Chapter 1301 (2/2)
Alana cleared her throat and then spoke up to the woman. “Excuse me, miss? I can fly you over there to see the Ghosthound. With no… frills.”
Both the man and the young woman turned down to look at Alana. Both their expressions were confused for several seconds as they looked down and saw her casual grip on the platform. She suppressed a smile. That’s the other good part of being out of Donnyton. Nobody recognizes me in Kharon. So much less pressure...
The mustachioed man reacted first, his eyes flashing emerald for a second. Alana wasn’t sure what he was doing, but she had seen that trick from others in the city. Apparently it was an ability you gained when your relationship with the moss spirits reached a certain level. Instantly, the man sneered. “You? There are basically no moss spirits around you. How can you levitate the platform if you won’t even befriend the spirits?”
“I have my ways,” Alana replied. The woman frowned as she looked down at Alana. But then she nodded and hopped down.
“...thank you,” The woman said quietly. Alana gave her a smile.
“Hey! Did you hear me?” The man threw his hands up in the air and made an obscene gesture. “And when you realize that she was just lying, don’t bother trying to come back and beg me for a ride. I’m done with charity cases.”
The two women ignored the man as they walked back toward Hank and the cloaked figure who remained at the edge of the main drag of the market. The man Raymond hurried to join them, thanking Alana profusely. She smiled at Raymond, then turned back to the young woman. “You are really desperate to see Randidly Ghosthound, huh? Or did you just want to watch the fight?”
“So it is a fight…” The woman said quietly. Then she shook her head. “I was… thinking about moving to Kharon. But knowing that this is the city of Randidly Ghosthound… I wanted to see him for myself before I made the final decision. I trust my eyes. So…”
“I really can take you up there to see him,” Alana said simply. “And I’ll say that although this appears to be a bad day for him… he is a good man. His city is a good place. I’m Alana Donal, by the way.”
The woman nodded and shook Alana’s hand, then paused thoughtfully. “Gertrude Collins. Huh, have we met before? Your name… seems so familiar.”
“Y’all have probably heard it before,” Hank drawled. “Alana is a mite famous. And I’m-”
“In the way,” Alana shook her head. “Wivanya?”
The dragon hiding in a humanoid form under her cloak glanced at Alana questioningly. Alana, understanding her partner’s question, turned and looked at some of the other people aimlessly standing on the wide cobblestone walkway around them. “Clear a space please.”
The few people who remained were curious about them still, likely due to the earlier yelling by Raymond and the surly looks that the mustachioed man was casting in their direction, but the people of Kharon were polite enough not to force the issue. They shuffled backward, clearing a few meters of space in the center of the walkway.
Alana let a bit of her image out to press against the lungs of anyone standing too near to them, careful not to send any in Gertrude’s direction. If these people didn’t move, it would be very difficult for anyone under Level 60 to breathe. “I think a little bit more space is necessary.”
Sensing her power, the crowd quickly vacated almost ten meters of space. And as soon as they did so, Wivanya exploded in a swirl of chilling energy that still sent the nearest ring of people sputtering as they were covered in a thin layer of frost. Alana wavered her hand and a burst of heat protected the group, but she knew in her heart that the freezing effect was largely for show. It wouldn’t harm anyone; Wivanya had just wanted to show off a little bit.
Who would have guessed an ancient Dragon Broodmother with dozens of children and grandchildren would be such a diva, Alana complained inwardly.
But of course, as the cloak that hid the dragon’s form was blasted away, Gertrude yelped and took a step backward. Then, as sunlight reflected off of Wivanya’s mesmerizing blue scales, the young woman stopped and simply gaped at the natural beauty of a dragon. Alana shook her head as Wivanya struck a purposefully aloof pose, viewing all the nearby people with disdain. Her eyes focused on the middle distance, letting her see nothing in particular but seeming very intimidating.
Then Alana turned to Gertrude again. “A little less convenient than a platform, but how would you and your friend feel about a ride on a dragon?”
Despite the earlier shock, it was clear that Gertrude Collins could quickly regain control of her emotions. At least when compared to Raymond next to her, whose face was quickly reddening as he looked in alarm at the monster that appeared before them. That definitely earned the young woman a few points in Alana’s books. “But… will this size be enough to carry all of us? With that sort of wingspan and the volume of air it can displace, the amount of lift generated won’t be enough-”
“Yanno…” Hank said slowly. “It’s a dragon. Dragons are magic. An’ let me tell ya this; she gets bigger. Like jumbo jet bigger.”
“Oh.” Gertrude blinked. “Oh. Well, okay then.”