The sight made Haicor cough, and what could she call it, a cough of joy?. Dhamsel took a step forward and they followed, her hands pointing at the gate, a wide smile on her face.
"Welcome to shaiiyeru", She said, turning back to face them all who had halted. "The dragon hunter clan, or kingdom by the way".
"Woah", exclaimed Rhett. "Great stuff actually".
"Follow me", Dhamsel said as she faced forward and walked near the gate, her long gown swaying majestically with the wind and with the way she walked, it looked magnificent.
Hitherto, Rhett had imagined the dragon hunters kingdom to be primitive. Like some ancient looking men and women living in the woods. But this had proved him wrong, it was really a place of standard, it was a magnificent place.
Rhett, Ash, and Haicor followed Dhamsel who kept a stern face. Her hands crossed by her back and they noticed that her demeanor had changed. Perhaps coming to this her kingdom, and as a princess, she had to be tough. That was actually what they thought by the way.
They walked near the gate, which, coming nearer, they saw that it was grey in colour and looked sort of stylishly made.
The trees, they actually covered an enormous wall and nearing them, Rhett and the rest could actually peer through the trees and see the walls.
"Fascinating", Ash said out loud, not knowing when he did so.
Dhamsel smiled at that reaction, nearing the gate, she knocked tenderly on it. A loud voice roared from inside:
"Who?".
"Princess Dhamsel".
"Coming m'lady".
They waited for a few seconds, ones that felt like weeks to Rhett as he engulfed his eyes into the magnificent scenery of the place.
"This is actually too impressive", he exclaimed.
Dhamsel smiled jeeringly. "I bet it's nothing like your place".
Ash frowned at that. "Ok, alright, now I take that as an insult".
Dhamsel scoffed. "Take it all you like, none of my business".
That hit hard and way deep. Ash was silent and with bloodshot like eyes, he stared at an indifferent Dhamsel who faced the gate.
"Oh' k?", Rhett said and patted Ash on the shoulder. "That's massive".
The unbolting and opening of the gate suddenly halted whatever actions that occurred outside it, but it couldn't stop the sulking of Ash though, one that sounded like a windshield, as it whined and stretched into the ears of …, basically them all!.
A hand dragged the gate open from the middle, stretching backwards in an act to make it open.
The gate opened and a black man, clothed in a native hunting regalia, stood by it.
"Welcome m'lady", he said in his deep hoarse voice and extended a bow. He was very hefty, with a full chest and perhaps that was why it felt hard for him to stand up.
"Are they your visitors?", he asked swiftly.
"Yes, yes they are", came the reply.
He eyed them almost suspiciously and then quickly extended a bow, one that wasn't too down, to show his manners.
Rhett, Ash and Haicor only nodded back in greeting. Their faces carried a sort of 'ok, woah, this guy is damn huge!' expression.
When they all were inside, the man, who apparently was a guard, closed the gate back. Rhett looked at him all along, wondering why he didn't hold a sword or something to show his power.
When the guard had closed the gate, he walked over to Dhamsel and escorted her. Now, about two more guards, one fair in complexion, while the other carrying a mix of the two, came up to them. They walked behind Dhamsel.
"M'lady, you have visitors I see", one of them asked to clarify.
"Yes I do, and how's that your business", she shot at him.
"No-, I- I, just-", he stuttered.
Dhamsel cut in, waving her hands backwards to dismiss him.
"Just get out of here, when I mean get out of here, I mean you all!".
That did it , they were immediately gone.
Her visitors used that opportunity to look around. Noticing the place for the first time. It was a glorious looking place, more like a small village.
The place they were in was empty, they could only see walls sideways and the leaves of the branches up above their walls. Backwards was the gate and the tree guards guarding, so the new and fascinating thing was definitely forward.
So, forward was about (at least what they could see), five huts. Though from the place they were, they knew there was more. It looked like (from their perspective) a bunch of huts forming a big circle.
Rhett, Ash and Haicor said no words though, they just walked beside Dhamsel, who by the way she was moving, knew where she was going. She walked between one of the huts, her hands still placed carefully by her back and her face still
proud-ish.
They followed her and Rhett again noted the place for its scenic scenery yet again with a nod. The place they followed led to a tree, a tree with violet branches, ones that fell delicately it stunned the left eye of Rhett, one which he held with caution, as if not to make it explode from the scenery.
The branches of the violet tree swirled to the ground and the wind whistled to their motion. It seemed like a wonder to the people that stared at it, it was truly glamorous.
"What's the name of the tree?", Rhett finally Dhamsel asked pointing to it.
"It's the violet dragon tree, my father, the king, planted it with the blood of the last violet dragon. Dragons known for their nature to be so cute it was once kept as pets".
"But what happened to them, why are they no more?", Rhett asked.
Dhamsel gave out a mischievous smile. "They are all dead, extinct".
"Oh!", Rhett exclaimed. "What happened to the last of them".
Dhamsel sighed. "You ask too many questions 'K-I-N-G' Rhett", she said, adding a slight stress to pronounce the Rhett. "My father killed the last of them and used its blood, violet in colour, to plant this tree".