The Dragon’s Quest for Hopper starts off as any other low brow elf seeking a real place in life. He didn’t think the real place would be babysitter to a dragon. Part of him wishes the dragon mother decided on eating him instead of shoving him into this new role. What was he thinking getting involved with Linda or Hartliebe or thinking he deserved more in life than running a beer company. Beer is his life. Or it was. His life now seems a lot different. And scary.
Genres: Adventure, fantasy
[WIP: The Dragon’s Quest for Hopper]
JoAnn and Dominik
We are not the only ones taking a bath in the lake in the middle of the night. And she does not seem happy we decide to copy her. She screams as we reach the lake edge making us notice her all the more.
“Get away from me, creatures of darkness.” She points her finger at her. Then she makes a cross sign. “I can call on the goddess.”
“I’m a dragon.” Cyro growls at her. “And I need the water. You get away.” The chomp has the woman move further into the water.
Tait shakes his head before I use the wand. I was only going to silence her screaming. “JoAnn bathes at night so people do not watch her. I watch her often.”
“That is kinda creepy, Tait.”
“She’s pretty though. Like Alex.” He sighs. So his friend Alex is female. I hope.
Shaking it off, I go to the water’s edge. “Look lady, we have no interest in you, just with the lake.”
“I have interest in her.” Tait mutters. I ignore that comment.
JoAnn watches us enter the water, nude mind you. After a brief moment, she goes back to her bathing. “Just do not come near me.” Tait is already near her. And I am pretty sure he is doing more than watch her body although she seems to not notice him at all. I guess that makes me special.
Cyro has no interest in the elfin maiden. I focus on his poor hand eye coordination. He really is a pathetic drunk. I’ll remember that next time. “I’ll handle your clothes, Dragon Cyro.” I wave at him to stop washing his messy clothes. “Why do they matter to you anyway?”
“Mother made them for me.” He whimpers. Wow, I was not expecting those words from his lips. He seems annoyed by his mother not her coddled offspring. “I cannot make clothes right yet.”
“But you’re forty seven.”
“I still have fifty years to figure it out.” He pulls himself further under the water.
Sighing, I clean his clothes without any help from him. Once done, I send them over to air dry in a tree. The wand comes in handy for all that. Since it won’t leave me for any reason, it becomes very usual indeed. “So by ninety seven, you need to…?”
“By a hundred, I need to survive without help.” He slashes the water. “I really should still be in Mother’s cave. I’m slow.”
Slow… I glance at Tait and JoAnn. They seem to be dancing. She has no idea about it. I cannot be bothered by the ghost. He’ll stay with the stick. Which is at the water’s edge. It should stay there safe and sound. “You are progressing nicely.”
“Liar, but thanks.” He slinks further under the water not even keeping his head up in the air.
Sighing, I clean myself and head for the shore. I am not for fixing him. I have my own life to figure out before I fix his. Dragon Hartliebe put me on this task. Cat has accepted me. Now I need to figure out how to get myself off this task and back on my life goals.
Actually before even that, I need life goals. What the hell do I want to do? Eyes to the sky I wait for my companions to be done. JoAnn does not look to want to leave until after us, so once Cyro leaves the water, we pack up and go. Tait will have to follow. He shouldn’t be bothering an elfin maiden. Next stop will be Kristen. We can fly that long without any need for rest. I think. Cyro seems up for it. I would rather get this task over with. “To Kristen.”
[About Cat Hartliebe] [Cat Hartliebe’s Books] [WIP: The Dragon’s Quest for Hopper]
Cat Hartliebe 