Nandak's Journey

by Olakaan Peliik

Nandak's Journey - 5

July 3rd, Day 73, 18th hour.

Klo and I have stopped to get our bearings. We were on track but I needed to convince her to stop for the night. We’ll make camp, get some rest and get going at first light. She may be trying to hide it, but I can see the muscles in her wings and shoulders shaking from exhaustion. Mine fare no better either.

---

“Klo?” I said, pulling her attention from looking at the stars a moment. “The sun is going down, and there is barely a moon tonight. It's going to become difficult to see what is below us. We should make camp and continue at first light.”

She seemed to be anxious. “But need hurry! Very far still, flew for three days before.”

“Yes and look at your wings.” I pointed to the shaking muscles that twitched without her knowledge. “If we keep going like we have been, we will hurt ourselves and it will take longer to get to Lord Torch.”

She was quiet for a few moments, taking in my words. “Go at sunrise, camp after sunset,” she finally said firmly.

“That'll work,” I nodded. I started digging through my bag for that magic tent. We were already at an okay location to make camp; the edge of a cliff next to a forest of some sort. We passed the last set of train tracks an hour ago.

I set the tent up like the instructions told me to, despite the best efforts of the wind to yank me away. A little before the last vestige of sunlight disappeared, I was finished. It was just a canvas tent with a little chimney on top. It didn’t look all that special.

I was scratching my head a little because nothing was happening. I looked at the instructions again. Iron snap-together frame, check. Steadying ropes and stakes, check. Rune, che- “Rune?” I looked in the box again, shook it a little, and a little black rock slipped out. It had magic symbols on it that glowed white.

I read the instructions again. “Place rune in the slot at peak of the iron frame above the entrance.” I looked up and sure enough, there was a little stone shaped slot. “How'd I miss that?” I put the stone in and a flash of white light came from inside the tent.

Klo came up after seeing the flash. “Done?”

“I think so. Let me have a look.” I stuck my head in and felt my jaw hit the ground. “What the—?”

This was one of those ‘bigger on the inside’ deals. In the center of the tent, there was a bed. Big enough for a dragon twice my size and for there to still be room for another dragon. Straight ahead there was a little washroom, with a small shower (where’d the water come from? Oh, right, magic). The right side of the tent was a kitchen stocked with non-perishables, with a wood-burning stove I wasn’t as good of a cook as my sister Alezah, but I might be able to make something edible. On the left side, there was simply a fireplace, closet, and a place to store firewood.

“This is cool. Klo, come on in,” I called to her.

She stepped through the canvas flaps and her eyes widened in astonishment as she took in the room. “I love Magic,” she said in amazement. I nodded.

I let Klo relax on the bed while I got to start a fire and make something with what we had available to us. Which wasn't much, and I had to be sparing. So we had rehydrated noodles with some fish bits in it, and a side of warmed vegetables. It wasn't much but something to keep our strength up.

As I was putting more wood on the fire just so we could stay warm through the night, I could see Klo stretching her wings and massaging them, murmuring in obvious pain. I might have something. I started looking for the bag of potions I got from the zebras.

“Scrapes and Cuts, no. Illness, no. Muscle Ease Potion, yes. ’Apply to skin over exhausted muscles.’” I breathed a word of thanks to my past self.

I climbed onto the bed with Klo and I started applying the potion. At first, she was unsure of what I was doing but as the potion took effect she relaxed and enjoyed the relief. Soon enough it was my turn and I dozed off from both the ease of the potion and exhaustion.

---

The sound of hoofsteps outside woke me up. I groggily rubbed my eyes. Klo was beside me, still asleep. I looked around. The fire was out, but the little moonlight from outside was casting a shadow against the tent. Of a Timberwolf. I was awake as soon as the seriousness of the danger hit me. Timberwolves always travel in packs of three or more, and this one was alone for the time being.

I could hear it sniffing the ground as I watched its shadow. I carefully maneuvered out of bed, careful not to wake Klo. Mostly because I don’t know what she was gonna do in this situation, scream, go full warrior, or something else. I kept myself between it and Klo as I watched it move closer and closer to the opening of the tent.

It stopped just outside the entrance. Its sniffs becoming slower than before. Its nose poked its way into the tent and it started growling loudly, baring its teeth. As its eyes became visible I pounced before it could.

“Rrroooaaarrr!” my lungs bellowed as I clawed at its glowing green eyes.

It reared back and barked angrily. I kept my attack pressed, if it howls for help, I'll be outnumbered three to one, and from what I’ve heard, these things are really hard to put down for good. I climbed onto its back and ripped the brambles out of its back as I tried to hurt it. I needed to get farther from the tent before using my fire breath, otherwise, I’d burn the tent down.

Hopping off its back, I kept myself between it and the tent, flaring my wings and batting its nose to keep it from howling. Once it was far enough I starting fanning the flames in my chest. My fire breath was almost hot enough for a good blast. I took one deep breath and…

“Nandak!” I heard Klo shout.

I looked back over my right shoulder. She had come out if the tent, “Klo, go back inside!” I shouted. The time I was distracted was enough for the Timberwolf to bite into the joint of my exposed left wing. “Aaaaaggggg!” I roared. It was agonizing.

The wolf threw me toward the cliff. I slid over the edge and hung by my claws. I had to use the claws on both wings to climb back up. It was slow going.

The Timberwolf set its sights on Klo as it approached her menacingly. Klo’s head flattened and her fangs came out. Yup. Still scary. Once the Timberwolf got close enough, she did something that I was not expecting. She spat a stream of venom at the Timberwolf.

Smoke rose from the Timberwolf’s face as it howled in pain. Its buddies would be here any moment. I needed to get back in this.

I pulled myself up finally, just as Klo got over to me. “Hurt?” she asked me. Her eyes still had those vertical slits. It was legitimately really creepy, but I was kinda...turned on right then.

Right. Almost died right then. Worry about that some other time. “Later.” I hurried over to the Timberwolf and hit it with a sustained blast of fire in the side.

The wolf turned and tried to run away, accidentally putting its face right into the flames. The venom ignited and exploded surprisingly violent for how much there was.

The dark manifestation flew apart. As the fire cracked I could hear howling in the distance. Great. “We need to move,” I said going into the tent and retrieving our bags. I started to fold up the tent too. “Keep an eye out in case more of them get here.”

I didn't hear a response but I'm assuming she did as I asked. It took me a good few minutes to get the tent folded and put back in the box.

As I got done, the other two Timberwolves showed up and howled. “Time to go!” I shouted to Klo and we leaped off the cliff and ascended up and over the forest in the very direction we needed to go.

---

It wasn't long until the sun came up. Or for the adrenaline to wear off. My wing was in searing pain, and it was taking all my focus to keep in the air and keep flying straight.

I know we passed over a desert. But I was unsure which one. I had just told Klo, “East. Go east,” I lost track of time.

“Love?” Klo called. “Land! Now!” she instructed.

I finally looked up. The ocean. The Celestial Sea. Klo was headed down toward a beach at the edge of this jungle we were over.

I landed—well, crashed onto the sand. I slumped to the ground, just wanting the pain to stop. I dug out one of those Zebra potions and started slowly pouring it into the wounds, cleaning them out. Puss had started to drip out of the injury at some time during the flight. It stung even worse than before. Klo took the potion from me and started applying it to the wound.

I winced and tried to not growl at the pain. “Hurt bad,” Klo said as she tried to be gentle.

“If we can get to the Dragonlands, we have medicine for this there,” I said. I stood up, we still had a long flight ahead of us.

“What were those?” Klo asked.

“Timberwolves. Not my favorite thing about Equestria.” I was wobbly as I tried to walk. The Timberwolf bacteria in my blood was wreaking havoc on my tired muscles.

Klo stopped me from taking off. “Rest. Camp here.”

I didn't have the strength to argue. We set up camp, and despite Klo telling me to sit and rest, I helped where I could. I put the enchanted stone in the slot as we finished putting up the tent, and after the flash of light, I went inside.

Klo practically forced me toward the bed for rest. “How much further?”

“One to two-day flight west, then once we find the coast, we go north until we find either Lord Torch or Crater.”

“We go when you are well enough to go. Not Before.” Klo said firmly. I sat up to give her a kiss, but the world suddenly started spinning and everything went black.

---

It was dark and I couldn’t hear anything other than my own uneven breathing, I was shaking uncontrollably. I opened my eyes to try and see Klo but I didn't see her in front of me. Lifting my head up I looked around the tent. Nowhere.

“Klo?” I called.

No answer.

I tried to stand and walk. “Klo!” I said as I attempted a step. I fell on my face and the world went black again.

---

My head was pounding. But I could hear voices around me. That was a good sign. Creaking of a ship’s hull? That was different enough to wake up the rest of the way. I opened my eyes and looked around. It was of dragon construction, that much I could tell.

Klo’s stuff and my stuff was tucked to one side of this room. It wasn't a cage, so I suppose that was good. I stood slowly and worked my way to the door. It opened without a fuss, not being locked was good. I slowly headed up to the top deck of the ship.

Looking around this was definitely a ship that was meant to ferry citizens to and from Equestria. But how did we get on it?

“Nandak!” I heard Klo say with joy.

I turned around and she almost tackled me with a hug. “Hey! What did I miss?”

She kept her face buried in my shoulder. “You were dying, I got help.”

“So why aren't we in the Dragonlands?”

“Because we didn’t know what she was when she showed up.”

I knew that voice. I looked up with joy to see Viing stepping onto the deck. “So we brought her to Lord Torch to see if he knew anything. He didn’t, but your mate here explained the whole story as fast as she could. As soon as we knew you were in trouble we sent healers on ahead of this ship.”

Oh. Good. Friendly dragons. Headed to a safe place. That was a relief.

“Now where are we headed?” I asked.

Viing pointed to the horizon. “Lord Torch flew on ahead himself to ensure her tribe’s cooperation. We will be returning the whole tribe to the Dragonlands and be accepting them into the city,” he explained with some excitement in his voice.

“You have this sort of time?” I asked, knowing full well the answer.

“No, I was only to remain if you didn’t wake up. I will take my leave now though. I have much to do back home.” He stepped up to the edge of the ship. “By the way, Olakaan is aboard somewhere, he has many questions for you both.” He leaped off the ship without another word and he headed east.

I looked at the horizon, towards the rising sun. Trees, mountains, and deserts all in different directions. The new light shining on them all. With Klo at my side, I couldn't ask for a better view.

“Let’s find the captain and see if we can help getting us back to your tribe any faster,” I said placing my wing over Klo's back. She just smiled and rested her head against me as we walked throughout the ship.

I knew then everything was gonna be just fine.

Author's Note:

That's it! I hoped you enjoyed this little side project, I certainly did. Now I need to decide if I want to make a sequel to it.

Comments

[Foxfax]

Hmm, whether to try integration into Viper or main dragon society or reach some sort of medium, whether Nandak needs to literally fight for his mate, more on Klo's personality, how Big Brother Ambassador is going to react to Nandak's injury, Nandak's recovery from nearly losiing a wing... Dangit, want more now. :(

Nice short story, well executed. Could have used more time with the Viper Dragons, but can see why you glossed over them to keep the story flowing. 7/10, would read again.

[Olakaan Peliik]

8818619
Thanks! And I'm not done with these two, just so you know. They just gotta make their appearances in Flames for a bit.

[Nebulous Draco]

Yes, please make the sequel, I love this story!