Chapter Three: A Rather Rude Awakening.

The crisp air filled my lungs leaving me refreshed. On our way to the market, the bridges are completely lined with string gardens, the plants in them however, were starting to droop. Soon the sky would be snuffed out, like a pitch black curtain thrown over a lamp. The wyverns and dragons circled above our heads, probably planning to go on a hunt, whilst the lightning birds and minokawas perched high up on the branches of the library.

After a long walk down to the market, Strompi seems to be tired and a bit worn out. We carry on a little ways past the bakery to the waffle house. I'm sure that Marine will meet us here, this is where we usually have breakfast. This is where we have all our meals, for that matter.

I walk in to see Marine already waiting for us. She was standing with her back to us. "I've been expecting you, Skye."

I was a little confused, and so I asked, "How did you do that without turning around?"

"... To be perfectly honest, the first couple of people I did that to, were not you."

Both of us burst out into an uncontrollable fit of laughter as she turns around to greet me. The cafe was almost empty, all except for three other people, us and the waitress - Olivia. Olivia, or as we sometimes call her, Olive, is a very pleasant person to be acquainted with.

We went to the Waffle House quite frequently throughout our childhood, and even hung around after hours to help Olive clean up and lock the doors. We did many things together for the past 2000 years, but within these past few hundred years, we haven't had as much time together as we'd like to.

We take our seats at a booth in the corner, and I order the usual, waffles, ice cream, and chocolate sauce, and a bowl of berries for Strompi. The food came not long after we ordered, and we started digging right away.

The wooden table was a rainbow in browns, the kind that brought sweet memories up for air. The soft curves on the outer edges were carved from scratch with tools forged from an ancient ore on another planet. A vase was set atop the table, brimming with crystal clear water and lively-looking toffee roses, which complimented the curtains.

The lighting is a dim yellow hue that makes it feel like home, and the counters were lined with more sugary treats than you could ever possibly name. This cafe is our second home, during winter, we'd be here almost every single day.

"Hey, Skye, it looks like Euphoria is on city patrol today." exclaimed Marine. "Perhaps when the next group takes over, we can go say hi." Euphoria, one of the drakes that guard the city, was on patrol today. He walked with an upright posture that made most outsiders cower, his eyes were sharp and focused. Though he was normally always on guard, something seemed off.

"Yeah! That is, if his shift ends before the sun moves around to the east." I replied. The air began to feel heavy and dense as I watched him scan through the city. The crowds became quieter and quieter and a feeling of dread spread among the people.

The cafe and everyone inside it had fallen silent. Not even Strompi made a noise. Looking outside through the window, it seemed everyone else had fallen silent too. The wind howled through the branches and grew stronger along the bridges. Wind chimes went off in the distance and leaves tumbled and dived all around.

It soon became clear to everyone that something was up. The cool breeze that I had once been enjoying had now turned to gusts of wind and sent cold shivers down my spine. Everyone went about their business in silence, including Marine and I. It felt as if all the joy had been stolen away from the city, and it was now destined to become a wasteland, just like the rest of the universe.

A quiver of wyverns flew overhead, the flapping of their wings could be heard, even from this distance, due to the dead silence that had washed over our world. A thunder of dragons followed in pursuit.

"Marine, maybe we should head home. It looks like something major is about to go down." I say, trying to sound as calm as I possibly could.

"That sounds like a great idea, but I'm also curious as to what could be going down." She replied. I could practically hear the curiosity laced into her voice.

"Marine, you know that's not a good idea."

"Well no shit, but what's life without a little risk?"

I inhale deeply and sigh. "There's no winning with you, is there?"

"Not a chance." She chuckled. I couldn't exactly argue with her when curiosity and an urge for adventure were gnawing at my very bones.

I take another look outside. The wind has increased significantly, as even the trees are swaying from side to side now. The wings flying above have been drowned out by the gushing sound of air travelling faster than anyone could comprehend. The floor seemed to sway under my feet, and my stomach had begun somersaulting as if I were in gymnastics class.

"Marine, you know I wouldn't normally argue with you, well, mostly because we both have the curiosity that nearly killed the cat, but I really don't think that this is a good idea. I mean, just take a look outside, Even the branches on the library, the strongest and tallest tree or structure for that matter, in the entire city, is swaying from side to side!" I plead with a shaky voice.

"You're being dramatic, Skye. It couldn't possibly be that bad!"

"Marine the dragons and wyverns are struggling to fly and the lightning birds as well as the minokawa had to take shelter in the barns. It's bad."

"Oh stop worrying so much! We'll be fine." She dismissed.

"Okay, just how do you suppose we travel without dragons or wyverns?" I fired back.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there." She answered back with a stubborn and determined voice.

"Well we are currently at that bridge, so now would be the time to cross it, don't you think?"

"Why are you like this, Skye?"

"You mean 'why am I logical?'" A smirk spread across my lips as the words left my tongue. For the first time in forever, I saw her give in.

"Fine. We'll go home."

"Aweso-"

"Only on one condition. Once the wind dies down, we can go and check out what's going on." She offered, while crossing her arms in front of her torso. Well, it wasn't much of an offer, but I'll take what I can get.

"Fine. It's a deal." I agree reluctantly.

We collect our things and take the leftover waffles and berries for later. I wave goodbye to Olive just as we step out the door. The wind immediately swiped my hair across my face. It's a good thing that the gravity here is a lot stronger than any other planet that holds life, otherwise we would've had a lot more trouble walking in this type of weather.

I pick up Strompi from the ground, and grab Marine's hand. We took a light jog all the way to the library. I had already lost my hairband once we stepped outside, so now both of us were stuck with our hair travelling away with the wind. I pull Marine into the library, for trying to speak over such a loud noise would lead to little avail. The doors slammed shut behind us, earning a judgemental glance from the librarian.

The room was quiet and warm. Even in this bone-shaking weather, the occupants of the library remained unfazed. The welcoming, cozily lit room was undisturbed. At a best guess, the people that were here now, were going to stay the night. Seventeen kilometers, or in other words 3400 stories, of books filled with knowledge. It consisted of sleeping spaces, sanitary areas, and of course, bookshelves full with piles and piles of books.

Marine stood next to me, untangling her hair as best she could.

"I think we should stay here for the night. It's better than running around in that horrid wind." I whisper as softly as I can. The library is dead quiet, and almost nobody is concerned about what is happening outside these doors. You could barely hear the wind from inside, all except for the occasional extra strong gust attempting to blow everything over.

"I agree. My hair is tangled beyond repair." She whispers to me with a pout on her face.

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"Skye! Are you listening to me?!?!" My father yelled at me, pulling me back to reality with a start.

"Yes, sorry." I look outside the car window to see a raging storm. The weather had completely changed, and we were now outside the school gates.

"Don't forget to take your umbrella. You'll need it today." He says in a rather irritated voice.

I sigh as I reach over into the backseat and pick up my umbrella. "I'll see you this evening, then." I say in an emotionless tone of voice.

"Have a good day at school." His voice had close to no love in his words. I open the door holding the umbrella outside as it opens. Despite having the umbrella open above me, rain slashed at me from my arms right down to my legs. I push the car door closed and run to the shelter outside the entrance to my classroom. The gravel moved and sunk as I ran, making it harder to keep my balance. I stand there, cold and soaked in rain water.

"Well this is a great way to start the day." I mutter bitterly to myself. Thank goodness I have a spare change of clothes in my locker.

I shake the rain off of my umbrella and hang it on the railing so that it can drip dry. Quite a pointless thing to do, seeing as it didn't look like the rain was going to stop any time soon. Walking inside the class, I see that I am the first one there. Its not something new, I generally arrive early anyways. I set my bag down at my desk and walk to the back of the classroom where our lockers are. They're not really lockers to be completely honest, they're pretty much just cupboards at the back of the classroom with locks on them. I take my clothes out, making sure not to get them wet and run to the bathroom.

The lights were dim, and nobody else was around. The only article of clothing that I would have to stick with for the day would be my shoes, which isn't too bad, seeing as they don't absorb water. I hear a group of girls walking past the bathroom door as I am about to open it. I decide that it is best to let them pass the entrance before I walk out, and so I wait a few more seconds. Their footsteps disappear around the corner, and I exit the bathroom. I can still hear their laughter echoing from around the corner.

Walking to class, the day is dull and gloomy, yet there is still a certain beauty in it all. More children have arrived now, and the classes are filling up with the sounds of kids chattering, books being unpacked onto desks, pages turning and pencils drumming against desks. They sometimes became overwhelming, but most times it was bearable. I take my seat and take my books out of my bag. To make it seem as if I'm busy, I hold a pencil in my hand and stare at a blank page, my mind starts to take hold of me, as I slowly but surely drift off to a much better place.