The Legends Of Snowdrop- The Dragons

                                                                                      Miles pov "Miles, wake up, you need to get ready..." The moment I heard mother, I jumped out the bed eagerly. It is a big day today; I shouldn't be late. I can't wait to go and settle on my own. Of course, I would feel sad to leave my family and go away, but I'm more excited than sorrowful. Everything looks perfect today or, maybe I feel positive. I look to the corner of the room where my belongings are packed. A smile appears on my face. It will be a great adventure. I should be very grateful to the person who made this odyssey a norm.  I can hear the hubbub going on outside my room. Many people coming in and out, different voices speaking, and mother and father ordering people to do several chores. I can perceive the fire crackling and the utensils clinking as they are being dragged on the ground.  Indeed, a big feast is being set for our farewell. I want to see what's going on outside but, I can't go out until I get ready. Everything seems to move in slow motion. I should make haste. I drink few sips of water to calm my racing heart. -------------------------------------------------------------- I heard Salvador asking about me while I was pulling up my trousers. I hurried and walked out. He was standing with my father. He was fully equipped and ready to set off for the odyssey. He had hanged a bow on his back and a quiver of arrows on his side. A dagger tucked behind his waistband and a sword on his other side. There was a poniard peeping out from his boot. The training had been paid off. He looks like a true warrior. He greets me when he looks towards me. Ashamed of my irresponsible self, I walk inside after smiling and equip myself, just as we have been taught by our master. "Why did you go inside all of a sudden?" Salvador questions as he enters my room. "As you see, I'm still not ready," I reply. He looks at me with his big round eyes. "As usual," He sighs and picks up the poniard which was lying on my bed. "Let me help you, come here," He tucks it in my boot. "You shouldn't have been late today," He continues, "But, good that you awoke earlier than before. You know, there is a feast being prepared just for us,"... "Ya, I know, I'm very excited, that's the reason why I'm taking so long. But, it's not on purpose. Somehow my pace slows down when I'm excited," I say whiningly. "I know," He says. "If you see, we came across this day with great apace. In a few hours, we will be on our way. I guess I will miss my younger siblings and my parents a lot" I see his mood dropping. "Ah... don't speak about that yet, we still have a few hours till we go, enjoy your time. And ya, you will only get weak and depressed when you leave. Just be grateful that we have two more people with us. Our elder siblings had to go alone." I guess he feels better now. "Ya, true." He smiles. "Come on, we should go out since you are ready now, I don't wanna miss anything because of you," We laugh as we go out. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Finally, the moment that I was waiting for. It looked like coming out of prison. There is gaiety everywhere when I walk out. Two or three people were sitting in the corner, cutting meat. Few people are chopping wood a few yards away from them. The weather looked Egyptian blue. Trees swaying and dancing to the breezes' sweet adieu. There was a brighter green on the leaves, wishing us good luck. Little kids fooling around with tiny steps. People are walking here and there, running on errands hastily. When I look towards the crackling fire, the aromatic smell of food hits my nose.  My stomach roars in hunger. To be honest, food smells heavenly. I wonder what kind of special spices are being used by the cooks that the aroma is so strong. "Are you done looking around? Come on, we should go and see what our mates are doing," Salvador says as he hauls me away with him. "I'm coming!" I tell him to get rid of his grip. We see Walker coming out of his tent. He doesn't see us coming and walks towards somewhere. We don't mind him and walk-in. Arthur was being scolded by his mother when we entered. Did something happen?... Walker too had walked out in a hurry. It was hard to make out what he was being scolded for. --------------------------------------------------------  "Greetings, did something happen?" I ask Arthur as he comes out rubbing his head in shame as he realized that we two have heard him being scolded. "Hi," He smiles shyly. "Nothing happened, I just, woke up late," He continued. "Ya, we can see," Salvador says disappointedly. "Then, where did Walker go?" I asked. " He was in a hurry," Salvador added. "Oh, ya, he went to collect the arrows that I had forgotten to bring," Arthur answers. "You really are something. Aren't you excited to go?" Salvador asks furiously. "It looks like only I was excited to go and got ready so early in the morning." He adds. "Oh, sorry, I couldn't sleep because I was electrified for today,"  Arthur's mother enters the hall with a towel. We both greet her. She gives a sweet smile but, her smile vanishes as soon as she sees Arthur standing with us. "How are you two? Is everything good? Are you ready?" "Yes, everything is going well," We both echo at the same time. We giggle at doing so. "You all grew up so early, my prayers are with you..., Arthur, go and get ready, you are already late," "Yes, mother," We both thank her. "I'll just go and get ready." "Ya, please do, we will be waiting for you. Come to Amelia's place. We shall meet you there,"   Salvador says as he walks out. I follow him behind after giving Arthur a funky smile.  ----------------------------------------------------------- "Hey, I have to buy a few kinds of stuff, shall we go to the marketplace first?" I ask Salvador. "Well, okay, even I have to buy a few things.  Plus, it will be good to look around before leaving this region," He agrees. We take a turn, adjacent to Amelia's house. As we reach the market, we can see many people buying or trading various stuff. It looked more like chaos today. Many men and women were dressed in various attires, one of a soldier, the other of a trader, or just common clothes. There were various stalls set parallel to each other in an almost never-ending line. There were stalls of spices and preserved foods and vegetables, A few stalls sold food and other necessities required for the mounts. Some stalls traded horses or goats for the cost of almost six or four gold coins. Stalls selling wood or wooden furniture or crockery. A stall that took care of medical patients or sold medicines. Stalls that sold clothing stuff- the stall which I was looking for. And the most important stall for all the warriors- the blacksmith's place where we had received our swords and daggers. It was the only stall that sold weapons or repaired them. "Salvador, wait, I have to buy something from here," I halt in my steps saying this, and enter the stall. "Why? don't you have clothes to wear?" Salvador asks as he enters the stall behind me. "No, I do have clothes, I have to buy a bedsheet- a comfortable one," I answer. " A comfortable bedsheet for the odyssey seeker, huh?" The shopkeeper repeats my necessity. "Yes, please," I reply. The shopkeeper takes out a few selected bedsheets. "Here, see this one. Is this the one you are looking for?" I touch and feel the smooth and soft texture of it. "I guess I found what I was looking for, I will take this." I pay for it and get out. The soft velvety texture really feels comfortable.  I hold it with both my hands to keep it safe. "What do you have to buy now?" I ask Salvador. "I have to buy few arrows," He replies. "Okay, good, let's go,"  We fight our way through the crowd to the blacksmith's shop. When we enter the shop, we see the blacksmith shaping steel into a sword. "Oh, you both are here, Walker left just now. He is a good guy, I would love to appoint him as my assistant or helper," The blacksmith pauses for a moment, looks here and there, and picks up a pile of arrows from beneath the table. "Here, take this, don't pay me, just accept it as a farewell present." He says while handing the arrows to Salvador. "Thanks a lot, live a long life." He praises him.  We leave his place and set off to meet Amelia. We were almost out of the market when we saw Amelia buying a mud vessel. I run over to her with great excitement. She looked different when she is equipped. "Hey, we were coming to meet you," I tell her. "Oh, I was coming to see you too, but, mother gave me work, so I came here," She says. "Oh, a nice coincidence, come on, let's go together," I insist. "Ya, sure," Amelia agrees. Salvador puts an arm around my shoulder as we leave the market together...