Sorry for the long wait, although I still gathered a couple of reviews during the time. I don't have time for excuses, so let's just begin.

-Phinn

Chapter Three

Carnisun

Selendrile froze at the presence of the witch. Alys was still with unchanging aggravation until she noticed the trepidation in his eyes. She followed his line of sight where at the end she found an old woman whose face was covered with bliss and a tinge of wickedness. Her eyes were made thin as she smiled sinfully. Selendrile did not move and his fingers no longer punctured the girl. Alys noticed and tugged from him, but his attention had completely moved onto the elderly woman.

"What is wron-" a ghastly voice intruded on Alys, "Selendrile; I've been hunting you for years to come!"

As for his reply: nothing.

The girl looked over at the old woman whose voice was horrid, almost revolting. A witch! She's a witch! Alys thought clutching onto Selendrile for his attention, but his focus remained.

"Is Carnisun still living or has he been long dead?" her words caused Selendrile to shudder with both fear and anger, "I assume that he's dead since he's not with you." When he said nothing she continued, "It took me hundreds of years to find you, ever since you were an egg. You golden dragon, I will have your blood served in goblets!"

"A dragon?" Alys asked retrieving her hand.

"Who's this?" The witch's smiled disappeared.

The girl took a step back vigilant, "Don't touch me or I will get every priest in this town to slaughter you!"

Abruptly Selendrile spoke, "Go now!"

The witch swiftly held out a hand at his words and he plunged into the ground, "You are a damned creature, Selendrile. Humans cannot help dragons."

Alys turned and scampered back to the town to get a priest from a church anywhere in sight. Peering over her shoulder Selendrile lay on the ground still with inaudible consciousness as the witch made her way over and hovered above him. She manifested a dagger from her black cloak holding it with her small wrinkled hands with dirty nails of different lengths.

A sudden change of direction caused the girl's feet to slip on the icy snow beneath her. Stumbling she repositioned herself and rushed to Selendrile. The witch began to speak a different tongue and raised the dagger above her head. Alys was quick enough to step over Selendrile, but the dagger had come down. By the time she grabbed the witch's wrists the dagger had resided in her shoulder. Her white coat began to form red blotches of blood. She could feel her entire arm and shoulder pulsing in pain.

"You fool!" the witch's hand strike Alys across the face sending the girl into the ground, "That cost me a fortune! And just to have your blood on it? Now it won't work!"

Alys edged away clutching her arm and kicking at the witch who loomed over her only to receive a dire kick to the stomach. She wheezed vigorously as she doubled over. Her lungs seem to have collapsed making her fight for a breath.

"Look! Over there!" a couple of voices shouted, "A witch! She's trying to kill them!"

The witch glanced glowering at the people who began to drive her away. With swift movement she fled so quick the people didn't have time to see her face. They made their way toward Alys who had finally caught her breath. The blood still spread throughout her coat and her eyes began to blur.

Suddenly the sound of trees rustling was all she could hear. Branches snapped and the ground trembled. The escalating sound of gasps and screams rang in the air as everyone began to recede back to the town.

Not a soul was in the vicinity as Alys forced herself up. The dagger remained in her shoulder agonizing her every move. Her pants were heavy and her nostrils burned with cold. Again, the ground trembled following the rustle of the trees. With barely a turn to her head she gazed at what everyone scattered from. The golden mass rose and fell, repeatedly. Its scales were slightly dull and talons where fierce. The dragon swayed with an inept flap to its wings in attempt to fly, but it only declined to the ground. Cessation over ruled the fey as it did nothing but lay motionless.

Immediately men began rush out the gates of the town with weapons of every sort. Even priests were found in the rampage.

Alys forced her attention back to the dragon that hadn't moved an inch. To her surprise the dragon's eyes were identical to Selendrile's. The witch's words:

"You golden dragon, I'll have your blood served in goblets!"

"The golden dragon," Alys said hastily, "Is Selendrile?" An impulsive flood of thoughts filled her mentality. Her eyes were a haze, but it didn't last long. If Selendrile wasn't hurt she would've pounded him for making her oblivious to him. She twitched at the aching pain that reminded her of the wound on her shoulder. Shouts of curses referenced her back to the ragging mob.

"Selendrile," Alys called before staggering over to him, "get up! You have to get up!"

He looked at her, but was immobile. A hollow grumble built up in his throat.

Alys immediately knew. The witch knew his name; she was keeping him weak for when she was ready to return. The girl turned her attention back to the crowd. I can't stop them, she thought.

Gusts of wind pushed down from the sky as everything around Selendrile and Alys darkened. The multitude of people once again began to turn and run. Pounding grew louder as a large body settled to the ground in front of the crowd.

Selendrile hoisted up his head a bit before losing his vigor and was forced to put his head back down. His breathing had become livelier. Alys noticed the anticipation in his eyes. She peered over at another dragon whose scales were black and dull like charcoal. It was much bigger than Selendrile both wingspan and body. Its tail was astoundingly long.

When the entire crowd withdrew, it turned to Selendrile with Alys standing beside his head. Huge cerulean eyes threatened the girl. Its teeth barred and it snarled lowering its head.

Alys knelt and felt for any rocks that she could hurl at the beast, but there were none, just snow. There she hoped then barked, "Stop!"

Almost immediate the dragon spread its wings as though about to assault. Selendrile bellowed at the charcoal dragon approximately pushing himself from the ground.

The black dragon tilted its head toward Selendrile then fit a perfect gaze onto Alys. In a blink of an eye, Alys was face to face with a man. His eyes blazed blue and his black hair was streaked with a dark brown. He seemed older than Selendrile and especially older then her, maybe in his late forties.

I thought only golden dragons could form into a human, she gaped.

Contrasting from Selendrile who had never greeted her in the beginning he said, "Carnisun."

Continue?