Tales of the Lorekeepers 01 - Rise of the Red Dragon

it?
    Unless it was not his plan to do so, in which case the boy probably had a more serious purpose. Or maybe he did not plan to kill him right now, but would eventually change his mind.
    It was all terribly confusing.
    As sleep slowly enveloped his body in its comfortable arms, Samuel made another decision. He silently swore he would defend the boy, no matter what Angeline said.

    Samuel slept soundly. The night, alive and vibrant with nocturnal life when he had fallen asleep, was now slowly leaving the stage to let the day take over. In the moments before the first rays of the sun peaked over the horizon, when the predators of the night and the daytime creatures were all asleep, the forest suddenly seemed as if it had been fixed in time by some magical spell.
    In that moment, a buzzing sound gently woke Samuel, the noise moving from his left ear to the front of his face, then back to his side. The annoying hum continued for a few seconds, swirling around his head like an unwelcome mosquito, until he finally opened his eyes.
    “Wake up!” said Angeline. “Follow me, quietly!”
    Samuel sat up and saw that the rest of the men were still sleeping. The little fata gestured to the boy to follow her, rapidly flying away from the camp and into the woods. Samuel followed her without making any noise, hoping no one would wake up before he got back.
    A few moments later, he was standing between two majestic oak trees, stretching his arms and yawning. Angeline hovered in front of his eyes, her wings flapping rapidly.
    “I’ve been trying to wake you for twenty minutes,” she declared. “Don’t you remember you have a legend to save?”
    “Of course I do. But I still need to rest and get some sleep from time to time, or I won’t be of any use to you. I’m not Superman, you know.”
    “Who? Never mind, there are more pressing matters to deal with than your senseless expressions. Have you learned anything new since we last spoke?”
    “I have. There’s this boy, who we have to find and bring back to the king. He’s supposed to know how to calm the hill and lift the curse on Dinas Fafoon.”
    “Dinas Ffaraon!” corrected Angeline. “Don’t you think I know that already? It’s part of the whole legend. In fact, it is the main event before the climax!”
    Samuel looked at the little fairy, puzzled by her last statement. She was always a little excited, as if she’d drunk too much coffee … if there were any coffee in this world. However, this morning, Angeline looked more anxious than usual.
    “Is there anything I should know?” asked Samuel timidly.
    “What? No, not particularly. Why?”
    “Are you sure? Will there be other surprises, like the ground shaking or monsters growling?”
    “You know all you need to know for now, Keeper. And don’t take that tone with me!”
    Angeline turned around, crossing her arms over her chest. For a being that seemed to transcend worlds, Samuel thought, she sure knew how to pout like a three-year-old.
    “Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude to you. It’s just that everything is still very confusing for me.”
    Angeline peeked over her shoulder, gauging his sincerity. Satisfied with the honesty of his apology, she turned back to him, flew closer and gently tapped his nose.
    “I know,” she said in a tender voice. “I’m sorry as well. Sometimes I forget you’re new to this and that it must be disconcerting for you.”
    “It’s okay.”
    “It’s probably very scary, too!”
    “It is.”
    “In fact, I’d be mortified if I were in your shoes.”
    “Well, it’s not that scary.”
    “I would probably panic, lie down in a corner and weep forever.”
    “Okay, now you’re just being silly.”
    Angeline laughed heartily. It was the first time Samuel heard her laughter and he had to admit, it was very appeasing to hear a fairy’s laughter. For a second, he felt like all the worries and all problems on his shoulders had suddenly vanished.
    “Now, back to business,” said Angeline. “What else have you discovered?”
    “Not much, I’m afraid.”
    “Are you any closer to finding the Yfel’s envoy?”
    “Not really.”
    Angeline tried to hide her disappointment.
    “However, I have met this Morghan you warned me about,” said Samuel.
    “You have? Odin’s beard! How did it go?”
    “I guess it could have been worse. He asked me a few questions, but I don’t think he was satisfied by the answers I gave him. I had this uneasy feeling he knew who