What lies beyond the clouds?

1.

"Well? All or nothing? Your horse and your sword against the money you lost."

Brand wiped his forehead. Beads of sweat threatened to run into his eyes. It was nagging him and he couldn’t afford to lose his concentration.

He finally had outdone himself.

He had been in trouble before, but not like this.

"He’s blushing," one of the bystanders noticed.

Several spectators snickered. The stranger surely was a wimp.

"Make up your mind, stranger. It’s a fair bargain," the hooded man spoke.

How could he have let things get so much out of hand?

He knew playing cards was one of his vices. Why then did he persist in giving in to this weakness?

"Innkeeper, you can prepare the pitch and feathers. This one is likely to lose."

Brand wiped his forehead again. How in earth could he have been so stupid to play cards with a powerful wizard? Everybody knew nobody stood a fair against wizards. He turned his last card.

"He loses again!"

Everybody started laughing. Brand’s shoulders drooped.

"Get the pitch and feathers!"

"Cough up your valuables, honourable Brand," the wizard said.

Brand couldn’t oblige. Why, oh why did he persist in wagering?

Franticly he searched for means to turn the odds into his favour, but inwardly he knew he had lost. He was going to face an angry mob.

What could he do to save the day?

A slight movement in the wizard’s right sleeve caught his eye. First he thought the wizard might be keeping concealed cards up his sleeves. He was about to accuse the wizard of cheating - which he most probably had done in his wizardly way - when he saw the movement was caused by something else.

Two minute emerald eyes lit up from the shadows of his sleeve. It was an animal! The little creature tentatively left its hiding space and regarded the men gathered around the gambling table. Some spectators sucked in their breath in awe.

"It’s a lizard!"

"Nay, it’s a drake. All wizards own drakes."

"Poppy cock! That’s all hearsay."

"Why not ask Eskil himself?"

"Would you dare to ask him anything"

The wizard bared his teeth in a grimace.

"I’d rather have it you oafs would keep your mouths shut and let me in peace. Or does any of you have a death wish?"

Instantly the men fell silent.

Brand ignored the conversation between the spectators and the wizard. He was too mesmerised by the wondrous little animal. It walked on its hind legs, mimicking its giant ancestors that once roamed the face of the earth.

The animal’s scales were red as drops of blood with a golden hue. Along its back ran a tiny crest. Just beneath its shoulder blades two small wings protruded from its back.

One of the surrounding men stuck out a finger to pet it but the little animal hissed and snapped.

"Mother of earth!" the man exclaimed.

"You better watch it, man. Before you know it the animal’s poisonous."

"Drakes aren’t poisonous," another man said.

"Like you are an authority on the subject."

"Would you doubt my word?"

The animal looked curiously up at Brand.

"What’s its name?" Brand asked.

"It’s nameless," the wizard answered gruffly.’