Dawn starked, with it, warmth followed, and gradually dispersed the simmering cold off the ground. Our peculiar potato together with her companion Duck ventured off, a new and profound hope had besieged our heroine of becoming a dragon! ( Who would've thought right? )
The companionship, however, had no idea where the dragons reside, or how to become one. ( Or if it's even possible. ) But these thoughts didn't deter our bold potato, Duck, however, saw this as entirely foolish and impossible, but that wasn't enough to make her leave Potato's side, for something else entirely bounds our intimidating Duck.
Together they've traveled along North once more and found the willow tree that's surrounded by small puddles. Potato recovered her shield to where she left it resting against the trunk of the tree before she first met Duck.
They continued East until they've reached the wooden fort of humans where the last sightings of the dragon were. What was left can no longer be called nor identified as a fort, for only desolation and ruin remained.
Simmers of faint smoke emerged from the charcoaled remnants. Duck followed behind Potato as she scavages whatever she can behind the mystery of the dragon's whereabouts. But turned out to find not a spec of clue, however, Potato didn't come out empty-handed, the heat that remained overnight had greatly recharged our clever potato. ( Using the environment to her advantage, touché! clever indeed. )
I couldn't say the same for little O'duck, for what greatly benefited Potato had done the opposite for her. Duck hurdled in exhaustion, she told Potato to take care while she searches for a shade, and hopefully a puddle too.
Duck found herself in a daze while lying beneath a tall tree, then all of a sudden she heard a twig and dead leaves snapped somewhere behind her. Duck readily prompt her knife, something seemed to slither from the shaded jungle.
A tree's trunk wasn't enough to cover the entire width and length of a pale purpled hair that forces itself to hide behind the tree. A small human reluctantly emerged behind the tree. The human had a very young and rather pale shade, may it be her body or face, its eyes were round and wide ( But not quite like Duck's of course. ), light purple had shaded its irises with a gleam.
The small human prowled at Duck behind its tree. Its hair falls rather wavy than straight to its waist. Duck identified the human's clothes to be a dress as that's how far her knowledge goes for human clothing.
Its dress had black cotton from top to bottom and only had lines of white from the waist, including the edge of its dress that covered its knees, and a whole white patch for its shoulders. Both human and Duck stood at the ready, they were filled with vigilance and a gleaming gaze.
The small human reluctantly revealed itself, something verdant sparkled between its palms, Duck felt a great sense of danger yet amused at the same time.
The human lifted her hand above her head as a bright green light shined upon her palm, a weak breeze of wind tried to blow duck away, but Duck remained composed and still. The twigs and broken little branches slowly levitated and hovered off the ground, it bolted towards duck, but Duck was well prepared...too prepared to which human underestimated.
Duck wielded her knife with such mastery as would a samurai with its katana. Duck parried the incoming twigs and branches with mighty precision, she staged exceptional mastership over the knife to which human felt astonished and outmaneuvered.
Human forfeits the glittering light from its palm then tried to reconcile for reason. But before she could...A daring potato had already taken charge and leaped to bash its shield towards the human's knee.
" GHHHAAA!!!... "
The small human fell bottom first. Potato pointed her shield as did Duck with her knife, together, they've successfully pinned human down. At first, human was filled with a raging expression until it eventually simmered to a cry.
Potato and Duck didn't know what to do, they've never seen a human cry before. Duck remained cautious as ever, Potato on the other hand felt bad and rather sympathetic.
" Potato...sorry... "
Human continued to cry, Duck stood at the ready, and Potato felt bad to a point that she tries her very best to comfort human by hugging whatever she could hold onto human and rubbing her face into it. ( Potato couldn't hide the fact that she loved rubbing her face unto human's dress. To her, it was tender and loving. But don't tell Duck or the others. )
Eventually, human's cry soothed into a whimper as it brushes its tears aside. ( Potato continued to rub her face to its dress. )
" Human... fight?... "
" I'm sorry... " The human muttered while it continues to wipe aside its tears.
" I... just wanted a feather from the duck... I didn't want to hurt it. " continued human as she apologized once more. Duck gave her a menacing glare, gesturing that a feather would cost the human its life.
" Feather?... " uttered Potato as the human finally came to ease.
" I wanted to make a potion. And the last ingredient was a duck's feather. That's why I came out here... " Potato's expression slowly twinkled with such enticing discovery as human mentioned more and more about this so-called potion.
" Potion?... "
" Yes, a potion. It's umm...a bunch of different ingredients joined together, then an enchantment is used to form a temporary magical drink. The effect varies from the incantation you use and from the ingredients, but as far as I know...we use it to speed up recovery. It's for my people...last night, a dragon from the East had attacked our small village, and well...you can see what remains of it now. "
At first, Duck felt tremendous joy and justice over the destruction of humans after what they've done to her kind. But after hearing this small human's side of the story, it somehow made her empathize.
Potato on the other hand didn't bear any false spirits towards the humans regardless of what their kind did to her kinsmen. The small human, however, know's not of what they fell towards its kind for this human was only but a child. Oblivious to the fact that animals and " some " vegetations bore life and spirit. To the eyes of the human, they were but livestock, that's why human was astonished to see such a duck and now was even more so to see a Potato with a kindred spirit.
" Potion...enchantment...magic? " tenderly enquired Potato as she wraps her head around this so-called " enchantment "
The human pondered for awhile before coming to a conclusion " umm...well, it's sort of like magic too. But...we consider it to be " alchemy " it's sort of what my tribe is good at, and what separates us from the sorcerers and other magic users. "
Potato's spirit was uplifted after hearing such tales of magic, to her thoughts, this could be the answer to her dream of becoming a dragon.
" Human...teach. " Duck didn't feel too good about where this is all about to go as she gave Potato a skeptical look, an objection even. But this didn't stop her from following Potato, this even gave her a perfect purpose of watching over Potato.
" You want me to teach you alchemy? "
" Alchemy!...magic!... " Potato's head racked back and forth eagerly.
" Then...duck's feathers?... "
Both human and Potato immediately swiveled their heads to Duck, an overwhelming pressure had clouded Duck, but she didn't succumb to this. Duck faced the other way with her head held up high. Potato ran up to hug her, her leaves tickled Duck's cheeks as she rubbed her face to Duck's tender feathers.
Alas, our peculiar potato seems to have a way with both human and Duck. ( Potato's charismatic charms appear to be superior. Who would've thought? ) Duck agreed to give " A " feather as human and Potato cheered merrily.
" Thank you. From the bottom of my heart. Both of you might've just saved my tribe from extinction. " Potato gave her a reserved yet blissful smile as Duck remained damp.
" But before we continue, what are your names? " enquired the human.
" Hmm...Potato...Duck...human?... "
" Potato and Duck...that's, peculiar. My name is Isabella Castimora Reverene Sandreen, but you can call me Isabel. "
The party of two had now become of three as the companionship had grown to be both sweet and sour. Potato was overjoyed and keen to learn magic in order to one day become a dragon, Duck, on the other hand, didn't share the zeal that Potato has, instead she recognizes Potato's decision to be a foolish one but nonetheless was determined in protecting Potato from her undoing, and finally Isabel, as I would like to call her, had successfully gathered all her needed ingredients including the last part of the list, a duck's feather, Isabel can finally brew a potion that would save her tribe from extinction.
What does Isabel mean by the extinction of her tribe? Will Potato learn magic? Would Duck ever trust Isabel or any other humans? And what other peril awaits our dear adventurers? Tune in to the next chapter to unravel these questions as we discover how our peculiar potato would become a dragon.