After hearing his nervous laugh carry across the wind, I couldn't help but wonder what the strange man was doing; to call him suspicious would have been an understatement. I lifted my head to face the sky at the sound of rumbling thunder, only to discover blips of light flashing into existence right above me. For a moment, I could have sworn that it was morning again already.
Were there any limits to what magic could do? This question was rattling through my brain like loose coins in a box. No matter how hard I tried to get rid of it, the thought clung on stubbornly.
I quickly realised that something wasn't right, and I had to beg Avrae for his help. Miraculously, his wing was already healing. How this was happening was something that I might never get the chance to learn.
The dragon lept into the air once more, rising high, before plummeting headfirst at an astonishing pace. I clung on dearly to jutting backbones and curled spikes which protruded from the top of his spine to the bottom. They were incredibly sharp to the touch, and I knew if my hands were to slip, I'd probably end up losing them both.
Violet must not have seen me waving frantically; she only saw the maniacal looking dragon that was swooping down to grab her. 'Violet!'
Panicking like prey with nowhere to flee, the horses were milling around in circles. 'No!' I yell. Violet's horse was terrified, and with its head pressed against the cobbled flooring of the street, it started bucking in a frenzy, attempting to get rid of her.
'Violet!' I scream again. This time she saw me, and as she looked up in horror, she was thrown several feet in the air. Seizing the opportunity, her horse bolted at the first chance it could get.
Leaning closer to speak into his ear, I nearly fell. 'Avrae, I need you to keep steady, my friend.'
Belching fire in front of us, he was having none of it. 'What am I, your slave?' He demanded. I didn't even get a chance to reply before we were delving into a fiery red cloud of smoke.
Coughing and patting out singeing hairs, I was surprised that I'd managed to weather his latest tantrum. 'Just get Violet, will you?' I ask, completely fed up.
Violet was curled up on the floor and unable to move. She was lying too low for me to reach out, so I depended on this creature to use those vicious claws for something other than hunting prey.
More flashes of light were starting to appear all around us; dozens of them, much closer than before, and at long last, I could see what they were. Blank faces, shrouded in thick grey mist, and they were hovering in mid-air. Wearing long black robes, they began charging at Violet, leaving sparkling trails of white dust in their wake. As I heard my friend's crying, I could only hope and pray that we would get to her first.
I expected there to be a battle. What I didn't expect to see was Avrae chasing after them all, systematically hunting each one down with lances of fire. He was clearing a path for us. I felt helpless, lurching forward as I watched him crash into the ground and bundle Violet up into one of his claws.
'Where to now, master?' Avrae snarled.
'To the castle!' I yell. Not having all of the answers in a world of my creation was frustrating. It wasn't supposed to be like this.
Violet was stirring, and her first glimpse of me was a terrified little boy holding onto the back of a dragon as it banked left and right, piercing through blankets of fog and cloud. My face must have been a picture.
'What the hell, Jake?!' She barked, daring to lean forward herself.
'Just don't look down Violet, we're almost there.'
She did. 'Yahoo!' Even Avrae joined in. The pair of them were like two peas in a pod, sharing a remarkably unique sense of humour.
There it was, four large towers were reaching out from behind fortified stone walls, and encompassing the castle was a beautiful waterfall. It certainly was a sight to behold.
'You can land over...'
Avrae didn't listen and instead was angling for the grand hall. I cringed as newly constructed pillars were smashed into rubble and catapulted out of the way.
'There.' I finish. I should never have created that dragon.
Withdrawing from the safety of his claw, Violet pounced on me, punching my chest. 'Jake, what's going on? The last thing I remember was sunbathing on a golden beach with my sister, and then a huge yellow rift opened up, pulling us both through.'
'How is Sarah?'
Violet started crying. 'I don't know; I couldn't find her.'
I wrapped my arms around her. 'I'm sorry, let's go and find my family; they should be here somewhere. Who knows, they might even know where Sarah is.'
There were no lights, no signs of life at all. The courtyard was being overrun by smothering thick fog, and I couldn't see the vast gardens I'd created anywhere.
Violet looked sceptical. 'Are you sure, Jake? This place looks like a graveyard.'
I didn't want to believe it, my insides were knotting with stress, but surely my parents would be searching for me by now. Avrae hadn't exactly been subtle with our arrival either; they would have heard that clumsy landing of his from miles away.
'Do you hear that?' Violet asked.
I didn't hear anything at first, but gradually I started to make out a distorted chirping, booming louder and louder with every second. Looking up in shock, I could see that flying creatures were appearing out of nowhere. Gargantuan birds, at least ten of them were tenaciously pecking at the feathers of lesser animals. These monsters were all black like crows, yet even larger than some buildings.
We'd have to make our escape before they fancied us for food as well. The birds would have to make it past Avrae first, though. Then again, knowing him, he'd probably let them inside of the castle for his amusement.
I barged through the tall doors of our home, desperate to find someone else, anyone else. Glimpsing smouldering torches, lining the dull grey walls, I realised that someone had been here recently. I also recalled that I'd forgotten to provide our home with electricity. This world was going to lack any of the technological advancements that Earth held dear, and so I'd have to ensure Brockwing Vale made up for such losses with the masterful exploration of magic.
We must have spent hours scouring through empty hallways and cold stone rooms, and we still couldn't find our loved ones anywhere. They'd vanished without a trace.
I sat down opposite Violet in the grand hall; the intricately designed chairs didn't possess the quality that they should have, though. After foraging through the kitchens, there weren't any signs of freshly cooked food. The chefs were also missing, and we were completely out of ideas. This world seemed to be falling apart as quickly as I'd created it, and we had no idea why.