Chapter 14 – Ashville

"Welcome to Ashville," Rusty says, as I spot a whole castle in the distance, standing on an island.

The dragons land at the ground, a bit at a distance from the castle. The whole place was mostly covered by the castle… yet, the land around would be enough to play… like all the sports.

I and Sam get off of Rusty, and he transforms back. Everyone, except Tony, transform back, and we walk towards the castle.

A few people greet Aster, and the others too, even Rusty. But me and Sam were unknown to them. But they'd probably know us from this Prophecy, I suppose.

"This is our main base, holding all the known dragons, from more than two decades," Fara says, looking at the majestic castle.

"Looks huge… will the dragons be ok with humans living in your castle?" I ask.

"My castle, as you said. And they'll let you in, if you promise that you won't kill dragons, simple," Aster says, luckily without mentioning about the Prophecy.

We reach the huge open-door of the castle, where at least two dragons could enter at a time, as it was that wide.

Rusty transforms, as he and Tony seem to whisper words, and Tony transfers three people onto Rusty, and transforms back. She wasn't bad looking.

"Aster…" Line sighs. "For the last time, don't put other dragons as guards again. It clearly got them… almost dead."

"Fine. You guys have been the best at it, for a decade now. I know, I know. But we needed you at Ashville, obviously. Not that lame base. Wasn't a shot at anything, you-" Aster explains, as Line nods, with intention to mock.

"Well, I and Tony take our leave then, since you understood," Line says and starts walking away, alongside Tony. "Hey Tony, two guards guard a place right?"

Aster rolls her eyes, sighing.

"Yes, a red and a blue, like me and you. We've been doing this for more than a decade, why do you ask?"

"Well, we found three dragons… captives. They needed three to replace us, yet it didn't work," Line laughs, still talking out-loud.

"Of course. Nothing can beat this pair," Tony says, putting her hand upon Line's shoulder.

"So, race you to the top?" Line asks, transforming.

"Race you to the top," Tony smiles, transforming too.

They both lift-off at the same time, and in a slash of wind, reach to the top in a second, and keep going up and above, like jets. Circling together, each other, they scout along the sides of the castle.

"They are good," Sam says, in wonder, looking above.

"Well, they are the best actually. Better than me," Aster laughs, quite a bit nervously.

"And are they…?" I ask.

"No… but deep inside, yes. And EVERYONE knows that. Even they might, but never asked each other out," Fara sighs.

"Wait, I forgot to ask, how do dragons talk without moving or shaking their mouth?"

"Now you ask. Well, it is the gem on our chests, it helps us say things out, use our communication power, as all dragons do is roar otherwise."

"Anatomically, it is harder for a dragon to produce a voice. Especially when those use the same throat to produce flames. So the throat doesn't burn, because it is… fire-proof. And hence such a throat can't speak. But the gem helps to speak, as she said."

"Yeah, thanks for that, Fara," Aster sighs.

"What about the other dragons?"

"Let's go inside and discuss please," Rusty sighs, feeling awkward with everyone glancing towards us talking.

We enter the huge hall of Ashville, with about a hundred faces walking in our view. The amount of stairs here… what kind of a royalty owned this in the first place?

"Me and Rusty will help the captives rest at a comfy place," Aster says, and leads Rusty away, deeper into the hall.

"This way," Fara says, moving left.

The doors of the castle close as a lever is moved, and we wait by the stairs.

"You know how this place got the name?" Fara asks, and we look at her. "Humans used to live here. Humans who knew of dragons a lot. That they were real. What happened is unknown, but… the dragons burned the whole place down."

Didn't Mr. Villers talk about such a place?

"Then they called it home, after building this castle together," Fara nods. "Or at least, that's what many dragons say, to avoid any possible alliance with the humans."

"But why…?"

"Humans and dragons, Max. They just… is a bad combination. There have been humans and dragons, who fell in love. But… nature kills one of them, usually the human. Because… it isn't supposed to happen. And dragons are blamed in the end. That is the reality of the story about Ashville."

I see a kind of unknown sadness in Fara's face. Did that mean, what I thought it could mean?

"Talking about names… do you guys really not know Aster's first name?"

"That is not her name? It is her last name?" Sam asks.

"Caroline Aster is her full name, she never told you?" Fara scoffs.

"Teachers used to call her as Aster, and I interacted with her by that name. Sometimes I thought she didn't have a last name or something and went with it," Sam says.

"Well, she is the last of 'Aster'; hence she decided to go by that, than Caroline. Gets mad if you call her that way too. Aster's mom was an Aster, by the way. We dragons usually don't have a last name."

"But Caroline sounds nice… why did she go with Aster?"

"Because she thinks her mother died because of her. And even when being a dragon… she wants to protect that name this way," Fara says and looks at us. "Her ma-"

Before Fara could finish, Aster arrives, ending our conversation.

We climb the stairs, to the third floor. The whole place was meant to be a huge apartment of sorts, or a military-base-like place, perhaps, for the dragons, full of rooms.

We reach the first room in this floor, whose door has a nameplate 'L+T+F+A'. And inside is a room double the size of mine. With two triple bunk beds at both the ends of the room, and not one, but three windows at the opposite wall.

A table at the middle of the room had five blue water bottles upon it, and five chairs surrounding it.

"You guys sit at the table, we'll get food," Aster says.

"And chairs. You guys must be tired and hungry," Fara adds.

"Very. But hope you didn't make food," Rusty says.

"A special add to your bowl then. Got it."

The two leave, as I wonder… and hope, that Tarragon should have gotten somewhere safer and somewhere where he doesn't starve.

Should we just have looked for him? Did I take a wrong decision?

"T…his uncle of yours. What is his name?" Rusty asks, all of a sudden.

"Tarragon… Tahlsmen."

"Buster Fabula," Rusty mumbles.

"You've heard about him? Did the dragons speak of such a person? Is it bad?"

"No… and, wh-how'd they know?".

"Well, he and my mom searched for dragons from few years before I was born. They found and knew of dragons since then, even beat some up actually."

"Wow, strong man."

"That also felt like a good reason to not get him here. I didn't want him and the dragons be enemies. He's a good guy, even when I knew him only for a few hours. He was ready to help me, because I was his nephew."

"He is a great guy. I'm sure he'll be fine," Sam says to me.

After around thirty minutes, Aster and Fara return with a cake and two large utensils, filled with food. And some plates too, upon the utensils, which Aster carefully balances, while screaming…

"Happy birthday Sam…!"

"Happy birthday," Fara says, smiling big.

"Happy birthday, little sis."

It was… her birthday. How could I have forgotten? Her birthday was of course the next day to Rusty's.

"Thanks you guys."

Aster and Fara place the cake and the utensils upon the table.

Aster hugs Sam, while Fara just shakes her hand. Even Rusty hugs her, as I just stand there, while Sam looks towards me, expecting something. But I got nothing.

"And I'm the jerk who forgot my own girlfriend's birthday, prioritizing everything else."

"O-oh, I forgot the knife," Fara says, rushing out of the room.

"I myself had forgotten," Sam laughs. "Well, you can apologize with a… gift. Am I right?"

I unbag the stone-gem from the box, and look at Sam.

"Sam," I say, walking closer. "We… you've been a great friend to me. And I think I don't appreciate or care for you much. But… as a promise for-against the situation we are in," I put forward the stone-gem. "We… will get through it. It'll be okay, I promise."

I knew she'd understand. And in response, she hugs me tight, and I hug her too, while holding the hope of Prophecy.

"I'll protect this with my life," Sam promises.

"What is that stone?" Aster asks, after Sam holds it in her hands.

Fara enters the room, and drops the knife on the ground, as she sees the stone-gem and goes into her bird-like trance.

"I think we'll now know," Rusty says.

I feel a buzz and feel sleepy, and even when I try to stay awake: I only see darkness. Through the tunnel, to the end: towards the light.

"Is it the only way? And there is no another? We sure have had worse problems," a guy nervously laughs.

I turn behind, and find four people in armours. Two standing besides each other, had the exact same armour and even size. The other two did too, but one had a more slimmer, shorter, and royal-like armour, while the other had the same, but thicker, about six-or-more feet tall, and knight-like armour, but neither of these two looked practical like the first two.

This was a pretty clear vision, but on the other hand, we couldn't see their faces, due to them being covered in helms.

"I'm serious, and Rahambose is worse. That lady tried to fight it many times, and asked for our help, and we have no other way. And after that: our only hope is that this stone finds a better person," the-tallest-guy says, and takes out something struck to his armour's chest… the stone-gem, the exact piece.

"You… were great with it!" the-similar-armour-girl says.

"Well, then we need greater."

"Even I messed up… all of us did, no offense," the-fourth-person says.

"He is right, and just because we told that you are our leader; doesn't mean all the blame is yours," the-first-guy adds.

"You guys are actually agreeing on one thing, I see," the-tallest-guy says, and the-similar-armour-girl seemingly-glares at him. "I tried my best. But, our team… is gone. We are all that is left. It is my mistake, and this stone… is our only hope."

"As you say."

"And you know what happens now. In the hopes of this very thing not repeating."

The other two leave, leaving the-tallest-guy and the-similar-armour-girl there. He tosses the stone-gem away, out of sight…

The scene changes to the darkness around us getting torn by some rays of purple. Midst this, the four of them talk to Fara and… someone with a blurry face.

"So, you guys found a way…?" Other-Fara asks.

"Kind of, it is our final try," the-tallest-guy says.

"Alright, hope you succeed," Fara weakly smiles.

The guys surround a four-to-five foot long pillar, with a glowing piece of gem situated upon it, on its three sides. That seems to be the one… tearing the space around us.