{Earlier That Night}
Behind the “More Fun District” was a street filled with restaurants. This area was known as the “Dining District.” On this particular night, everything seemed normal. Business was booming as usual, and people from all over were enjoying the food. However, this wouldn’t be the case for long, as something out of the ordinary was about to happen. There was one restaurant that had a patio that was right next to the forest that led into the mountains. At this patio there were two people enjoying their first meal together as a married couple.
“I can’t believe you were able to afford this babe! This is so sweet of you.”
“We’re married now Sweet-Muffin. I want this honeymoon to be perfect! I’ve got so much planned!”
“What are we doing after dinner?”
“Dessert of course.”
“Ooooh that sounds nice, I could go for some ice cream right now.”
“It’s not the usual type of dessert you eat Sweet-Muffin! We’re near the world famous More Fun District!”
The woman’s face lit up. “WE ARE INDEED NEAR IT!”
“So how about after dinner, we go and have each other for dessert eh?”
The woman sat there, in front of her husband, in awe.
“Everything okay Sweet-Muffin? It's okay if you aren't ready.”
The man noticed that not just his wife, but many others eating at the restaurant had frozen, all looking in his direction. He wondered what all of the fuss was about. Then he felt a breath warm his shoulders, and drool fell onto the back of his neck. He turned around to see a strange creature, standing behind him, with horns and red skin. Now he too was frozen. The strange creature opened its mouth and prepared to speak.
“May have food?”
The people in the area screeched and began to run in a panic.
“IT CAN TALLLLLK!”
“IT SMELLS HORRIBLE”
The creature was Shula, tired and famished. She was confused as to why the humans were so scared of her. To her, seeing humans was no different than seeing a new animal that she hadn’t seen before. She figured that she may have asked rudely so she bowed her head.
“Sorr-”
“DEMON!” sCRASh!
A nearby woman from the patio had thrown a glass plate at Shula’s face. She was worried that she somehow disrespected the humans so she continued to apologize.
"I am sorry."
The humans did not accept.
The people around her started to pummel her with various items from the restaurant. Eventually, she feels a sharp pain in her back. She turns to see the head chef of the restaurant standing behind her holding a giant knife.
“Settle down there folks! This thing may be edible! I bet demon meat tastes good!” The chef licked his lips with a sinister look on his face.
At this point Shula began to feel a warm liquid running down her back. She tried to wipe it off but when she saw her hand, it made it all the more apparent what had just happened. She had been stabbed. Shula was scared. She was surrounded by strangers who were trying to hurt her. Then, she recalls seeing her beloved Grandpa get cut down. The image of the mountain getting split begins to play over and over like a repeating film.
Her emotions bubble up.
Her anger overtakes her fear.
The townspeople's cries can no longer be heard.
RWOOOOOARRR!!!
The entire town bursts into flames. The people are only set on fire for an instant. Once the fire on their body extinguishes they all run away. Shula begins to limp away into the nearby “More Fun District.” Heat radiates from her body causing the pleasure hotel in front of her to explode. She stumbles through the burning rubble with a kitchen knife in her back.
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“Amani, we’ve got company!”
Amani and Sahar start to see the shadow of a horned figure approach them from behind the fire. They ready their guard.
Shula steps out from the fire and the girls recognize that she is a dragon. They look at each other with a loss for words. Then with a shaky voice, Amani looks back at the red dragon walking towards them.
“Sahar, she shouldn’t exist here right now.”
“I think we figured out who caused the fire.”
Amani notices the knife in Shula’s back.
“Sahar look! We have to help her, she’s hurt!”
Realizing what's going on, Sahar yells to Shula. “Dragon!”
Shula halts.
“We won’t hurt you, we want to help! Just come here slowly okay?!”
Shula stares her down.
‘Seems like she isn’t gonna trust humans so easily right now.’
After a brief pause. Shula slowly approaches the girls without letting her guard down. Once she gets to them she collapses. Amani takes this opportinity to pull the knife out of her back. Shula is shivering.
Amani sighs. “She looks exhausted.”
Suddenly Sahar knocks away a fireball that was heading for Amani.
They hear a voice approaching in the distance.
“Yo please don’t interfere with my work, it’s gonna make this whole process longer if you do things like that.”
It’s the mysterious man from the inn.
Sahar recognizes the man and begins to panic.
“This is bad. I think we just got caught in the middle of something way bigger than us.”
Amani is confused. “Who is he? His aura is warm and kind, yet he shot a fireball at us with no warning.”
The man continued to approach them. He put on a non la that was hanging from his neck.
“You see ladies, it’s the funniest story. I sensed a familiar aura from within my sleep so I decided to check it out when the whole city was suddenly set on fire! Anywhosey...you two should probably hand the dragon over since I just woke up and I don’t really feel like fighting. I’m also kind of occupied with protecting you guys and everyone else in town from the fire right now. Would be a shame if anyone ended up with major burns. I mean that looks bad for me y’know. I have fire based abilities, your honor!”
Sahar yells at the man. “Don’t you see, this may be one of the last fire dragons alive!”
“You’re sticking your nose in something you have no business trying to understand.”
“And you must be brainwashed!”
The man’s tone changed. “You don’t know my story.”
He sighed and continued. “Even though I'm permitted to kill civilians if need be, I’m no murderer. Do you really think you can protect the Dragon from me?”
Sahar, now with a determined look on her face, replies; “I can try.”
Amani is still lost. “Sahar in the world is he?”
Sahar clenches her fist and prepares to fight.
“Lando Obi The Third, known as ‘The Phoenix’, he is a Pillar of Fawn”
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