Scales to Skin

VI

Carnation

I fell to the ground with a yelp, scrambling back from the towering beast growling down at me. It stood on its hind legs, then fell back down with an even bigger snarl. Tears stung my eyes as I tried to stand up, but I could barely see, let alone regain balance. I had pulled myself into a sitting position when a talon came slamming down onto my chest. I screamed, battling against the full force of the dragon's body. I shoved and pushed at the beast, tears streaming down my face. The talon fell off of me, and the dragon roared, showing off thousands of glittering silver teeth. Fear clouded my vision, and everything went black.

They were everywhere. Ice dragons, seven of them. My father's crippled body laying broken on the ground in front of me. My mother being snatched up in the beasts mighty jaws, her bones snapping with a startling crunch. Blood absolutely everywhere. My body wouldn't move. Then a familiar voice caught my attention.

"Get out of here!" My head turned towards the source, my eyes betraying my fear.

"Carnation! Move! RUN!" The boy screamed, ushering crowds of people into the forest. The girl next to him was scooped up by an ice dragon flying by.

"SWAN!" He yelled, reaching up to her. But it was too late. My muscles finally jumped into action. I started running towards him, unaware of the many obstacles between us. I tripped over a large branch, scraping my knees and palms. I clambered back to my feet and started up again. He met my eyes, then his widened. I realized what was happening all too late.

A large ice dragon turned and growled at me. A large talon came down on me, and I knew I was done for. The fist closed, and I let out a wail. But it wasn't around me.

"Carnation! Run!" He yelled, struggling in the monster's grip. I wanted to fight the horrible beasts. I wanted to drop to the ground and cry. I wanted to do anything except for run. Running was the cowardly move. But he was right, like always. Holding in a sob, I turned and took off into the trees.

I gasped a small breath, my eyes flying open. One fat teardrop ran down my face, dripping onto the fluffy jaguar hide on the ground.

"Hey. You're awake," A male voice whispered from next to me. I quickly rubbed my eyes and turned to Fern, who was laying against the stone wall with his arm around me.

"W-what happened?" I asked, my voice cracking.

"As soon as they started snarling, you were out like a light. You all good?"

"Why in Pyrrhia would I be good?" I cried, "We're being held captive by dragons!"

Fern smirked, "I made it almost a minute, then my dragon took off her amulet thing, and I passed out from fear of being roasted alive." He bragged. I rolled my eyes.

"That's just because I got the Ice Dragon. Any other type, and I would've made it longer," I insisted. He raised his eyebrows.

"You sure about that?"

"Of course I am! Of course I'm not!" I cried, "They're dragons! But I probably would've screamed a bit less if I'd gotten something else."

"Why don't you like IceWings?" Moon asked, settling in next to us. I glared at her.

"Ice Dragons ruined everything. Any life I might've thought could happen, gone, all because of those spiky, frozen horrors," I spat.

"What are you talking about?" Fern seemed genuinely concerned, so I continued.

"I had a brother, you know. Before I started living on my own, I had a village. My mother and father both lived to a very old age. My brother, Cougar, was the coolest person I knew. He was the best hunter in town, and once he even brought home a dragon! That was the best I ever ate," I sighed. Moon gasped in horror.