I?” he mumbles as he reaches up to his chest with his left hand to feel for the reason it felt so tight. finding that he has bean wrapped in bandages. “well that cant be good, what happened last night?” He then looks over to his right arm to figure out why it was feeling so heavy. only to find Alia snuggled up to him holding onto his arm. “I must be in Alia’s room” he whispers not wanting to wake her. the weight of what he just said hits him. “I’m in the chieftain’s daughters room, in the Chieftain’s daughters bed, with the chieftain’s daughter. I am so gonna die.” he then puts his paw over his eyes in an attempt to remember how this could possibly have happened. Alia soon wakes due in part to the stirring of the wolf next to her. “so your finally awake. I thought with a hit like that to the head you’d surely be out for at least a few days.” Fugo looks over to Alia. Surprised to hear her talking so calmly. “yeah well I’m still not sure what happened, the last thing i remember is running out to see you after finding that scroll in the hilt of your father’s sword. So what exactly did happen after I left the shop.” Alia looks up to him and smiles. “you saved a few lives, fought a few monsters that’s all.” “Alia, I’m serious, what happened last night?” Alia’s look doesn’t change she fully expecting him not to believe her. “wait, you’re serious, what happened.” Just as Alia is about to explain there’s a knock at the door. “Looks like you’ll have to wait for your explanation.” She then gets up to answer the door. opening the door Alia finds Taom standing behind it. “hi Taom, what is it?” Taom looks back to the room before speaking. “I need to speak to you in private a moment. is this a good time?” “Sure.” She then turns and closes the door behind her. After she leaves Fugo sits up to find his friend Treek and a young skunk sitting against the wall opposite him. He thinks for a moment on how he could get Treek’s attention. He then reaches into his pocket and pulls out one of the coins the stallion gave him the night before and throws it at Treek hitting him right in the middle of his forehead. Treek opens his eyes grumpily. “what was that for?” He then notices who threw the coin at him. and smiles. “Fugo you’re awake, How you feeling? you got hit pretty hard.” The sound of Treek’s voice waking up the young skunk next to him as well. “oh no you’re not supposed to be up yet, well I mean you being awake is a good thing, but you shouldn’t be moving.” Fugo looks over to the young skunk annoyed. “and who are you?” The young skunk realizes that the only time they had bean near each other was when Fugo was unconscious. “oh right I’m Galio the village healer’s son. I’m the one that's bean looking after you since you got knocked out and brought to the chieftain’s hut.” Fugo puts his paw on his chest feeling at the bandages. “well I guess you have my thanks. anyway do either of you know what happened last night like why i was knocked out or anything like that?” Before either of them can answer Alia comes back in tears in her eyes. Fugo turns to look at her. “what happened? are you alright?” Alia walks over to Fugo and buries her face in his chest crying. Fugo wraps his arms around her to comfort her. it takes awhile for her to finally calm down before telling everyone what happened. “My father, *sob* he was taken by that beast, *sob* he, he fought it alone, and, and he lost, it took him away to be it’s slave.” she bursts into tears once again burying her face into Fugo’s chest. “what am going to, what?” What feels like an hour passes before Alia stops crying again. Fugo looks to the others in the room before speaking up. “I’ll tell you exactly what your gonna do, your gonna come with me and we’re going to go save your father.” Alia looks up to Fugo as he gets up and begins unwrapping the soggy bandages around his chest and pulling the bandages from his head. Treek walks over to Fugo and pats him on the back. “make that go with us. there’s no way I’m letting you two do something like this alone.” Galio stands up a little embarrassed. “I may not be the best at fighting but I can still be of help.” Fugo looks around the room then back over to Alia and holding out his paw. “well care to join us.” Alia reaches up and takes Fugo’s paw in hers, pulling his arm around her, looking up and smiling. “how can i turn down an offer like that.” Fugo looks up to the few gathered around him. “we’ll leave tonight, gather everything you need. we’ll meet at village entrants at sunset. Look for whatever you can about were the dragon could have gone as well.” Treek and Galio leave the room and Fugo begins to follow. “wait, Fugo come back here for a sec. I need to talk to you about my father’s sword.” Fugo turns around closing the door behind him. “oh, right, I found that scroll hidden beneath the hilt fitting.” Alia picks up the scroll that was next to her bed. “any idea what it says? it definitely isn’t written in English.” Alia sits down on her bed and begins looking it over. Fugo sits down next to her also looking down at the scroll. “I don’t know what it means personally but an adventurer had come into the shop with a sword that had a similar engraving on the side. He new what it meant and even knew what language it was.” Fugo looks at Alia’s face. she was looking down at the scroll. she looked like she was about to start crying again. “it’s dragonian.” Alia’s grip grows tight on the scroll. “dragonian as in dragons.” Fugo stops to think about it for a moment before responding. “yeah i guess so but they’ve bean extinct for years.” Alia closes her eyes pushing free a few more tears, and rolls up the scroll. “That creature you fought last night was a dragon Fugo. the same one that took my father” Fugo reaches across Alia and grabs the hilt of the sword and picks it up expecting the whole thing to come but instead the blade slides from the scabbard. when the blade is fully from the scabbard a small green flame appears at the end of the hilt. Fugo stares at the event dumbfounded. “uh... I drew the sword.” Alia sits staring at the sword, at a loss of words. Fugo reaches to the blade touching it with one finger, and cutting his paw pad with such a gentle touch. “what an odd weapon. Alia whats up with this sword?” Alia reaches over and take the sword from Fugo as soon as his hand leaves it the fire disappears. “I can’t believe the stories my dad told me about this thing might actually be true.” she hands the sword back to Fugo the fire once again lighting once in his hand. “my dad used to tell me these old stories about how that blade would only let a few wield it and that those few had to have proved themselves to it.” Fugo’s mind drifts back to what he heard when he first awoke. “my power is to protect, use it well. that’s what i heard, or well more just sorta new, when i woke up.” Alia picks up the scabbard that had fallen to the ground when Fugo drew the sword from it. “here take this I want you to have it. i know my father wont have anything against it. bring it when we go to save him.” Fugo takes the scabbard and returns the blade to the scabbard the flame not leaving until the blade is fully within it’s place. “alright. well i should go, things to get ready, you know. we’ll meat again at the city gate at sunset.” Alia looks up to him and smiles. “thank you, Fugo.” Fugo then takes his leave and begins running back to the blacksmith’s shop. on his way there he passes by a hut with a large dent in the wall. he stops to look at it for a moment before bringing his paws together in front of him. “I remember what happened now! that didn't feel to good.” Fugo shrugs his shoulders and continues his run back toward home. When Fugo arrives and enters the blacksmith’s shop he is almost surprised to find that Dwon is not sleeping in the middle of the shop but instead working at the forges. “welcome back Fugo. how’d you sleep last night?” Fugo stops by the door to his room. “fine, how bout you?” Dwon does not respond but instead gets up and walks to his room without a word Fugo just stands and stares at the door to Dwon’s room. “well whats that all about.” Fugo pushes the door to his room open to find a strange object lying on his bed along with a sword belt and a note. Fugo takes the note and begins reading it under the light coming threw his window. “these belonged to your father, he told me to give them to you when i thought you were ready, and after what i saw in you yesterday, there’s no doubt in my mind you’re ready for the responsibility that this holds.” Fugo turns back around and takes a closer look at the sword belt lying on his bed. unlike most belts which could only accommodate one sword it had two places to hold swords, and were adjustable to not only hold two sword but other weapons as well. Fugo starts putting on the belt. it fitting him perfectly not to tight to keep it from getting in the way but also not to loose to slide down. it was the perfect fit. Fugo then picks up the other thing left on his bed. it was solid black. no other color on. he then runs his thumb down its length and finds a small seem all the way around near one end. he then pulls the end with the seem on it, pulling it from the rest. exposing it to be another curved blade like Alia’s fathers sword except the blade on this one was longer and the hilt was shorter with no guard to keep users hand from slipping onto the blade and getting cut up. not only that but this swords blade was a solid black just like the scabbard. he slides the sword back into the scabbard and slides the scabbard into one of the belt loops, then picks up Alia’s father’s sword and puts it into the other spot. Fugo grabs a shirt hanging on the end of his bed and puts it on. When he turns to leave he is stopped by the sound of Dwon’s voice. “You know, you look exactly like him.” Fugo stares at Dwon blankly. “No I wouldn’t know, he died before i was born remember.” Dwon walks in and starts fixing Fugo’s shirt. “Well your the spitting image of him, if it weren’t for my half-sister, and her colors showing in your arms and legs, you would be an almost exact copy.” Fugo lets him finish before responding. “Well at least I have memories of her. My dad’s just an idea to me, I don’t know who he was or what he was like, just that I look like him.” Dwon sighs. “I’ve told you about your father before Fugo yet you always say that you don’t know anything about him.” Fugo walks past Dwon and out of his room as he speaks. “It’s not the same Dwon, knowing of someone is not the same as knowing them no matter how good your source is.” Dwon turns and follows Fugo. “Fugo, your father was a kind, strong, and loving wolf. He loved your mother more than anyone else in this entire world. I am sure you would have liked him if he had not died before you were born.” Fugo pauses in front of the door but leaves without a word. Dwon starts walking toward his room. “Oh, Elora, what am I going to do with your son.” By this time Galio is in what looks like a large library surrounded by books all holding a similar symbol on the front, the symbol of a black dragon in flight. Also on the table in front of him lays a map of Ile the small but diverse land that they inhabit. “I see so that’s why you wanted access to my private study.” Calls an intelligent sounding voice that somehow still felt sorta warm. Galio looks from the book he currently had his muzzle tucked into and looks over to the, much older and much more hansom, skunk standing behind him. “Yeah, I was thinking about that creature that attacked the village last night, the one that took the chieftain, and was kinda curious about why it looked so much like the symbols on these books.” The older skunk takes a closer look at the map on the table. “I see your also marking locations of both slain and living dragons.” The older skunk then quickly, but without rushing, pulls out a piece of parchment that had bean partially hidden beneath the map. “And I’m guessing by these sketches that your trying to find were the dragon that attacked last night, took the chieftain.” Galio ignores the comment and goes back to reading the book. “Galio, who’s thinking about going after the chieftain? Do they know what there going up against? Galio answer me.” Galio turns back around nearly yelling. “Well what are we supposed to do dad? The chieftain was taken from right in front of his house.” Galio’s father looks his son square in the eyes and keeps his voice calm. “Galio, I cannot allow you to do something this dangerous and...” Galio cuts his father off, “I don’t care what you think about this I’m going. You didn’t see Alia when she was told that her father was taken, I did and I have to go and help them get him back.” Minutes pass and neither Galio nor his father take there eyes off each other. No words are spoken, no moves are made, the two just stare until Galio’s father puts a finger down on one of the marks on the map. “That is were the dragon that attacked last night lives.” then leaves without another word. Fugo looks up from the bag that he had spent the day packing. “Well the sun is near setting I might as well go to the village gate.” He then takes a strap on the bag and tosses it over his shoulder before running off down the road. Arriving at the gate, and finding no one else around, Fugo sits down on near the gate and starts going threw his bag once again to make sure he has all that he needs. The next to arrive after Fugo is Treek. Treek is carrying things that would be predictable for a warrior to take with them, light traveling armor, a spear, and two short swords on his back covered by a pack full of stuff that one might be needing on a long trip. Treek spots Fugo sitting by the gate. “Hay, Fugo, are you the only one here?” Fugo looks up from what he’s doing. “Yeah, no one else has shown up yet. Did you have any trouble getting things ready?” Treek pulls the pack that he is carrying from his back and sits down next to Fugo, putting the pack on his lap. “No every one's bean out today with the whole ‘chieftain’s bean kidnapped’ thing.” Fugo ties off his bag and puts it next to him. “That’s good. Did you find anything on were this thing might have gone?” Treek looks up toward the sky. “I asked a few people if they saw were it went but I don’t know for sure.” Fugo looks in the same direction as Treek. “Yeah same hear, apparently a hunter saw it go in the direction of the unmapped mountains, but that’s as much as I could find.” Alia arrives as the two are staring off in the direction of the mountains. “Hay, is Galio here yet?” The two look over to Alia to find her wearing the black cloak she had on when she first arrived at the blacksmith’s shop with her father’s sword. She is carrying a bag beneath her cloak but the two were unable to see what kind it was. Fugo pushes his bag to his front allowing Alia to sit next to him. “No he hasn’t shown up yet. Have you found anything out about were the dragon may have gone?” Alia takes a seat next to Fugo and puts her bag next to her. “No. I’ve bean having enough trouble getting hear with how much my mom’s bean freaking out. She’s worried about whether or not she can keep the village together until I find a suitable husband. She really drives me crazy some times.” The last sentence comes out a little shaky. Treek leans back and looks at the stars. “Yeah parents do that to ya sometimes.” Galio calls out to the group. “Hay I’m hear, sorry I kept all of you waiting.” Treek sits back up and looks over to the young skunk. “We haven’t bean waiting long. What’s on the map.” Galio stands in front of the group and unrolls the map to show them what was on it. “I went threw some books that my dad had in his study and compared them to places on this map. I think I’ve found were the dragon went. He’s at the summit of Mt. Abalache, also the most difficult mountain to scale.” Fugo looks a bit closer at the map. “That’s right at the edge of the unmapped mountains. So that goes with what I and Treek have found.” Treek rubs the back of his head. “Well we know were we’re going, but what about tonight.” Fugo stands up and tosses his bag over his shoulder. “There’s a hut near the edge of the Darkwoods, my dad built it before he met my mom so I don’t know what condition it’s in but I do know it’s locked up by some kind of key like device but it doesn’t actually use a key.” Treek fits his pack back over his weapons on his back and picks up his spear from the ground. “Well how are we gonna get in?” Fugo pulls his father’s sword and scabbard from his belt and shows Treek the end of the scabbard. “I’ve looked over the slot a few time but never actually found something that might fit it until now so it’s kinda a gamble. This does look to be the same shape though.” Fugo then slips the scabbard back into place on his belt and tightens the strap. Alia puts her bag back on under her cloak and stands up. “And if it doesn’t open we sleep on under the stars. I like it, let’s go.” Galio rolls the map back up and puts it in his pack before following everyone out the gate. “I hope we don’t run into too much trouble, or this is going to be one long trip.”