High above, Vindivir soared on his great wings, making lazy circles in the same ten mile area. He was doing what he'd been taught to do since the day he was born: hunt. His prey? The curious little bundle of light and noise whom until recently had been a regular patron in his library. He hadn't been concerned when they had failed to appear for a few days. Children were often impulsive and changed their habits on a whim. What had concerned him were the rumors that they would not be coming back, having disappeared into the Forbidden Forest.
Their disappearance had sent the old dragon into a rage, long-buried memories of his own son flooding to the surface. They hadn't found them yet?! Absolutely unacceptable! What was their job as school staff if not to protect the children?! That is why he flew, wings nearly flattening the old trees, fire flooding his veins in challenge to the very forces of nature themselves. He had been alive long enough to kill woolly mammoths! Nothing this paltry little garden could offer would stand between him and this wayward child! He would sooner slaughter every last living creature, and burn every last blade of grass to ash, than allow harm to come to them.
After an hour of searching, Vindivir's sharp eyes saw a flash of rainbow deep within the canopy...
Below, Sela would be able to feel the ground beneath their feet beginning to vibrate. A low rumble began to grow louder in the distance, turning steadily into a ear-splitting roar. As it came closer, what was once a vibration began to feel like a small earthquake. The ancient trees swayed as if made of rubber, and rocks that had existed since the creation of the planet crumbled like sand. Then, the sun went dark, replaced for just a split second by endless black. Then, it was gone, and just as soon as the chaos had started, it abruptly ended as the forest around them returned to its previous stasis.
Finally, the world shook violently one last time in a sudden explosion that sent flocks of birds rocketing skyward before settling down permanently.
A few minutes passed, and Sela could hear soft, yet confident footfalls coming closer. Whoever it was, they were human, and they weren't trying to sneak up on them.
Then, from behind a tree, materialized Vindivir, dressed from head to toe in an immaculate three-piece suit. Strapped across his back was no doubt the same two-handed sword which hung above his desk in the library. His hands were clasped loosely together in front, and those fiery, reptilian eyes looked upon Sela with cool neutrality. Neither angry, nor elated. He stayed quiet for a few seconds before his low baritone, marked by a cultured British accent.
"Good afternoon, Sela. How has your jaunt into the wilderness been? Uneventful, I hope?" Vindivir asked casually, eyes calmly scanning for threats. He knew that he could very easily spook them into running, and so kept his temper down. After all, it wasn't their fault. This was a blunder of the school's, making a child feel so isolated that their only recourse was to flee into a monster-infested forest.
