Twisted: Chapter two

Ling’s eyes were wide in both terror and confusion.  She’d followed the trail, she’d found the way, but this…  This wasn’t right.  She held Lyf closer against her, trying to keep her from seeing it.  Not that it mattered, Lyf was mostly asleep now anyways.

She’d found the city.  Or rather what was left of the city.  Where once stood a vast and great civilization now housed nothing but rubble.  Buildings were in pieces everywhere.  The remains of their home littered the streets.  Cautiously, she made her way towards the center, to where their tower was.  Her feet crunched as she walked over broken brick and bones. 

What the hell happened?!

She thought maybe, somehow, a war had broken out when she was gone.  But then why did it all look so worn?  Like a battle happened long ago and no one bothered to clean up the mess.  And if a war had started, why had no one sent for her? 

Lyf groaned in her arms, still trying to stay completely awake.  She was hungry and hurt and Ling knew she had to get her medicine before something bad happened. 

Tromping through the debris, her footsteps were the only sounds as far as she could tell.  Now the tears were back and this time she wasn’t sure if she could stop them from spilling.  She kept going until she finally made it to the center.  Her heart stopped and her body went cold and numb.

There was nothing.

While the rest of the city was a wreck, the center was unharmed.  Just a big patch of dirt and overgrowth.  No stone to even prove there had once stood a big peaceful tower.  Where was their home?  Their palace?  And then another thought raced through her mind. 

Where were the others?

She tried not to freak out, not wanting to scare her drackling as she frantically looked around.  This wasn’t right.  She had to be mixed up.  Maybe she'd turned in the wrong direction.  This wasn’t their city.  This wasn’t their tower. 

And then another sound was heard.  She froze and perked up trying to catch it again.  The faint sound of someone else walking in the rubble.  “H-hello?”  She called looking around, pulling Lyf closer.  She prayed it wasn’t whatever did this.  “Show yourself!”  She shouted with a hint of growl.

Slowly a human male emerged from behind a broken wall.  He looked shocked to see her.  Ling could have sworn she recognized the human.  A regular in their city perhaps?  She didn’t know the name if it was.  “Who are you?”  She barked at him, baring her fangs protectively.  She wasn’t normally this brutish but she was on the defense; especially with how confused and wounded she was. 

The human looked Ling up and down then glanced at Lyf before taking a cautious step forward.  “Dragon?”  He asked as though in disbelief.  “Where did you come from?”

“Never mind that,” Ling snapped frowning, “who are you?  What’s happened here?”

The human quirked an eyebrow, “what’s happened here?  This city was destroyed hundreds of years ago.  Where did you come from?”

Ling avoided the question, shocked at what they were saying.  “The central city.  Where is it?"

The human just kept staring, "central city?  You mean the city that meets between each realm?  This was it long ago.  But as you can see, it's not anymore."

Ling choked back some more tears, shaking her head.  He was wrong.  "The tower.  Where is the tower?  And the elders?  What happened to the dragon elders that were living here?” 

The human seemed more confused at that.  “Dragon…  Elders?  As in more than one in the same place?”  He let out a soft laugh.  “You must not be from around here.  Dragon elders do not associate with one another.  They stay to their territory.  You should know that.  You’re a dragon too.”

Ling frowned.  The dragon elders didn’t live together?  How did anything get done?  What the hell happened?  “I am not just a dragon,” Ling said standing proudly, which was not an easy thing to do.  “I am the dragon elder of the East.  And what ever happened here…  I was in an accident and am turned around.  Enough games.  Tell me where the inner city is where the elders live together.”

The guy looked at her like she was crazy.  “Elder of the East?”  He asked cocking her head, “there is no East.  There is the Northwest, south and Northeast.  The three realms are ruled by the three elders.”

Three elders?  Ling stared at him dumbfounded.  This was a mistake.  He must be confused.  There was no Northwest or Northeast.  There were the four realms and she was ruler over one of them.  This human was wrong.  He clearly wasn’t right in the head. 

To avoid anymore arguing, she just shook her head looking down at Lyf, “do you live nearby?  My young one needs medicine.”  She said looking back at him, “please.  I don’t have much but you are welcome to anything I have.”

He looked hesitant to let such a crazy beast into his home but slowly he nodded, “this way then.  And don’t even think of eating me.”