A flash of fear caught the azure of Peter's eyes. He was staring intensely at a wooden door to their far right. Amber looked back and forth around her, wondering if something about it was troubling anyone else. It didn't look as though anyone else noticed, or cared. "Peter?" He didn't hear. "Peeter?" She prepared to call him thrice when suddenly Peter brought his hand down on the table so fast it made Amber jump. He stood up from his seat, eyes still transfixed on the door. "What?! What is it?! What's there?!"
"Someone who doesn't like me," Peter said quickly. "We gotta go." He stood by the edge of the table and yelled out some word in a language she couldn't understand. And as if by magic, the drinking and the chortling and the rummy tum banter
hushedー then rose up again, louder and more frantic. She heard one dragon behind her swear and then snatch up his bottle of brandy as he lumbered to the exit.
Everyone was exiting.
She looked back to Peter pleadingly. He was tense; unsureーbracing himself it seemed.
Now she too was uneasy. Whatever was behind the door was a threat too powerful for anyone else in the tavern. That must be why they're all leaving. Amber stood up. "Peter! What the heck do you see?!" Suddenly, a loud bang rattled her eardrums, while the pressure of wind made by something thick and heavy shot past her right side. It crashed into the wall behind her with a shatter that sprayed about shards of wood large enough to kill a man. She screamed, clinging onto Peter, who had, in that same instant, pulled her out of the way of the object's path. Trembling violently, she peered behind her to see a cloud of dust part from the splintered remains of the door. Peter kept her held tight, glaring at the open expanse where the door used to stand. Amber was too afraid to see what was on the other side; too afraid to discover what possessed the ability to rip open a door and send it soaring into a wall several yards away. Yet she forced herself to peek through a squint.
"Always on guard, how typical of you." Peter reached behind for the hilt of his sword at the sound of the cynical voice.
"Are you just going to stand there running your mouth?" He shook his head, "this really is a bad day for this, Raiden." Amber was puzzled, was it a dragon speaking or a person? Did Peter somehow already know them? The sound of footsteps emerged from the door.
"Not the best timeーoh that's magnificent!" The voice laughed. She could see now, the form of a young man, who appeared to be of similar age to them, came slowly into perspective. [And behind him, faintly enveloped in dust and darkness, some sort of massive creature rumbled quietly as it waited for its master's signal.]
"I could care less about your time. Though you should know by now that I don't go out of my way to hunt you down unless it's convenient." He now stood a couple yards away from them. The boy was slender and fairly tall, with dark, oaken colored hair that was spiked and tussled about his head. He wore a bright red, button trench coat that went down to his knees, and was trimmed with several chains and buckles. Most intriguing, and a little unnerving was his eye color, which was a curious shade of lavender. He stopped for a moment to study Amber. She could sense both amusement and repulsion in his gaze.
"Alright blondie, what's the deal with the little field mouse? Don't tell me, another charity project?" He pulled over a chair and kicked his feet up on one of the empty tables. Peter loomed upon him, sword in hand. "She's none of your concern, though I won't have you disrespecting her either." He pointed his sword at the boy's throat. "Now hurry up and tell me what you want so we can both be on our way." The boy leaned back lazily, clasping his hands behind his neck. He didn't even seem to care about the blade at his throat!
"No need to be forceful, I just want to know why you're harboring a Riftwalker, that's all." Peter froze. What in the world was a Riftwalker? Amber wondered. He's not referring to me is he? "How do youー" Peter looked fearfully around the tavern. "Oh there's no need to worry. Your secret is completely confidential in here. Well, it is now anyway." He gestured his hand toward the empty space all around them.
"See? I did you a favor, you should be nicer to me."
I am engaged! You have my attention :)