Racing the Storm

Chapter 12

...Devon POV...

Six days.

For six days Nuri and I had been struggling to retrace Thalia's flight pattern and find Tuuka for her.

I had no idea if she was doing okay right now, but I doubt she was. Every now and again as I scanned the ocean I wondered if she was mad at me. If she was, I was about to make it up to her.

Or at least I hoped I could.

Nuri and I sat on the natural pillars that sprung from the ocean floor, staring out at the water in front of us. The water matched Nuri, a brilliant blue that moved like it was alive. Waves collided with the edge of the pillar but the rock remained where it was, unyielding to the tide beneath it.

"Is this even it? She said somewhere that would be west of Kahaat, but that could literally be anywhere following this line. We would have found ship remains, right?" I groaned, burying my face in my hands. This was too hard, I don't even think a tracking dragon could save me now.

Nuri whimpered and pressed her snout to my shoulder, letting out a breath of hot air. I sighed, reaching over to pat her gently.

"I'm fine. Let's keep looking," I rose to my feet and stretched my arms.

Nuri grumbled and pushed me with her nose again, her blue eyes filled with worry.

"What?" I huff.

She started to yell at me. A series of warbles, snaps, and low growls  as she expresses her displeasure for whatever I'm doing.

I stare at her blankly, "I don't understand what that means." I mount, settling on her back just above her wing roots.

"Let's go, we have to find where they took him," I wait for her to take off. She doesn't. Her blue head turns to look at me. If she had eyebrows I'm sure they'd be raised questioningly in my direction.

"What now?" I groan. She snorts and flicks her tail past my arm, pointing somewhere. I squint to see what she's gesturing too.

There, in the water, a whole pack of sea shockers. Their fins cut over the surface and slip back beneath it as they swim around in a group. In formation, actually, as more fins start to pop up I realize they're circling.

"You could have just said that, you know," I hum. Nuri's tail smacks me upside the head and she lifts up to fly closer.

They seem to be circling something that's sank below the water. I can't see anything in the middle of the circle. Sea shockers don't do this kind of thing unless they've found something to attack as a group. Circling makes their charges more powerful and deadly to more things nearby. 

It also makes finding out what exactly they're hunting a lot harder.

Nuri grumbles, looking to me as we circle above them. I frown trying to think of how to get them to leave the area. I look around me and then remember that I'm on a tail whip.

"Shoot em out Nuri," I point to the sea shockers below. A sound similar to a sword being taken from it's sheath is heard behind me and Nuri's whole body moves as she flings her tail sideways. Spines are released from it and she strikes two of the dragons below, though the rest miss. The two were enough to get the pod to leave.

I wait until their fins are far enough away before directing Nuri straight down in to the water. We pierce through the surface of the ocean. My eyes are squeezed shut to keep the salty water out of them. I must have completely forgotten how deep the ocean can be, as Nuri is still struggling to grab something below us as I quickly ran out of air.