a collection of tales [[ chronocompass writing ]]

Alfred had known the day was coming eventually - the day that he was discovered. Maybe it was his dragons that got recognized, or his name that he’d never had the heart to change. He hadn’t felt good about using an alias, not sure if he’d end up slipping up and using his real name on accident. So he had simply gone by ‘Alfred’ when needed, but mostly stuck to himself and hid out in the tunnels beneath his new city when he and his dragons weren’t doing odd jobs for people in return for a meal. Though the sewers were cold, and quite damp, they had turned into a bit of a home - so much so that Alf had began to get a bit less worried as the months passed. 

As winter turned to spring, and then summer, the St. James runaway got a bit more friendly with the folks he saw more often. When he brought his dragons into the marketplace to get food and supplies, he would speak with the shopkeepers. Many of them seemed quite friendly, often asking him how he and his dragon friends were doing and how his day had been. One merchant in particular, a baker, often offered Alf old bread from the previous day for free whenever he stopped by. This merchant ended up being Alf’s favorite. She was always so welcoming, so when she started to ask some deeper questions about where he’d come from and what his life was like, he ended up opening up to her and explaining some of his woes.

Perhaps that was his biggest mistake.

The fateful day began like most days did for Alf - he awoke, said hello to Myr, Hiraeth, and Kubrow, and then stepped out from the group’s little hideaway in the wall of a tunnel. He pulled the dusty blanket covering their hiding spot aside and started the twisting journey up towards the surface. He had to take a few more secret hallways and dip his feet in the water to cross to another passage at one point, but at the last turn he found the familiar ladder that lead to sunlight at last. Step by step, he rose up the ladder and then opened the hatch to the sky above. It swung open slowly, with a loud squeak. Upon poking his head up and looking around, he was quite glad to see the small alleyway quiet. Alfred was alone, which was good, and perfectly normal. It was what happened next that he wasn’t expecting.

Upon leaving the alleyway, he took a moment to watch the crowd and was quite alarmed when he saw the baker that asked him questions and gave him free bread. Well, just seeing her wasn’t cause for concern alone, but the two people in hoods speaking with her conspiratorially gave him pause. Alfred knew he’d been staring too long when the baker looked up and made eye contact with him. Her eyes widened, and she pointed in his direction. As the hooded fellows began to turn in his direction, Alfred bolted. As he ran back for the entrance to the sewer tunnels, he sent a mental message to all three of his dragons.

Get everything together, we’ve got to get out of here! Alfred thought frantically to his dragon friends. The three of them were in uproar in a moment, all shouting things in their shared mind space.

How? I thought that we were hidden! roared Kubrow.

We’re on our way to you, Alfred! Are you caught? Are you hurt? Myr fretted.

Hiraeth’s contribution was mainly concerned mental screaming.

After a moment of hearing his dragons chaotically converse in his mind, during which he managed to get the hatch open and jump back down into the sewers, Alf spoke over all of them. That one kind woman, the one that gave us bread? I don’t think she asked us so many questions about our lives out of mere curiosity. She’s been working for them, we’ve been found.

He glanced behind him as he ran. Snap, the hatch was still open, and he heard footsteps above. It was too late to close it and hide which way he’d gone. They were definitely after him, and he was definitely in some major trouble. After a duck into a nearby side passage, he kept explaining things to his dragons as he fled. I’m not caught, not yet at least.

Another turn. Alfred could still hear footsteps behind him. He willed his own frantic run to be quieter, even though just wishing didn’t do much of anything in the way of help. Myr spoke up in the mental link between the four fast friends. Take the next two left turns. We’ll be waiting for you there and then we can escape together.

No way! Alfred protested, though when a turn opened up on the left he jumped across the water and made his way through the tunnel. You guys need to get yourselves out safely, I can handle this just fine on my own! In truth, he didn’t know if he’d get out of this. But he knew that if he had to be dragged back home, he wasn’t involving the people he cared about most in it, too.

Unfortunately his dragons were not having it. Hiraeth had things to say at once. We are a family, a conglomerate, an assembly of fast friends! And friends don’t leave someone else to get hurt. Now come on! You’re nearly there.

Alf kept on running, though he was starting to get tired and the footsteps behind him seemed to be getting closer and closer. He didn’t dare look behind him, and after the next left turn he saw them. His family, his dragons, all encouraging him to hurry up and reach them. He got to the group and hopped up on Myr’s back. “Through the chronoscape! Anywhere, quickly!” he cried. The three dragons started running, started concentrating, and the portal to somewhere else opened up in front of them. Alf turned to get one last look at the hooded figures reaching out for him as the portal engulfed him and the group. He saw one of them point some odd buzzing device in their direction, but nothing was fired, and as the four friends stepped into a new world and the portal snapped shut behind them, Alfred let out a sigh of relief. It was over. They were safe. For now.

Later that night, after Alfred and the dragons had discussed plans and where they had ended up, he asked to keep watch. Here they were gathered around a campfire, in an open field on a brand new planet with blue grass. He didn’t feel safe just leaving them all open to attack. When Kubrow tried to offer instead, he added that he needed some time to think.

So with his dragons snuggled up in a pile and fast asleep, Alf let his weariness show on his face at last. It had been his fault they had all almost been caught. His fault that he’d let his guard down, that he’d been so friendly and open with people that had ended up betraying him. Now, instead of making a new life in a slightly familiar place on the same planet, they’d have to start all over again in this mysterious spot. Alfred gazed around the blue plains and color-shifting flowers all around him, and then at the four moons in the sky. He had no idea what to expect here, but he knew that he would make the most of it.

After all, four moons was pretty cool, wasn’t it? He could maybe find a civilization somewhere nearby, or perhaps get these flowers gathered and sell them for food on some other far off planet, where they’d be more valuable. Alf could almost see it now - him, his three wonderful dragons, and their new booming flower business. Yes, and they wouldn’t have a care in the world. Despite all his fear about it, perhaps moving to a new planet wouldn’t be that bad after all.

An odd sound came from behind him all of a sudden. Was that some of the local wildlife around here? How intriguing. Alfred turned around to take a look.

“Funny thing, this newfangled technology. The labs gave it to us for testing just the other day, you know. Can track jumps through the chronoscape.” This was not any random wildlife. Somehow, with some terrifying new ability, the Abrendese Militia had managed to find him across space. The man in front of him was one of the ones from that morning, and in his hand he was holding that awful buzzing device. Alf got to his feet and grabbed a stick from the fire as he did so. He wasn’t going down without a fight.

“Now, I’m no scientist, so it took me a while to work out what all the numbers met, but here I am! Sorry it took a while.” The man continued on, as if nothing at all was the matter.

Alf spoke up. “You turn around, go home, and leave me and my dragons alone.” He brandished his smoldering sticks and willed his dragons to wake up.

The fellow had the audacity to laugh. “Leave? After spending so much time hunting you down? You’re a hard man to find - Alfred, is it? The long lost St. James. It’s not easy to evade us for six straight months. Now imagine those skills turned towards the cause.”

”I don’t think I need to help you all out with anything.”

”Really?” the man asked, and Alfred heard approaching footsteps from all sides. They were well and truly surrounded. His dragons weren’t waking up. Why weren’t they waking up? “Technology, friend. Anything’s possible. You can’t run forever, Alfred -

Your past always catches up to you eventually.”